--- title: "Building a Fitness Empire: Multi-Unit Franchising with Emerging Brands" url: https://burnaze.com/article/35de9598-28c4-49d6-bb3e-8a162fb1ba19 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/building-a-fitness-empire-why-multi-unit-franchising-thrives-with-emerging-brands-like-fitness-premier-2729572 category: "Gym & HVLP" industry: "Fitness" segment: "Gym & HVLP" topics: ["Development & multi-unit","Emerging brands"] published: 2025-06-09T22:17:02.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T20:31:45.393Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/463d3bafca11e70877ca49e375375b9d4799.jpg --- # Building a Fitness Empire: Multi-Unit Franchising with Emerging Brands **TL;DR:** Michael Orwig, a multi-unit owner of Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, shares his experience of building a fitness empire through multi-unit franchising with an emerging brand. Fitness Premier targets strategic, underserved territories with high growth potential, and its systems are designed for multi-unit scalability. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2025-06-09. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/building-a-fitness-empire-why-multi-unit-franchising-thrives-with-emerging-brands-like-fitness-premier-2729572).* ## Key facts - Fitness Premier targets underserved territories - The brand fosters a culture of empowerment - Multi-unit franchisees can dominate smaller regions ## Story For entrepreneurs ready to go beyond single-location ownership, multi-unit franchising offers a compelling path to build long-term wealth, leadership pipelines and community impact. And when that journey begins with an emerging brand like Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, the rewards are amplified. Just ask Michael Orwig, a multi-unit owner and a key player on both the franchisee and franchisor sides of the Fitness Premier brand. His story illustrates how early adopters can leverage scalable systems, strong support and untapped market potential to grow alongside an evolving fitness brand. “We’ve built our business around systems that not only scale, but empower our team,” Orwig said. “We’re not just training people to do a job — we’re teaching them how the business works so they can grow with us and eventually become franchisees or owners. That’s the real strength of a multi-unit model.” ## Emerging brand strategy Unlike saturated markets dominated by big-box gyms, Fitness Premier targets strategic, underserved territories with high growth potential. This means multi-unit franchisees can carve out meaningful footprints and dominate smaller regions with less competition. But the advantage goes deeper than just open territory. “We bounce ideas off of each other, narrow them down, and pick the best one as a team to strategize and find the best answers together,” Orwig said. “That signifies exactly the type of brand we are. How do we get the right people and how do we keep them?” By developing internal leaders and giving team members clear paths to growth, Fitness Premier fosters a culture of empowerment. For Orwig, this has been central to scaling his business sustainably. ## Scalable systems and support Fitness Premier’s systems are designed with multi-unit scalability in mind. From centralized training modules to back-end operations, the model allows franchisees to focus on growth rather than getting buried in admin work. “We pride ourselves on the training, systems and procedures,” Orwig said. “All the operators and the managers just have to focus on making sure the experience for the clients is at and above expectations. They don’t have to worry about everything else. Now we can just focus on member and client results and the experience that we outline in our Franchise Disclosure Document.” This turnkey support model removes friction, especially as franchisees open additional locations. Of course, multi-unit growth isn’t without its hurdles, particularly when it comes to staffing and culture. But Fitness Premier’s strong training and onboarding systems help franchisees navigate these challenges with confidence. “It's all about finding the right people — without the right people, we can’t grow,” Orwig said. “When you give people the time, now they are bought in. You can tell if they fit into the puzzle.” This people-first philosophy, combined with performance-based systems, means franchisees don’t just grow units, they grow leaders. ## Leadership and growth “We treat them like family, not just employees,” Orwig said. “The story I’ve helped build with this company exemplifies what is happening with this brand and what is going to continue to happen across the country.” For Orwig, growth isn’t about volume — it’s about strategic expansion with the right people and the right support. “We are expanding smaller markets that don’t have a lot of competition, but we are doing it very slowly and strategically because the last thing we want to do is grow with the wrong people,” he said. His growth has been built on strong partnerships and internal promotion. His operating partner, Kagan Mraz, started as a trainer and now co-owns four locations with him. “That is going to help me grow,” Orwig said. “For new franchisees coming in, I would highly advise you to have more team members and people helping you.” From personalized fitness plans and recovery suites to a modern branding system and territory-first expansion strategy, Fitness Premier gives franchisees the tools to create real impact — and real profitability. As Orwig’s journey shows, success with an emerging fitness brand isn’t just about being early. It’s about choosing a model that’s structured for growth, rooted in people, and backed by a support system that delivers. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Fitness (sector) - fitness industry (topic) - leadership development (topic) - multi-unit franchising (topic) - emerging brands (topic) - Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs (company) - scalable systems (topic) - Michael Orwig (person) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/building-a-fitness-empire-why-multi-unit-franchising-thrives-with-emerging-brands-like-fitness-premier-2729572). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/35de9598-28c4-49d6-bb3e-8a162fb1ba19).