When Springfield’s only LA Fitness location abruptly closed last month, locally owned gym FitClub added about 1,700 new members to its books.
FitClub acquired LA Fitness’ membership base and equipment when the national fitness chain closed its gym in the White Oaks Mall on July 31. Local LA Fitness memberships transfered to FitClub as of Aug. 1, providing members access to FitClub’s three Springfield locations.
“When a club closes, it’s always disruptive,” said Nathan Imhoff, CEO of FitClub. “But if you can give those members an opportunity for a new home, they appreciate that.”
This isn’t the first time FitClub has acquired membership from a closing competitor. When the local Charter Fitness franchise shuttered in 2015, FitClub took on its member roster as well.
“We viewed it as a good opportunity to showcase our club to a whole new group of people,” Imhoff said of acquiring the membership of closing clubs.
Imhoff acknowledged that not everyone is going to be thrilled about suddenly having their membership transferred to a new gym. He said around 9 percent of Springfield LA Fitness members opted not to transfer to FitClub. Prior to the acquisition, FitClub had about 14,000 members. The members acquired as part of the asset deal put the club’s total numbers well above 15,600.
“While it is a significant influx, between our locations, we’ve been able to absorb the new members pretty smoothly,” Imhoff said, adding that it helps that August is typically a slower time in the fitness industry.
FitClub, which was founded by Nathan Imhoff’s father, Dr. Kevin Imhoff, has locations at 2811 W. Lawrence Ave., 3631 S. Sixth St., and 2710 E. Sangamon Ave. The company is in expansion mode, with plans to open an InMotion Wellness Studio in Decatur later this year. FitClub’s Sixth Street location includes an InMotion stretching studio, which Imhoff describes as fitting between chiropractic and massage therapy.
LA Fitness reached out to FitClub “some time ago” indicating they were interested in exiting the Springfield market, Imhoff said. He said the Springfield location’s isolation from the chain’s other gyms, with the next closest LA Fitness being in Chicago, may have contributed to the company’s decision to close the gym.
“They didn’t have the economies of scale that they are used to,” Imhoff said.
LA Fitness is part of California-based Fitness International LLC, which has more than 700 locations across the United States and Canada operating under the LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club and Club Studio names. LA Fitness did not respond to a request for comment about closing its Springfield location.
Ratings agency S&P Global upgraded its outlook on Fitness International earlier this year, noting that the club was benefitting from the expansion of its boutique Club Studio offering. The ratings agency noted that the company had been consolidating its low-performing LA Fitness clubs during 2025. Overall, S&P noted that there is no sign of a slowdown in the market for high-end and boutique fitness.
“The fitness industry continues to benefit from good demand amid a growing focus on health and wellness among consumers,” the ratings report said.
Imhoff said the fitness market in Springfield also continues to be strong.
“I think we have a pretty vibrant market for gyms to operate within,” he said.
This article appears in September SBJ 2026.