In one of Laurel’s most crowded commercial sectors, new fitness center Powerhouse Gym is betting there’s still room to grow.
The gym recently celebrated its official grand opening inside the Corridor Marketplace shopping center along Route 198 just outside the city of Laurel, an area where several national chains and locally owned gyms already compete for members.
The 25,000-square-foot facility features 30 strength-training machines, 26 cardio machines and amenities including physical therapy sessions, boxing classes, Zumba, yoga, Xtreme Hip-Hop step, conditioning programs and a 25-yard track. The gym employs 15 staff members, including six personal trainers.
“I want it to be a holistic wellness [center] long term,” said Kelly Mattfeld, owner of the gym. “I really like to focus on having an all inclusive environment.”
Although the gym opened last year, Mattfeld said she delayed the grand opening ceremony while resolving permitting issues and waiting for a storefront sign to be installed.
During the grand opening, Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Although the gym is outside the city limits, Sydnor said he wanted to show support because it serves as a business destination for the region.
“We want business to benefit from the City of Laurel,” said Sydnor, who is also a member at the gym. “We all benefit because they all travel through our region.”
The Laurel location is the second in Maryland for the Powerhouse franchise, following Hanover. The chain began as a family-owned business in Michigan in 1974 before expanding nationwide. Mattfeld said she developed a relationship with the franchise while a member at the Hanover location and later decided to become a licensee after working part time as a personal trainer for six years.
Still, the path to small-business ownership presented challenges, Mattfeld said.
Powerhouse is one of four small businesses inside the Corridor Marketplace shopping center, which is anchored by large retailers such as Target, Kohl’s and Hobby Lobby.
Mattfeld said she relied on small-business loans to open the gym and acknowledged the challenges of operating alongside national retailers and established competitors. She has spent more than $500,000 on equipment and plans to add a $70,000 sauna by next winter.
“It’s a struggle, for sure, but every business is hard,” Mattfeld said. “As a small business owner, there aren’t enough classes or things like that to give you other means of how to make it easier.”
Community Feel
Mario Orellana of Burtonsville has been a member for three months. He said he prefers Powerhouse because of its sense of community.
“The hospitality here and the customer service was really good,” Orellana said. “I wanted to do something focused around community business.”
Market Pressure
Still, Powerhouse is entering a crowded fitness market in the Laurel area. Fitness Evolution, Planet Fitness, LA Fitness, 9Round Kickbox Fitness and Cloud 10 Transformations are all located within a three-mile radius along the Route 1/Route 198 corridor.
Mattfeld said membership rates range from $45 to $65 per month, slightly higher than smaller gyms such as Fitness Evolution, which charges about $30 per month. Powerhouse’s pricing is closer to LA Fitness, which starts at $35 per month, and more than double Planet Fitness memberships, which begin at $15 per month.
The competitive fitness market has not gone unnoticed by other gym owners.
Jose Santillan, owner of Fitness Evolution in Laurel, said he was surprised that Powerhouse opened given the number of established gyms already operating in the area. Santillan said Laurel remains attractive to fitness businesses because of its concentration of young adults and families.
To remain competitive, Santillan said he has invested $400,000 in equipment over the past two years and expanded operations to 24 hours. He added 20 treadmills and three StairMaster machines, installed new flooring and a new air-conditioning unit, and hired a professional painter to create custom artwork.
“All my colleagues tell me, ‘you’re crazy. You’re never gonna get your money back because you’re charging very little [for] this,” he said. “When people see that you bring them the best [equipment], they like it, and then they become more loyal, and that attracts more people.”
Gyms are not just workout spaces — they also contribute to the local economy. According to data from the Health & Fitness Association, gyms in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Laurel, generate approximately $15 million in annual wages and contribute about $40.5 million in economic output.
Still, residents and business owners said they were intrigued by the addition of another gym to the area.
Robert Crawford, a boxing coach at Crawford Training and Fitness, moved his 20-year-old business inside Powerhouse last year to reduce costs and attract new clients. He said he wanted to support a fellow small business.
“It takes a community to make something truly work,” he said.
Rachel Lawrence and Joshua Garner contributed to this article.