Boutique fitness titan Aligned Fitness Holdings on Thursday announced that it has completed the acquisition of six high-performing Club Pilates franchises across central New Jersey. The multi-studio transaction marks the company’s official entry into the competitive Garden State wellness market and pushes its national operating footprint to 61 locations.
The expansion was executed through two separate agreements: Aligned acquired two studios from independent entrepreneur Gary Laden and an additional four locations from seasoned regional fitness operators Karen and Todd Spidare.
The acquisitions reflect a broader consolidation wave sweeping the boutique fitness sector, fueled in part by institutional backing. Aligned Fitness’ aggressive growth strategy is financed and supported by Eagle Merchant Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm specializing in mid-market consumer, health, and wellness services.
“Gary, Todd and Karen built outstanding businesses with strong teams, loyal members and excellent reputations in their communities,” Jon Smith, co-founder of Aligned Fitness said. “We’re excited to welcome them into the Aligned family and continue building upon the foundation they created.”
Founded in 2016 with a modest footprint of just six studios in Raleigh, North Carolina, Aligned Fitness has rapidly scaled into one of the largest corporate operators within the global Club Pilates franchising system. The company attributes its swift multi-state expansion to a rigid, disciplined approach to corporate operations, streamlined instructor training pipelines, and strict adherence to the core Club Pilates contemporary reformer methodology.
The acquisition positions Aligned to capture a larger slice of the lucrative Northeast fitness market, where consumers continue to prioritize health-and-wellness spending despite broader macroeconomic shifts.
“These acquisitions reflect the continued strength of the boutique fitness category and the significant opportunity we see within the Club Pilates ecosystem,” Jake Rubenstein of Eagle Merchant Partners said. “Aligned has established itself as a highly respected operator with a disciplined growth strategy, and we believe there remains substantial runway for expansion through partnerships with best-in-class franchisees.”
Looking ahead, Aligned Fitness executives signaled that they are far from finished with their acquisition tear. Company co-founder Jon Smith noted that the boutique fitness landscape remains highly fragmented, leaving plenty of runway for corporate roll-ups. The firm is actively seeking additional culturally and operationally aligned franchise owners who are looking to exit or scale under a larger corporate umbrella.
