Clubindustry

So…Mark Mastrov is leaving the company he founded 24 years ago and developed into the largest fitness club company in the industry today. I haven’t heard too much fanfare about it, especially from 24 Hour Fitness. The company didn’t put on its Web site an official press release about Mastrov leaving. Stuart Goldman, our managing editor, found out about it from a trusted source. After a check with the PR people for 24 Hour Fitness, we were issued a short statement confirming Mastrov is leaving Jan. 31. OK, so they have another week to make a big deal about their founder’s departure, but I wonder if they will?

Then, Town Sports International (TSI) offered a three-sentence statement about the departure of Randall Stephen, their COO. No word on the reason for his resignation. However, just a week later, Richard Pyle’s resignation as CFO at TSI was buried in a press release about the promotion of Daniel Gallagher to the CFO position. At least TSI noted that Pyle was leaving to pursue other interests and that after he officially leaves March 31, he will continue to consult with the company.

Pyle’s departure seems to complete a change in the whole upper-level executive group at TSI, a publicly traded company whose stock has been dropping in the past few months (although whose stock hasn’t these days?). Robert Giardina left in October, replaced as CEO by Alex Alimanestianu.

I often think that the length of an announcement about a person’s departure says a lot about the conditions under which they left. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what that means about these three men’s departures.

I’m on the edge of my seat to see who is leaving what company next — and how short the release announcing their departure will be. That is, if they even get an official announcement. –Pam

Anything new and exciting happening in your programming and life lately? Well, maybe you should talk to Jim Mizes, CEO of Club One. Not only does he have an exciting new program starting at his clubs, but he also returned just a few months ago from an adventure in Israel.

You may be hearing buzz about kranking, a new upper-body exercise invented by Johnny G, who also created Spinning. Yesterday, I got the inside scoop on the new program from Mizes. His clubs are the only clubs to offer kranking until the program is officially launched at IHRSA in March. More details about kranking will appear online in February as part of the Executive Insights column with Mizes, but he did say that they are incorporating the kranking equipment into their Spin classes so people can use a bike or the kranking equipment during the classes.

Mizes isn’t a stranger to doing something a little different in his clubs or in his personal life. He also told me about a 500-mile charity bike ride, called Wheels of Love, that he participated in this past November in Israel. The ride benefits the Alyn Children’s Hospital in Jerusalem. The hospital provides services to children from any country who have been injured in acts of terrorism and war. This year’s ride included 500 riders (and armed guards at the front and back of the groups) and raised $4 million.

Mizes plans to go back again for this year’s ride. And he plans to take some people from his club and his synagogue with him. Maybe if you need some excitement in your club or your life, you should give Mizes a call. –Pam

As far as names and job titles go, you couldn‘t have picked a better department for Matt Messinger to work in than public relations. After all, he‘s already a “Messinger,” even if his name is off by just one letter.

I got to know Matt by phone and through e-mail when I first got this job. As the Bally spokesperson, Matt was one of the first people I regularly contacted. There wasn‘t a week that went by in the early part of last year that didn‘t include a press release from Bally.

I always felt bad for Matt. He took more slings and arrows for Bally than any P.R. man should take in one lifetime. As Bally was in the process of filing for bankruptcy and its public image was being tarnished amid reports of its poor customer service and shoddy facilities, Matt served as the consummate company man. When I wanted to talk to Bally big wigs like Barry Elson and Don Kornstein, Matt dutifully thwarted me off. I got frustrated with Bally‘s tight-lipped operation from time to time, but I guess I would have done the same if I were in Matt‘s shoes.

Matt‘s role was a lot like the job the P.R. person had for the Titanic. He had to maneuver through senior noteholders and senior subordinated noteholders as well as reorganization plans and amended reorganization plans. All the while, I kept thinking, “Matt, get out while you still can.”

Well, unfortunately, Bally let Matt go, right around Thanksgiving (nice timing, guys). It was part of Bally‘s “restructuring” after it emerged from bankruptcy at the end of September, just two months after its filing. Karyn Petkus, Matt‘s assistant and someone I‘ve talked to off and on over the last year, has been handling Matt‘s duties, which no doubt have been reduced now that Bally is a private company. My editor informed me that Karyn served on an interim basis after former Bally P.R. man Jon Harris left for Sara Lee and before Matt came aboard. She‘s a sweet gal (Karyn, not Sara Lee, although I guess they can both be sweet), and I hope she can stick around.

I‘m told that Bally does not plan to fill Matt‘s position at this time. I‘m also told that Matt is still looking for work. So if you‘re looking for a company man who will defend your company at all times, Matt is your Messinger. -Stuart