San Ramon, CA — Butterfly Life has moved offices and is being rebranded, says President and CEO Mark Golob.

Rumors swirled last month that Butterfly Life, a women-only express club chain, had ceased operations after its Web site was shut down and the phone line to its corporate office in San Ramon, CA, was disconnected. The Web site was in operation again a few days later.

Golob says the company moved to a smaller office in San Ramon. He declined to give a reason for the move, other than that the company downsized.

“We are nowhere close to closing our doors or being out of business,” he says.

Butterfly Life is transitioning from a 30-minute club model to a neighborhood women's fitness center, Golob says, testing the new model with personal training and live classes. He is also changing the company's name from Butterfly Life Healthy Living Solutions for Women to Butterfly Life Women's Fitness Centers. Golob currently is not selling franchises, although once he restarts the franchising efforts, his goal is for the clubs to produce more revenue from personal training and live classes, Golob says.

“Basically, what we've done is re-invent ourselves,” Golob says.

In a written response to Golob's remarks, a current Butterfly Life club owner and area representative says that this is the first he has heard from Golob since a conference call last spring and that franchisees and area representatives have access to Golob only through e-mail.

Golob would not comment on a pending class action arbitration involving the company and former Butterfly Life franchisees.

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