PLANET FITNESS TO BUY MAJOR FRANCHISEE IN $800 MILLION DEAL

Hampton, NHbased gym franchisor and operator Planet Fitness Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire Sunshine Fitness, an operator of more than 100 Planet Fitness gyms throughout the Southeast, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $800 million.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022, the company said in a press release.

The purchase of the Orlando, Fla.- based Sunshine Fitness will “provide geographic diversity to our current corporate store portfolio,” said Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau.

Sunshine Fitness operates primarily in the Southeast, with locations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

With the acquisition, Planet Fitness will own more than 200 corporate locations, or about 10 percent of its total portfolio, he said.

“Owning corporate stores is an important part of our strategy, as it gives us both relevancy and credibility when making decisions that impact the entire system,” Rondeau said.

The company ended 2021 with 15.2 million members, an increase of 1.7 million over the past year. It opened 132 new locations during the year, bringing its total gym count to 2,254 internationally.

PROTOTEK ACQUIRES CALIFORNIA COMPANY

Prototek Holdings LLC of Contoocook, a maker of machined and fabricated parts for a wide range of industries, is continuing its expansion with the acquisition of Sacramento EDM Inc. of Rancho Cordova, Calif.

The addition of Sac EDM comes on the heels of the company’s acquisition last July of Midwest Prototyping in its quest to create “a one-stop digital manufacturing solution” for customers across much of the U.S. It now has two locations in the Northeast, three on the West Coast, two in the Midwest and one in Colorado.

The acquisition comes amid a number of merger and acquisition deals in the 3D printing and manufacturing space. Prototek itself was acquired by TruArc Partners, an investment firm, in July 2020.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

SEARL NAMED PRESIDENT OF PITCO FRIALATOR

Karl Searl, general manager of Pitco Frialator since 2019, has been promoted to president of Pitco Frialator, overseeing the operations that produce the commercial fryer brands Pitco, Ultrafryer and Anets.

In this role, Searl will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the three fryer brands. He will direct and oversee manufacturing, sales and marketing, engineering and accounting activities.

Searl joined Middleby Corp., the Illinois-based parent company of Pitco Frialator, as vice president of engineering in 2017.

Pitco Frialator is currently based in Bow but last fall announced plans to consolidate its operations in a 356,000-square-foot manufacturing complex to be built in Concord. Right now, the company has facilities located in Bow, Concord and Pembroke. The company has about 300 employees.

W.S. BADGER UNVEILS BRAND REFRESH

W.S. Badger Company of Gilsum, a manufacturer of sunscreen and personal care products, has unveiled its first brand refresh, including a new visual identity, tagline and packaging.

The company, said it is stressing the products’ environmental friendliness, in particular “reef-friendly,” because they’re made with ingredients that won’t harm coral reef,” said Co-CEO Rebecca Hamilton.

The branding is designed to convey the company’s dedication “to delivering products that use only the highest quality of “clean, close-to-nature ingredients, while also reflecting the deep commitment to creating a healthier world and cultivating good.”