Apogee Lifestyle, LLC, has just announced that it has bought Power Pilates, a 20 year old classical Pilates training and certification company with affiliate studios world-wide. Apogee, which already owns PilatesPro.com and a food services division, opened their flagship Pilates and wellness center in March 2009 in White Planes, NY. Their centers offer Pilates, but also yoga, and other services like nutrition and massage.
This acquisition reminds me of the sale of Peak Pilates to SPIN fitness just a few months ago. Of course, mergers and acquisitions are common and valid responses to challenging economic times. Even in the best of times companies have to team up to get the resources to expand. It will be interesting to see how this sale evolves, and what these kinds of acquisitions mean to the Pilates community.
What I get from the press release is that the plan is to keep Power Pilates intact, and that Power Pilates will be the driving force for Apogee's fitness training. The founder of Power Pilates, Dr. Howard Sichel, will remain with the company as president and CEO.
I'm sure there are a lot of benefits for both companies in this sale, and I'd rather see a company get bought than go under (I have absolutely no info about the economics of this sale). But I have to confess that there is a part of me, maybe the part that likes things to stay the same, that keeps humming a line from an old song: another one bites the dust...
What do you think?
This acquisition reminds me of the sale of Peak Pilates to SPIN fitness just a few months ago. Of course, mergers and acquisitions are common and valid responses to challenging economic times. Even in the best of times companies have to team up to get the resources to expand. It will be interesting to see how this sale evolves, and what these kinds of acquisitions mean to the Pilates community.
What I get from the press release is that the plan is to keep Power Pilates intact, and that Power Pilates will be the driving force for Apogee's fitness training. The founder of Power Pilates, Dr. Howard Sichel, will remain with the company as president and CEO.
I'm sure there are a lot of benefits for both companies in this sale, and I'd rather see a company get bought than go under (I have absolutely no info about the economics of this sale). But I have to confess that there is a part of me, maybe the part that likes things to stay the same, that keeps humming a line from an old song: another one bites the dust...
What do you think?
While Power Pilates provided good training, I was never able to access their instructor’s area of the website (that I paid $99 for). They were slow or negligent to answer emails and phone calls. I submitted my continuing education workshop information for approval toward their certification (as directed), but never received any kind of reply, so I took the PMA exam and will maintain that certification. Maybe this merger will improve Power Pilates “customer service” to the instructors they train.
I agree, I am concerned. Power Pilates in the day was an awesome company and a studio that offered the most incredible instruction by true professionals. While the saving of this company is great I wonder what the requirements will be for instructors who will teach “PILATES” for them because I heard it’s part of a big gym chain known for quick certifications and weekend certificates which is hardly possible for a true accomplished pilates instructor…..but we will all note that true PILATES instructor is a rarity in the gym circuit not to mention you can not be effective to a huge group of students with a workout that requires a true focus and body awareness. Hoping they keep it real and true to the original philosopy and essence.