Basic-Fit

Continued growth

It seems a bit surreal, talking about Basic-Fit’s ambitions at this moment. In March 2021, gyms and fitness centres throughout Europe had already been closed for many months due to national lockdowns. Noneless, Dennis Aarts remains optimistic: “We are going to come out of this stronger.”

Having about 2 million members and 900 clubs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Spain, Basic-Fit is the European market leader in the “value-for-money” fitness market. As a Project Supervisor, Dennis is responsible for the opening, renovation, maintenance and rebranding of Basic-Fit locations in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Uniformity in brand identity

Promising partnership

(inter)national expansion

Original target:

140 new clubs

“Our original target was to open 140 new clubs this year”, he says, when asked about Basic-Fit’s ambitions. “But obviously, we are not going to achieve that as yet. I believe 2021 will be a year of repair and next year, we expect to be back at full strength.”

Although the original expansion plans are inevitably suffering some delays, Basic-Fit is still active on the construction front. Dennis says, “We are continuing to expand in various countries, in cooperation with several contractors, including since relatively recently – Bulsink.”

Promising partnership

“We have now tackled a number of locations together, and I can say that it is a promising partnership”, he continues. “We are growing rapidly, which means we are faced with certain challenges. Challenges that Bulsink has already encountered and tackled with other customers and in other sectors.”

“Uniformity in our brand identity is very important to us. We have a manual for that. Bulsink helps us to achieve the perfect pictures in our manual, but also advises us in a practical sense. They come up with their own solutions to build things smarter, faster and – as a result – at a lower cost.”

“A specific example? Advice on material choices, for using a type of paint in the finishing of walls that is easily removable, for example. Presenting us with alternative options for signs, those kinds of things.”

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Bulsink helps us to achieve the perfect pictures in our manual, but also advises us in a practical sense. They come up with their own solutions to build things smarter, faster and – as a result – at a lower cost.

- Dennis Aarts, Project Supervisor Basic-Fit

In the Netherlands and abroad

Bulsink also supports Basic-Fit at new locations in France. Although these clubs are not in Dennis’ own portfolio, he sees that as a plus point: “They have the capacity and experience to help us grow internationally. They help us to keep fellow contractors and subcontractors on their toes and to keep the tempo going, both here in the Netherlands and abroad. We want to keep moving forward and they know it.”