Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 M AY 1 3 , 2 0 1 9 Everyone has a passion. What's yours? www.mainecf.org 1-877-700-6800 We share your passion for Maine. Roberta and Ken Axelson: A Passion for Place Roberta and Ken Axelson had a passion for Rockland, including the library and the Farnsworth Art Museum. eir legacy lives on in these and other institutions and in the example they set for their sons around the importance of giving. Only aer their parents' passing did the sons realize the full extent of their philanthropy. As successor advisors to their donor-advised funds they continue to learn about their generosity—and passion. We all share a love of Maine. When it's time to give back, call the Maine Community Foundation to make a lasting impact on issues that matter most to you. A new-style anchor for a high-profile retail space in Rockland B y R e n e e C o r d e s R O C K L A N D — The Rockland Plaza shopping center had been without a key anchor tenant since J.C. Penney closed in July 2017. Now a non-tradi- tional anchor is set to take its place. Planet Fitness, the New Hampshire- based gym chain that peddles itself as a low-budget alternative with a "judgment-free zone" for exercise newbies, will soon add a new Maine location when it takes over 115,000 square feet formerly occupied by J.C. Penney, in the Rockland Plaza, at 75 Maverick St. "We think Rockland's a great community for our product, and we think it's underserved in the marketplace," said Planet Fitness franchisee Mike Cleary, managing partner of Granite Coast Properties LLC in Portsmouth, N.H. Cleary owns the Planet Fitness franchise rights for parts of Maine. "The community hasn't had the opportunity to enjoy a product like this." Cleary's other locations are in Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth and Augusta. (Planet Fitness has other locations in Lewiston, Biddeford, Sanford, Auburn, Windham, Waterville and Bangor, according to its website.) Overall, Hampton, N.H.-based Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) has 1,700 locations in North America and revenue last year of $530.7 million, up from $429.9 million in 2017. It claims to have 12.5 million members at its gyms, which are in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. In Rockland, the club will employ 15 people. It will start with a smaller number in a pre-sale office that will sell memberships starting six weeks before opening. The company signed the lease a couple of weeks ago and aims to open the Rockland location in late summer after completely renovating the interior of the building, which dates to the 1960s. He expects to set a firm opening date after June 1, when Granite Coast Properties is scheduled to take pos- session of the property. Besides being an easy drive from Thomaston and Camden, Cleary said other pluses are ample parking and proximity to a Hannaford. "We love tenanting with grocery stores, because it's a daily routine," he said. "A lot of people go to the grocery store, so this makes it super easy to get your exercise." Marketing to the other 85% For him personally, Cleary said it's rewarding to see so many first-time gym users exercising and starting to turn their lives around. "It's really an amazing by-product of this business that I wasn't anticipating when I bought it," he said. Asked about the Planet Fitness business model, Cleary said, "The founders of the brand figured out a long time ago that all the fitness facilities were com- peting for the 15% of the population that uses gyms on a regular basis. Quite brilliantly, they decided, why fight over the 15 when we can get the other 85." He said members range in age from 18 to octogenarians, and they tend to be mostly women. "Our product represents a great value at $10 a month," he said. "It doesn't matter if you're coming every day or only a few times a month, it's such a great value." After Rockland, "we've got our eye on a number of other locations" in Maine, Cleary said. "We're hoping to add another store this fall and a couple more next year." B R I E F P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y P L A N E T F I T N E S S Planet Fitness (Falmouth location pictured) will head next to Rockland, where it will take over 115,000 square feet formerly occupied by J.C.Penney.

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