Five Leading Planet Fitness Franchisees Recapitalize and Merge to Create United PF Partners
Admin
November 13, 2016
Joint Venture Headed by Experienced Team Targeting Rapid Growth
Austin, TX (November 3, 2016) – JLM Financial Partners (JLM) and Eagle Merchant Partners (Eagle) have created the largest Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) franchisee, United PF Partners (United PF), with 59 operating clubs in nine states.
The joint-venture partnership is capitalizing on the $30 billion fitness club industry, in which health club memberships increased from 41.3 million in 2005 to 54.1 million in 2014, or 17 percent penetration of the U.S. population. Planet Fitness, home of the Judgement Free Zone, with more than 1,200 clubs and over 8 million members, targets the remaining 83 percent of the population by focusing on great customer experience at a tremendous value.
The equity investments from Eagle and JLM will provide capital to fuel club level improvements, organic growth through the development of new clubs, and continue to build out the management team, systems and infrastructure to support the expanding organization. Additionally, United PF’s capitalization and scale will provide the opportunity for acquisitive growth in contiguous geographies.
“I’m thrilled to be able to partner with some of the top franchisees in the Planet Fitness system to share best practices and create a leading enterprise,” said Trey Owen, CEO, United PF. “We also are very pleased to join forces with Eagle, which has deep experience in building and leading large scale multi-unit franchise businesses.”
Stockton Croft of Eagle adds, “This will be the ninth multi-unit investment made by the partners of Eagle and we are fully committed to the success of this great franchise in the Planet Fitness system.”
United PF is a growth-oriented franchise with significant room for new club development under its area development agreements. This partnership, led by Owen, brings a depth of fitness and multi-unit industry experience to the leadership team and the board, with each of the following franchisees retaining ownership and senior leadership roles: the Lomasney group of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, the Henson group of Kansas and Missouri, the Landry group of Alabama and Mississippi, and the Robinson group of Louisiana. Trey Owen and JLM are also including their clubs in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas in the partnership. The Board, which will include members of JLM and Eagle, possesses deep multi-unit franchise and development experience.
“This was a very complex transaction that could not have been accomplished without the tremendous support we received from everyone involved in this merger including the Executive and Legal team at Planet Fitness Corporate based in New Hampshire,” said Larry Meyer of JLM. Andrew Hirsekorn of Eagle adds, “We are very excited about the direction of the Planet Fitness brand with its superior value proposition and believe United PF is well positioned with a top-tier management team.”
Financing for United PF was jointly led by co-agents and co-lead arrangers, Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group and AB Private Credit Investors. Antares was also a co-lead arranger.
About United PF Partners
United PF is the largest Planet Fitness franchisee in the U.S. with 59 clubs and development rights to build new clubs across the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic regions. Led by Trey Owen, CEO, United PF is the combination of five leading Planet Fitness franchisees with clubs across nine states, including Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. United PF’s keys to success are selecting optimal locations, operating exceptionally clean clubs, providing a friendly customer experience and protecting the Judgement Free Zone.
About JLM Financial Partners
JLM Financial Partners, an affiliate of JLM Financial Investments, is a private investment firm based in Austin, Texas that owned 25 Planet Fitness clubs with a sizable area development agreement which are now part of United PF Partners. JLM also owns and manages assets and investments in healthcare and real estate. For more information, visit http://www.jlmfinancialpartners.com.
About Eagle Merchant Partners
Eagle Merchant Partners is an Atlanta, Georgia based private equity firm focused on lower middle market companies in the multi-unit consumer, logistics and industrial sectors in the Southeastern United States. The partnership is one of the most experienced private equity investors in the region, investing in sixteen companies with more than $1.5 billion in revenues. For more information, visit www.eaglemerchantpartners.com.