Almaden Valley Athletic Club opened 50 years ago and has continued evolving through expansions and adaptations. The outdoor fitness area was built on a former parking lot under large solar panels after permitting barriers prevented constructing a brand-new fitness center. The outdoor space supports hi-tech equipment and aqua fitness classes, with natural airflow and televisions for members. The solar installation reduces energy use while preserving parking and adding EV chargers. Long-term business success is attributed to retaining experienced managers who advanced from front-desk or business office roles into key positions. Additional guidance emphasizes putting resources back into day-to-day operations.
""That's what prompted us to put in solar and build this," he says, pointing to the outdoor gym area, where several members are putting in their time on hi-tech machines while ESPN plays on televisions, all outside. The natural air flows right in and through. It was a great idea."
""So the benefit is that not only do we save energy, we have a fitness center and we have good parking and EV chargers," Shank says."
""I have five managers that have been with us, two of them 22 years, and one 25 years, and two 35 years," he tells me, trying to calculate the years in his head. "And they're all key managers. They started in the business office or at the front desk and worked up to the key positions.""
""We're just as vibrant now as we were when we started," he says, as we walk outside to the pool area, where seniors are taking an aqua fitness class. Shank moves just fine for his age. We go up and down stairs, in and out of several spaces, all throughout the sprawling complex, which has relentlessly evolved, expanded and adapted to the changing times for half a century."
Read at Metro Silicon Valley | Silicon Valley's Leading Weekly
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