A new company is set to take over four downtown gyms, which could provide more job opportunities for Penn State students.
The North Club, 1510 Martin St., recently acquired both LionHeart Fitness, 127 Sowers Street, and Titan Fitness, previously at 412 W. College Ave., The North Club operator Karl Zimmerman said.
Titan Fitness now runs the mixed martial arts classes that LionHeart Fitness previously covered, and both gyms are now housed in the LionHeart building. The former Titan Fitness building will become a new general fitness location.
And the new conglomerate is hiring, The North Club manager Gretchen Welch said. West Club, a new gym set to open in Westerly Parkway in August, will need a full staff of five to 10 people when it opens. Students who wish to apply for a part-time front desk job can fill out an application at any of the gyms.
Zimmerman also expects new positions at The North Club, which recently underwent renovations and now features full-length lockers, new showers, a new sauna, a new steam shower and new bathroom facilities.
Titan Fitness also hired new people because of the change, gym owner Paul Zelinka said.
"Because of this facility and availability, we've actually been able to hire a couple of new instructors to just add some programs," Zelinka said. "But at the same time, we're taking on more people. Enrollment has increased substantially. We wanted the right number of instructors."
Some of the programs Titan Fitness offers include mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and co-ed boxing.
Each location targets a different demographic. Zimmerman said the North Club caters to customers 40 years old or older, though they do have some college undergraduates. Titan Fitness is more oriented to college undergraduates, with programs like martial arts classes, Zelinka said.
Zelinka said the merge benefited both the club and the members.
"It benefits us because we're in a much better location," he said. "The location is more centralized."
