Brightwood Capital Advisors, a middle market private credit firm, provided debt financing to support the continued growth and expansion of Impact Fitness, a portfolio company of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP).
Impact Fitness is a Planet Fitness franchisee with locations across the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Brighton, MI, the company was founded in 2006 by Chris Klebba with the opening of its first Planet Fitness club in the Greater Detroit market. Since then, Impact has grown to include 44 clubs across Michigan, Indiana, British Columbia, and Ontario. In addition to operating top-performing locations in the Planet Fitness system, Impact is dedicated to improving the communities in which it operates by providing high-quality, affordable gym access to underserved communities, partnering with local charitable organizations and hiring talent from the cities and towns the clubs serve. Impact achieved B-Corp eligibility status in 2018 and is a recognized franchisee in the Planet Fitness system.
“This transaction is a testament to our team’s 10+ years of institutional knowledge of the fitness space and ability to deliver flexible financing solutions,” Kunal Shah, managing director at Brightwood, said. “As long-time partners of MSCP, we look forward to supporting Impact Fitness in its next stage of growth as it looks to open new clubs and provide affordable gym access to underserved communities.”
“Having worked with Brightwood for many years, we knew their deep knowledge of the fitness industry and nimble investment team made them the ideal partner for this transaction,” James Stewart, executive director for Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, said. “We’re confident that with Brightwood’s support, Impact Fitness is positioned for long-term growth and look forward to seeing its continued success.”
