{"id":3068,"date":"2020-08-06T16:23:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T16:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/top-franchise-owners-2019\/"},"modified":"2025-05-12T19:00:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T19:00:29","slug":"top-franchise-owners-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/top-franchise-owners-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold\u2019s Gym Honors Top Franchise Owners of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DALLAS (August 6, 2020) \u2013 <\/strong>, the world\u2019s trusted fitness authority, honored its top franchise owners with a virtual awards ceremony video shared last week with the brand\u2019s global network. Among some of the most notable awards announced were Franchisees of the Year, Best New Gyms and Gold\u2019s Vision awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs disappointed as we were to cancel our annual convention this year, we knew this was the best decision for the safety of our global family in light of the ongoing pandemic,\u201d said Adam Zeitsiff, President and CEO of Gold\u2019s Gym. \u201cWith or without an in-person ceremony, we knew the amount of greatness we saw across our Gold\u2019s Gym franchise network last year warranted recognition. Just as we have done to continue serving our members in recent months, we took a virtual approach to shining a spotlight on the many outstanding individuals who represented the very best of what our franchise network had to offer in 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Named as the domestic Franchisee of the Year was Jeff Mortman, who took over ownership of his Gold\u2019s Gym in Totowa, New Jersey, in 2017 and has since transformed it from a struggling location into a state-of-the-art facility with a strong membership base. Internationally, Japan\u2019s master franchise owner Eiji Tezuka, who is celebrating his 25th<\/sup> anniversary with the brand this year, was honored as the brand\u2019s top franchisee for the second consecutive year. In 2019, Tezuka\u2019s franchise group grew their network by nine new gyms, bringing the brand\u2019s Japanese presence to a total of 95 facilities open and operating across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand also named its top new gyms opened in 2019, with the brand\u2019s latest facility in Ocala, Florida, receiving the domestic award, and its new Abdoun location in Amman, Jordan, receiving the international award. The luxurious Ocala gym marks the first facility opened by new franchise owner Pete Garcia, who joined the brand in early 2019 and has plans to open more Gold\u2019s Gym facilities across Central Florida in the coming years. The 80,000 square-foot Abdoun gym is the second Gold\u2019s Gym opened in Amman by master franchisee Adan Abu Rukbeh and his team, and the new facility\u2019s location in the most prominent residential tower in the heart of Amman made its opening in December of 2019 a major hit in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the prestigious Gold\u2019s Vision Award for 2019 was given to both a domestic and an international franchisee to recognize them as visionaries whose leadership qualities and achievements serve as inspiration for the rest of the global franchise network. The domestic winner of this year\u2019s Vision award was Mike Williams of Gold\u2019s Gym Seattle, and the international winner was JK Valecha, India\u2019s master franchisee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Gold\u2019s Gym franchising awards presented virtually this year include the following, with domestic and international winners listed for each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n