It was recently announced that Origin Climbing and Fitness, a popular gym in Henderson, Nevada, will now be part of The Pad Climbing family. The original Pad Climbing Gym is based in San Luis Obispo, California, with another location in Santa Maria, California. The Pad began as a nonprofit gym in 2003 but changed its business structure in 2017.
Together, the gyms form a new parent company known as Ascent Ventures.
Representatives for Ascent Ventures note that more growth announcements and additional acquisitions are likely coming within a year. “2020 is going to be very exciting for a lot of people, including me,” says Kristin Horowitz, COO of The Pad. “It’s been an amazing journey going from bootstrapping to meeting with the big guys to interviewing for C-Suite level positions. We’re so excited to bring the best we can to underdeveloped and underserved locations, partnering with local nonprofits to keep access available to everyone, and bringing in head of household and great part time jobs for deserving, talented, curious people. It’s a dream come true.”
A press release about Origin joining The Pad read: “More and more opportunities have presented themselves for growth and impacting more communities with The Pad Climbing’s community oriented gyms. Origin’s acquisition is the first concrete step in that direction.”
Origin—which has been in operation independently for five years—will retain its owners John Wilder and Andy Raether. However, according to the press release, the “transition” to being part of Ascent Ventures will include a redesign of Origin’s layout to include more yoga and fitness offerings, co-working stations, and kid-friendly areas.
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