Clubessential Holdings is expanding its footprint in a big way.
The Cincinnati-based tech firm recently announced its acquisition of Exerp, a Denmark-based provider of member management systems for the global health and fitness industry. The deal — which closed May 14 — is Clubessential's second of 2021 and marks its first overseas acquisition.
Exerp brings 100 employees to Clubessential's holding company, whose headcount now exceeds 500 employees, according to a spokeswoman. Rémi Nodet, Exerp's CEO, will stay on as its president and report to Clubessential Holdings CEO Randy Eckels.
"Easy access to health & fitness resources, in the palm of your hand, has never been more important to gym members than it is today," Eckels said in a statement. "We look forward to helping Exerp expand its central position as the enterprise platform of choice for assisting leading global fitness brands in their digital transformation initiatives."
Clubessential was formed in 1998 as a way for golfers to book tee times in real time online. Through the years it has grown into a platform that helps private clubs automate and digitize many of their services. For instance, club members can check their accounts, make reservations for dining or spa services, or update their profiles through Clubessential's platform. It also handles point-of-sale, accounting, customer-relationship management and retail services for clubs.
Its companies include Clubessential, Club-Ready, Vermont Systems, PrestoSports and ForeUp, which the company acquired in February. With this deal, Clubessential's companies now serve 6,000 fitness clubs and 7 million members in 17 countries.
Clubessential ranks among the region's fastest-growing companies, coming in at No. 5 on the Courier's Fast 55 list with 227% three-year revenue growth.
