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Saginaw Township Athletic Club closing after 30 years

The Potential Energy Athletic club, located at 6125 Gratiot Rd. in Saginaw Township, is permanently closing its doors on Friday, April 23rd, at 10:00 p.m., after nearly 30 years. The gym originally opened in 1981 as Four Flags Health and Racquet Club.

A letter was issued to its members explaining the reasons for the closing. In the letter, Co-owner Chuck Hise stated that club memberships have been declining for the last few years, and he believes the lagging economy is the primary reason for the drastic drop in memberships over the last year.

Other contributing factors for declining memberships could be that people are watching their expenses more closely, some are more family oriented, with their children in sports, and some are forced to squeeze in exercise when they can, or are buying equipment for their homes. Many people have lost their jobs, or are cutting back due to concerns for the future.

Recent efforts to sell the gym were unsuccessful, and without adequate funds, they are no longer able to keep it operational. There have been a few potential buyers, but as of yet, no offers have been made.

“I tried to get financing through my bank to keep the club open, but with the economy the way it is, I wasn’t able to get it, and others interested in buying the club couldn’t get the financing either,” said Hise. “It’s just a sign of the times, I guess.”

The reason Hise gives for the letter to members is that he wanted to keep everything out in the open, instead of being secretive about it. He felt he owed his employees and members the courtesy of letting them know what was going on, and that they were appreciated.

Hise and his wife, Barb, along with Kim Pletscher and Marcy Chermside opened Four Flags in 1981. Lynn and Steve Grant came along in 1989. “We gave it everything we had,” Hise stated at the end of the letter.

Hise also owns Exercise Express USA (www.exerciseexpressusa.com), which sells exercise equipment, located at 7402 Gratiot Rd., also in Saginaw Township.

 

 

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