This Deer Park, NY, franchise of Retrofitness is the first of its 50 locations to be LEED certified. Photo courtesy of Retrofitness.

COLTS NECK, NJ -- 1980s-themed Retrofitness recently opened its first LEED-certified location. The Deer Park, NY, facility is owned and operated by franchisee NGA Group LLC.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and indoor environmental quality.

The 16,000-square-foot Retrofitness facility features the following green elements: pipes with special environmental wiring and coding, toilets and faucets that run on electronic beam, low-voltage lights on light settings, bathrooms and locker rooms made of recyclable materials, LEED-approved wood, and sheet rock.

“With our first LEED-certified location in Deer Park, we have the perfect opportunity to both better the lives of our customers and help the environment,” says Eric Casaburi, Retrofitness founder and CEO. “Going green is quite similar to the principles of fitness—if you make the extra effort, it will pay off in the long run.”

Retrofitness first launched its franchising program in 2006. A 2008 partnership with Chicago-based private equity firm Lake Capital has allowed Retrofitness to open 50 locations in nine states, with 80 more clubs in various stages of development.

Projected system-wide revenue in 2009 is expected to be $40 million, an 82 percent increase over 2008. The company has more than 130,000 members, with membership increasing 56 percent from 2008.

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