Brighton Man Flexes His Entrepreneurial Muscle At Health Club

“Entrepreneur Paul Wright took a chance and beat the odds. Four years ago, the 45-year-old Brighton resident left corporate America to start a fitness center. Since then, his business has flourished and led to the opening of a second location in December. ‘I prefer this,’ Wright said. ‘It's much more difficult than working for someone else. It's a lot more work but very rewarding.’ Wright, who worked 20 years in logistics services for the automotive industry, decided running a fitness center would better serve his passion. His upscale two-story Fusion Health & Fitness Club in Novi includes a three-lane lap pool and hot tub, basketball and racquetball courts, and an athletic training area that includes a track and turf. The club also offers tanning, massage, personal training services and child care. Beyond workout amenities, the fitness center provides seminars on nutrition and sleep habits. Wright said he designed the club, which includes a juice bar and cafe that offers protein shakes and lean cuisine, to focus on whole-body, mind and spirit health. ‘I wanted to create a facility that focuses more on the 80 percent of our population that doesn't feel comfortable going into a health club,’ he said. Wright, a former competitive bodybuilder, said he blended the features he liked in health clubs throughout the country into his gym. With his background in business, he created a model that has so far been successful even during the state's rough economic times. But his endeavors haven't been easy. Wright said he works a lot more now then he did before taking a buyout from Caterpillar in 2005. ‘Before it was someone else's money and worries, but now it all comes down to me,’ he said.”


http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20090210/NEWS01/902100310