California Athletic Clubs

What California Athletic Clubs does

California Athletic Clubs (CAC) is a privately held health club management company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, founded in 2011 to consolidate ownership and operation of six full-service athletic clubs across the Western United States. The network comprises Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa (Avila Beach, CA), The Hills Swim & Tennis Club (Oakland, CA), La Madrona Athletic Club (Santa Cruz, CA), Ogden Athletic Club (South Ogden, UT), Ojai Valley Athletic Club (Ojai, CA), and Paso Robles Sports Club (Paso Robles, CA). CAC serves health-conscious individuals and families through a horizontally segmented go-to-market, offering a comprehensive amenity stack that includes fitness equipment and group classes, personal training, aquatics (swim lessons, swim team, Masters swimming, synchronized swimming), tennis and pickleball, spa services (massage, facials, chiropractic, acupuncture, Botox, teeth whitening), and youth programming (Kids Club, summer camps, kids fitness and tennis). A signature community program, Cancer Well-fit, offers a free 10-week small-group exercise program for first-year cancer survivors and has enrolled over 1,000 participants since its founding in 1994.

The company operates on a subscription-recurring revenue model anchored in monthly membership dues, supplemented by unit-priced ancillary services (personal training sessions, spa treatments, swim team placements, kids programs) and one-time complimentary day passes used as a trial funnel. A dual-membership product links Avila Bay and Paso Robles for a $100 initiation fee with a 25% reduction in monthly dues at both clubs, and a referral program offers $50-$100 credits or $5/month dues reductions for successful member referrals. The underlying technology stack is a MembersFirst-provided website platform with member login and online account management; CAC has no proprietary technology, mobile app, API, or AI/ML capability. Marketing is multi-channel and community-driven: organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, blog content, on-site events (Happy Hours, Wine Downs, Parents' Night Out), referral programs, and free trial passes.

CAC is led by President Eric Schmitz and Vice President and HR Laura Lewis, supported by two administration staff (Julie Barker, Felicia Camarena). The corporate office employs 12 people, with the broader club-level workforce (trainers, instructors, front-desk, spa staff) not reflected in this corporate headcount. CAC is a privately held independent company with no parent, no external investors, and no funding rounds disclosed; the company is registered as California Athletic Clubs Management Inc., a California corporation. No patents, trademarks, regulatory actions, or M&A activity are recorded.

Name

California Athletic Clubs

Legal name

California Athletic Clubs Management Inc.

Website

https://caclubs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Athletic Clubs is a privately held health club operator managing six full-service athletic clubs across California and Utah, serving individual consumers and families with membership-based fitness, aquatics, tennis, spa, and youth programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health & Fitness Club Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tennis & Racquet Sports Clubs (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Squash) (MPAKABAF), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Health club management
• Athletic club membership
• Fitness facilities
• Aquatics programs
• Tennis programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Monthly recurring membership dues providing access to club facilities and amenities
2. Day Passes: Complimentary day passes for prospective members to tour and experience the club
3. Personal Training Services: One-on-one personal training sessions
4. Spa Services: Massage, facials, teeth whitening, botox, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other spa treatments
5. Aquatics Programs: Swim lessons, swim team (Starfish), Masters swimming, synchronized swimming
6. Tennis Programs: Tennis lessons, junior programs, adult programs, tournaments
7. Kids Programs: Kids Club childcare, summer camps, kids fitness and tennis classes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

California Athletic Clubs owns and operates a network of six full-service athletic clubs across the Western United States (California and Utah), selling monthly memberships that grant access to fitness facilities, aquatics, tennis and pickleball courts, spa services, and youth programs. Ancillary revenue is generated through paid personal training, swim team registrations, spa treatments, kids' club childcare, tennis lessons, and the free Cancer Well-fit community program.

Product overview

California Athletic Clubs is a health club management company that operates a network of six full-service athletic clubs across the Western United States, including Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa, The Hills Swim & Tennis Club, La Madrona Athletic Club, Ogden Athletic Club, Ojai Valley Athletic Club, and Paso Robles Sports Club. The company offers comprehensive fitness services including fitness equipment and training, aquatics (swim lessons, swim team, masters swimming), tennis and pickleball, spa services, kids programs, and specialized offerings such as the Cancer Well-fit Program for cancer survivors. Members can access this network of clubs under a unified membership structure, with dual membership options available between certain locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ cancer survivors enrolled in Cancer Well-fit program

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Wallace GroupminorOthers · 1 January 2013The Wallace Group organized and participated in the Tour de Wellness fundraiser which benefited Cancer Well-fit program at Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa.
• Central Coast Cancer ChallengeminorOthers · 1 January 2013Heather Hellman and Samantha Pruitt of Central Coast Cancer Challenge selected Cancer Well-fit as the beneficiary of the Savor Run fundraiser for the third consecutive year.
• Avila Beach Community FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2013The Avila Beach Community Foundation generously matches raised funds for Cancer Well-fit program.
• Cancer Well-fitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Cancer Well-fit is a free, small group, ten-week exercise program designed to help first-year cancer survivors. Founded by Julie Main in 1994, the program has had over 1,000 cancer survivors enrolled to date. Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa offers this program as a community health initiative.
• West Coast Athletic ClubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owner and president Julie Main, who founded Cancer Well-fit in 1994, was previously associated with West Coast Athletic Clubs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 24 Hour Fitness: Large multi-state fitness club operator with substantial California presence. Competes for mainstream fitness consumers with broader pricing tiers than CAC's premium positioning.
• Crunch Fitness: National franchise fitness operator with West Coast locations. Competes for entry-level and mid-tier fitness consumers with group programming and value pricing.
• Life Time Fitness: Large publicly-traded operator of premium athletic clubs offering fitness, aquatics, tennis, spa, kids programs, and group training across the US. Overlaps significantly with CAC's service portfolio but operates at a vastly larger scale.
• Equinox Fitness Clubs: Premium multi-club fitness operator with locations in major US markets, offering full-service amenities including spa, training, and group classes. Competes for the same high-end, experience-driven consumer as CAC.

Direct peers

• Bay Club Company: Premium California-based operator of full-service athletic clubs with fitness, tennis, aquatics, spa, and family programming. Closest direct competitor in geography, premium positioning, and amenity mix.
• In-Shape Health Clubs: California-based operator of full-service health clubs with fitness, aquatics, tennis, and family programming. Highly comparable in geographic focus, service mix, and member demographic to California Athletic Clubs.
• Towne Sports Group: Operator of full-service family sports and fitness clubs with tennis, aquatics, fitness, and programming similar to CAC's clubs. Comparable in service mix and family-focused positioning.
• Genesis Health Clubs: Multi-club operator with full-service offerings including tennis, aquatics, fitness, and family programming. Similar regional roll-up profile to CAC with comparable service breadth.

Regional players

• EOS Fitness: Value-oriented multi-state fitness club operator with significant presence in the Western US. Competes on price rather than amenities but targets the same consumer geography as CAC.

Emerging players

• Club Pilates: Franchise-based group Pilates concept with significant California footprint. Captures fitness and aquatics-adjacent consumer spend and competes for the same female, family-oriented demographic that CAC's group fitness programs target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Ogden-Athletic-Club/167432367721
• Instagraminstagram.com/ogdenathleticclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-athletic-clubs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Athletic Clubs