Golf Newsletter: Club Procure - Stronger over Time

Stronger over Time: Our relationship with LifeFitness

10 Year Relationship

A while ago I was asked to blog about our company’s experience with LifeFitness. A ten-year working relationship coupled with the fact I am rarely at a loss for words led me to believe the story would essentially write itself. 500 words or less? No problem. That was not the case however.

How could that be?

Life Fitness Delivers  

I mean, after all LifeFitness is a wonderful partner. They have helped hundreds of private country, golf, and athletic clubs we serve as a group purchasing organization.  Not only does LifeFitness work tirelessly helping clubs customize spaces that suit their operational needs but they also deliver on schedule and on (or under) budget like clockwork. Why is it so hard to write a story about that?  

Then it hit me.

A Relationship Industry  

Writing a concise business article like this is challenging because it’s never simple putting the personality of a company down on paper. The club industry isn’t a transactional world but rather a relationship industry. Similarly, I don’t actually think of LifeFitness as a fitness equipment company. It is a group of great people armed with expert insight and guidance that happens to sell the world’s best cardio and strength equipment. This depiction comes to life time and time again.

Oakmont Country Club Solution

Like the time they helped Craig Cliver at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, CA. Craig came to a TPI meeting we were hosting with a challenge. He needed to find a solution to show his board for an underutilized space in his clubhouse and he needed it fast. Without a plan, the proposed capital budget he was working on would not be approved. The LifeFitness team listened to Craig and within two days had a concept put together for review.

Small Space, Big Vision

Or the time Jeff Paxton, a sales representative for Advanced Exercise one of Life Fitness’ premiere distributors, drove over 5 hours through South Dakota to perform a walk through for a tiny, barely 400 square foot space a club wanted to make an amenity for their members. “Why drive all that way for such a job?” I asked.“Because with a space this small, we need to take advantage of the entire area,” said Jeff. “It will be best for the client if I’m there to walk them through the vision and they can walk me through theirs as well.”

Fiscally Fit

And I would be remiss not to mention the times when LifeFitness helped make clubs “fiscally fit” as well as physically fit. Like Mariner Sands in Florida where they took an amenity offering and helped their dream to turn it into a six figure profit center. Or at Elmcrest Country Club in Iowa, where they consulted the club away from shutting down their fitness department and towards a fitness program that not only made money but also helped sell additional memberships.

Find Your Story

There you have it. Ten years with LifeFitness in less than 500 words (Okay you caught me. It’s actually 523). We’re looking forward to creating even more memories over the next 10 years. And if you haven’t found your own LifeFitness story yet, give them a call and make it happen.

It’s out there just waiting to be written. 

Cam Schultz, Vice President of ClubProcure

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