July
24 Hour Fitness was in the spotlight both with its sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Team at the Summer Olympics in London and with news that its parent company, Forstmann Little, New York, was actively seeking bidders for a sale. One report in The New York Times said that 24 Hour could fetch about $2 billion. The same report said that LA Fitness and Life Time Fitness were possible suitors, but both companies denied that claim. Throughout the process, the 24 Hour board strengthened its executive team, adding the president's title to CEO Carl Liebert and making other promotions.
John Urmston, a former executive at Nautilus and the Sports and Fitness Insurance Corp., died at the age of 66 after a battle with Parkinson's disease. William Staub, who developed the treadmill for use in homes and fitness clubs, died at the age of 96.
