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24 Hour Fitness®, the world's largest privately owned and operated fitness center chain, began as a one-club operation in 1983. From the start, 24 Hour Fitness Chairman and CEO, Mark S. Mastrov, had a vision to make fitness a way of life by creating the ultimate in multi-sport fitness centers and make them affordable and accessible to people of all abilities and fitness levels. By the end of 1994, that lone club had grown to more than 32 fitness centers in Northern California, giving birth to the 24 Hour Nautilus fitness chain. Convenient locations, the latest equipment, affordable pricing, knowledgeable staff, and outstanding service - all available up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week - contributed to the company's tremendous growth and success. 24 Hour Nautilus made headlines in 1994 when it partnered with investment banking firm McCown DeLeeuw & Co. Soon thereafter the Southern California-based Family Fitness Centers chain was acquired and the name 24 Hour Fitness was born. 24 Hour Fitness has since grown to more than 300 clubs in 16 states and become the largest privately owned and operated fitness center chain in the United States and world. Under Mastrov's leadership, the company expanded to Europe and began acquiring and building new fitness center chains in Sweden, Norway and Denmark in 1998 and 1999. Clubs in Spain and Germany were added in 2000. 24 Hour Fitness expanded to Asia in 2000 through the purchase of Ray Wilson's California Fitness Centers and is currently in five Asian countries. The company now boasts more than 2.7 million members and over 300 clubs. Throughout its growth, 24 Hour Fitness has held fast to Mastrov's founding vision- to make fitness a way of life for everyone.
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