North Castle Partners’ portfolio company International Fitness Holdings (IFH) – owner of the World Health Club chain in Alberta, Canada – recently announced its acquisition of the assets of CLUBFIT, an operator of five fitness clubs in the city of Edmonton.

International Fitness Holdings now operates 19 fitness clubs under the World Health Club and CLUBFIT brands across the province’s two largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton, with approximately 65,000 members.

Doug Lehrman, MD of North Castle, says: “This represents an important step in achieving our long-term strategic vision of becoming the leading fitness club operator in western Canada.”

Rob Leach, IFH CEO, adds: “The combination of these two market leaders will significantly strengthen our presence in the Alberta market. We look forward to implementing best practices from both [chains] throughout our organisation and improving our business model as we continue to expand.”