Genesis Health Clubs

Genesis Health Clubs is a privately owned chain of 45 fitness clubs located in the United States. Its clubs are located in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Genesis Health Clubs is the largest fitness provider in the Midwest. The company is owned by Rodney Steven II, who, with his two brothers, also own the Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder hockey teams as well as a number of Kansas City and Wichita area car dealerships.
Genesis Health Clubs operates the Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis (GFFT) which helps fund healthy lifestyle activities for youth. Genesis Health Clubs also operates a prepackaged meal service, Geomeals. The meals are prepared in the kitchen at the Genesis Health Clubs on Rock Road in Wichita, and are available for purchase and many Genesis locations. Members are also able to subscribe and have meals delivered to their club, which they take and eat at home.
History
The original Genesis Health Club on West 13th in Wichita, Kansas was built in September 1986. By 1994, the club was struggling, with a member base of approximately 300 people. Rodney Steven II purchased the club, and began renovating the club himself as well as building a great team. Approximately one year later, Steven purchased the Dairy Queen adjacent to the club so that it could be torn down, to expand parking for the gym.
In December 1996, Genesis opened its second location on East Central where a former racketball and fitness facility had just ceased operations. Genesis diligently attempted to get former members of the facility to rejoin. By September 1999, Genesis purchased the fitness center, previously operated by Via Christi Rehabilitation, and expanded the facility, including adding five indoor Tennis courts.
In February 2001, Genesis purchased the Wichita Racquet Club, and transformed, what was originally a Tennis facility, into a full service health club. A fire destroyed the original West 13th location, a temporary location was opened nearby while the facility was rebuilt. Genesis continued its expansion with the construction of new locations in Hutchinson, Kansas in 2005 and Salina, Kansas in 2008. The Salina location will soon become the new location of the Salina Park & Recreation gymnastics program. Genesis later acquired a small gym known as Walburn’s Fitness & Wellness in Emporia, Kansas in 2010.
In April 2011, Genesis Health Clubs took over the Wichita Ice Center, an Ice Skating Center in Wichita, Kansas and added a fitness center to the second floor. A few months later, Genesis acquired two fitness centers in Lawrence, Kansas and Leavenworth, Kansas from Maximum Fitness & Wellness. Both of these locations were quite small. As a result, Genesis purchased the former Jayhawk Tennis Center in Lawrence Kansas and, after an expansion and renovation, reopened the Lawrence gym in its new location. Genesis also purchased a former grocery store in Leavenworth, Kansas and relocated the Leavenworth gym.
Expansion continued in 2012 with the acquisition of McPherson Athletic Club in McPherson, Kansas as well as Lawrence Athletic Club in Lawrence, Kansas. Genesis later relocated the club to a newly renovated former discount store, with many new amenities being added. In 2013, Genesis acquired the St. Joseph Tennis & Swim Club, marking its expansion outside of the state of Kansas. Genesis renovated the aging Tennis facility and added on a nearly 100,000 square feet fitness center.
In mid-2014, Genesis acquired the remaining 3 locations of Maximus Fitness & Wellness which were all located in Topeka, Kansas. The North facility was remodeled. The Southwest location was attached to the Wood Valley Racquet Club, which featured 6 indoor Tennis courts and several Racquetball courts. Genesis was able to purchase the entire facility, and began a multimillion-dollar renovation project. The Southeast location, which was only located 3 miles from the Southwest location, was closed shortly after the remodel of the Southwest location was completed. Genesis also acquired the two Ozark Fitness locations in Springfield, Missouri. The south location underwent a complete remodel and expansion. Several former Ozark Fitness members filed a lawsuit against Genesis Health Clubs, claiming that Genesis refused to honor the original contracts from Ozark Fitness.
In early 2015, Genesis expanded into Manhattan, Kansas with the acquisition of MAX Fitness, which had two locations. The East location was closed after the lease was unable to be renewed, as the shopping center where it was located was to be redeveloped. Genesis purchased a plot of land on the hilltop on Allison Avenue where they’re constructing a new 65,000 square foot facility, which will be the first Tennis facility ever in the city of Manhattan, Kansas.
Later in 2015, Genesis expanded into the Kansas City market with the acquisition of a large Tennis and Fitness facility in Overland Park, Kansas which was owned by Illinois-based Midtown Athletic Clubs. The facility is undergoing an $11 million renovation and expansion. Genesis expanded its footprint in the Kansas City area in April 2016, with the purchase of 4 corporate owned Gold’s Gym locations in Olathe, Liberty, Lee’s Summit, and North Kansas City; which were originally opened in 2012 under the name “Aspen Athletic Club” and were owned and operated by Tru Fit Athletic Clubs in Colorado, before being acquired by Gold’s Gym in 2014.
Six weeks after acquiring the facilities from Gold’s Gym, Genesis made its largest acquisition in their history, with the purchase of all 19 24 Hour Fitness locations in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Genesis immediately traded the former 24 Hour Fitness locations in St. Louis, Missouri to Gold’s Gym in exchange for the Gold’s Gym locations in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. These Gold’s Gym locations were also former “Aspen Athletic Clubs” prior to 2014. Genesis also traded the former 24 Hour Fitness locations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Gold’s Gym for the Gold’s Gym facilities in Tulsa, Oklahoma; where Genesis owner, Rodney Steven, owns the Tulsa Oilers Hockey Team. Genesis then closed the former 24 Hour Fitness Active in Overland Park, the former 24 Hour Fitness Active in Gladstone, and former Gold’s Gym in Olathe as the facilities were in rented spaces and in relatively close proximity to other Genesis locations.
Genesis completed remodels of the former 24 Hour Fitness location Ward Parkway Sport in Kansas City, Missouri; the former Gold’s Gym in Liberty, Missouri; as well as the former 24 Hour Fitness locations Cass Sport, Tara Plaza Sport, and Sprague Sport in Omaha, Nebraska. The former 24 Hour Fitness locations Olathe Active, Overland Park SuperSport, Lee’s Summit Sport, Independence Sport, and Shawnee Sport in the Kansas City Market as well as 144th & F Sport in the Omaha Market underwent rebranding. The former Gold’s Gym locations Lee’s Summit and Boardwalk in Kansas City; Aksarben and Shadow Lake in Omaha; O Street and Pine Lake in Lincoln; as well as Woodland Hills and Broken Arrow in Tulsa all underwent rebranding as well.
In December 2016, Genesis was forced to close down the former 24 Hour Fitness Northpark location in Omaha due to being unable to purchase the building and was unable to extend the lease. Genesis purchased the nearby Nebraska Elite Sports & Fitness Complex, which gave members access to many additional amenities. A few months later, Genesis acquired the 110,000 square foot HealthRidge Fitness Center in Olathe, Kansas.
In 2017, Genesis was sued by the owner of the shopping center where the Pine Lake (former Gold’s Gym) location in Lincoln, Nebraska was located due to a large amount of back owned rent, dating prior to the facility’s acquisition by Genesis. Genesis was issued a notice to vacate after unsuccessfully trying to resolve the matter. Genesis purchased the nearby Lincoln Athletic Club, which features indoor and outdoor Tennis courts. The Pine Lake location was closed. Later in 2017, Genesis expanded with the acquisition of all 4 Miramont Lifestyle Fitness locations in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado. The Fort Collins Central location was later closed because Genesis was unable to acquire the building. Genesis acquired the nearby 55,000 square foot Fort Collins Club, which offered many additional amenities for members.
In 2018, Genesis closed the location in Shawnee, Kansas (former 24 Hour Fitness) because it was unable to acquire the building. Genesis then acquired the nearby World Gym location, which featured both indoor and outdoor Tennis courts. Genesis also acquired the other World Gym location in the Kansas City market, located in Gladstone, Missouri. Both locations were formerly franchises of Gold’s Gym prior to 2015.

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