New CEO at Contours Express Sees Tremendous Growth Potential for Fitness Business

Contours Express Women’s Gym Franchise Set to Grow Size of Company Using Campaigns Comparing Benefits of Real Weights to Hydraulic Exercise Equipment
Nicholasville, KY-Contours Express, a women’s circuit training gym franchise second only to Curves International, welcome's their new CEO, Jose I. Perez, Jr. Mr. Perez enters his new position with plans to educate consumers on the difference between weight-bearing exercise machines like those used by Contours Express versus the hydraulic exercise equipment used by most women gym franchises.
Since 1994, Mr. Perez held positions in franchise development at the highest executive levels of the former Cendant Corporation and most recently with Realogy, the holding company for Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker Commercial, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty. He has a history of building franchised companies and in providing world class franchise support and customer service, both necessary components in the women’s fitness business.
Mr. Perez’ stated goal for Contours Express in the next few years is to take the company from its current US gym number near 300, to over 1,000 US franchise locations. “Given that the obesity problem in our nation has reached epidemic proportion, we see tremendous growth potential for years and decades to come," said Perez. Industry experts say that fitness centers account for nearly $18 Billion and weight loss is a $58 Billion business that is growing at a rate of 16% annually for some segments, and the US Department of Heath and Human Resources estimates that at least 64% of adult Americans are overweight.
“Contours Express offers the finest and most effective exercise equipment available, with machines that use real weights that were especially designed, sized and engineered for women. Most of the other women’s gyms use hydraulic equipment with what amounts to an automobile shock absorber doing the work," added Perez. Experts from The American College of Sports Medicine, The Mayo Clinic, The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise agree that strength training using weights is the preferred method to get and keep fit, and to manage weight. The experts also agree that aerobic-based exercise programs like those used by other circuit training gyms that rely on hydraulic equipment are not as effective for weight loss and weight management.
"Great ideas have always seen improvements, and that is what Contours Express is all about. We are the better idea in women’s gyms, because we use real weights to achieve real results for our members and not the ‘plateau effect’ that women experience with hydraulic exercise machines. With our machines, women can continue to progress toward their weight loss and fitness goals,” said Perez.
Contours Express recently formed national alliances with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (www.bcrfcure.org), donating over $100,000 for the franchised system's first event in support of finding a cure in our lifetime. "We are thrilled to have Contours Express franchisees working to support our cause, " said Myra Biblowit, President of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Contours Express gyms has also recently released Chicken Soup for the Soul Supplements for the Contours Express Member, a book that is a "Guide to Weight Loss and Emotional Gain" and features the signature Contours Express 29-Minute Express Workouts, as well as the publishing company’s new line of natural supplements.
Contours Express:
Contours Express, the #2 Women’s Gym franchise behind Curves International, was founded in 1998 in Nicholasville, Kentucky. The company’s founders are not new to the fitness industry; they have over fifty years of combined experience in full-scale health club ownership. The company was acquired in 2005 by Pilot Group, a private equity firm in New York City headed by a team of media and branding executives who have run such companies as America Online, Century 21, Six Flags Theme Parks and MTV. Contours Express currently has over 700 clubs operating throughout the world, in the United States, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, and South America. The company’s philosophy is focused around helping women get fit in a comfortable, supportive and effective environment. For more information, please visit www.ContoursExpress.com