May 24, 2012   -

Birmingham's Iron Tribe Fitness sells its first franchises

Published: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 2:31 PM By Stan Diel -- The Birmingham News

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham-based Iron Tribe Fitness has sold its first franchise.

The small chain of fitness clubs, founded in a Homewood garage in 2010, last week closed on a four-territory deal that will bring four new gyms to the area south of Nashville. Birmingham brothers Richard and Will Martens -- Richard is the manager of the Iron Tribe gym on U.S. 280 -- were the buyers. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Company founder Forrest Walden said a number of other deals are in the works, including deals for territory elsewhere in Nashville, in Charlotte and in Tampa. Most of those deals are within weeks or months of closing. The company now has four Birmingham-area gyms including one it opened in Mountain Brook last month, and it's working on a fifth.