Latest purchase strengthens the company's position in the Boston suburbs.

FRANKLIN, Mass. - Boston-based Health Development Corp. (HDC) has added Silv-er's Health & Fitness Center to its Fitness Advantage Net-work, a chain of clubs that is expanding its borders around Route 495 in the Boston area.

As a policy, HDC prefers its clubs to have names that reflect their communities, so Silver's is now The Franklin Club. However, other than the new name, members should not notice any differences. Da-vid Izzo, who has been general manager since the club opened in 1987, will remain with Franklin, as will most of Silver's other employees.

"They have a solid group of individuals, and we are happy to keep them on board," said Phil Bonomo, HDC's director of strategic marketing.

Bonomo described Silver's as a quality, fully integrated fitness club. The facility occupies 27,000 square feet and serves approximately 2,000 members. Furthermore, the club resides on seven acres of land, allowing it to offer a variety of outdoor programs. One such program, Kids Fit Sports, is an outdoor summer camp.

In selling to HDC, Silver's owners (the Daddario family) ac-knowledged that they wanted to put their club in the hands of a local company, instead of a regional or national buyer. HDC, in turn, wanted to continue to lay its footprint around Route 495. According to Bonomo, 495 circles Boston's expanding suburban sprawl, making it a prime area for health clubs. Silver's, in particular, resides in an area rich in potential.

"Franklin is the hottest market right now in eastern Massachusetts," he said.

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