Living the GreatLIFE
January 20, 2016, 10:15 PM by Sammi Bjelland
Source: KELOLAND.com
SIOUX FALLS, SD – Great Life is a pretty well-known name around Sioux Falls now, but it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, the fitness and lifestyle company has only been open a few years.
“A little over two years ago we started with no members. After a year we had about 4,400 memberships,” said Hill.
Most memberships include two people. Now Great Life boasts nearly 11,000 memberships, with 24,000 people.
“It has been an explosion. It has been beyond what we expected. And Great Life isn’t what we started out to do actually,” said Hill.
Great Life President, Donn Hill, says the idea grew over time from something he and the other co-owners saw in Kansas.
The concept was to put fitness centers on golf courses, and sell joint memberships.
“We started with a fitness center at Bakker Crossing. Then we made a deal with EMBE downtown to put a fitness center in there. But really what we’ve done different is make this more about fitness,” said Hill.
Great Life currently has 13 fitness centers in and around Sioux Falls. Only a few of them are on golf courses.
The facility at Woodlake in western Sioux Falls is so popular, you’ll find a full house in the middle of a workday afternoon.
“The parking lots are full. People are parking on the streets. We started a shuttle from Empire Bowl to this facility,” said Hill.
Speaking of bowling, Great Life has recently added free bowling at select locations to its membership perks.
Just this month, Great Life also announced a partnership with SkyZone in Sioux Falls, so members can now get a reduced rate at the trampoline park.
“Our mission is to enrich the lives of families and individuals through golf, fitness and healthy lifestyles. And so we went beyond just golf and fitness,” said Hill.
Not only are these partnerships beneficial to Great Life, they’re also helping out other local businesses here in Sioux Falls.
“With 24,000 members you can imagine the marketing possibility for another business if they get involved with us. But also, because we’re bringing free bowling to places, all of a sudden the bowling alleys are full,” said Hill.
With any added benefits, also comes an added cost. At the beginning of this year, Great Life increased some of its membership cost by $10; something Hill says makes sense with the growth of the business.
“We want to make this a fun experience for all of our members and build loyalty. We think we’re doing that by hiring good people. Having everybody have a smile on their face, and providing quality things you could never get at this price,” said Hill.
A price many people seem more than willing to pay.
Hill won’t say what exactly, but Great Life is looking to add more partnerships with other local businesses that focus on bringing families together.
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