26 February 7 • 2019
jn

A 

month ago, Equinox Fitness Clubs opened its 
first Michigan location in Bloomfield Hills.
Equinox Executive Chairman Harvey 
Spevak said, “Equinox was founded on the premise 
that fitness can power, and empower, a community of 
high-performance individuals, and Bloomfield Hills 
certainly embodies that ethos.
” 
Spevak is an alum of the University of Michigan 
and member of the Ross School Advisory Board at 
the University of Michigan’
s Stephen M. Ross School 
of Business, where he has been philanthropically 
involved. Native Detroiter Stephen Ross is chairman 
of the board of Equinox and a majority owner of 
the business. Ross, chairman and founder of Related 
Companies, and owner of the Miami Dolphins, is also 
an active philanthropist who has pledged $328 million 
to U-M.

In addition to the Equinox brand, the company 
also owns PURE Yoga, Blink Fitness, The Yorkville 
Club and SoulCycle, which amounts to more than 135 
locations in major cities across the United States in 
addition to London, Toronto and Vancouver. A year 
ago, the company took a minority interest in Rumble 
Boxing. 
Equinox began in 1991 with its first location in 
Manhattan’
s Upper West Side. The new location in 
Bloomfield Hills — at 47,000 square feet — features 
dedicated space for cardio, cycling, yoga and Pilates. 
There are now more than 100 Equinox gyms around 
the world and almost 20,000 employees across all 
brands.
To learn more about the company’
s vision for its 
Detroit location, we spoke with Chief Operating 
Officer Judy Turchin, who lives in New York City.

Q: What is the significance of Equinox entering 
the greater Detroit area?

JT: It’
s a testament to the demand for the Equinox 
offering. We’
re seeing wallet share amongst all demo-
graphic groups shift from goods to experiences, 
which, for our business, has always been the core 
offering and continues to figure positively. 
Q: What attracts you to the location you chose in 
Bloomfield Hills?

JT: We’
ve been looking at the Detroit metro area for 
quite a while, as there are no holistic healthy lifestyle 
options available to the high-performing clientele 
here.
Coming in, we immediately recognized that our 
brand awareness is strong for a market where we have 
previously no presence due to a strong connection 
among both the New York, Chicago and Southern 
California markets.
As many urban dwellers transition back to their 
home state of Michigan to start families after stints in 
primary urban markets, they are thrilled to have the 
Equinox brand, which they have come to know and 
trust available to them where they put down roots so 
they can continue their high-performance journey.
Q: What are your broader plans for Equinox in 
Michigan?

JT: The growth of the Detroit area has been inspir-
ing to watch, and demand for our offering in the mar-
ket continues. We don’
t currently have any plans for 

expansion in Michigan, but we’
re always looking for 
the right opportunity. 
Q: How do you differentiate yourself from the 
competing clubs near your Bloomfield Hills loca-
tion?

JT: The concept of “fitness as lifestyle” 
 may be 
trending today, but it’
s a mindset that Equinox has 
architected — and led — since its inception in 1991. 
A membership at Equinox is more than just access 
to a fitness club, as our members become part of an 
experience, a lifestyle and a community — both local-
ly and on a global scale. Our mission is to empower 
life maximization, and we know that for our high-per-
formance clientele, this is so much more than the 
miles they log on the treadmill. 
Grounded in the core tenets of movement, nutri-
tion and regeneration and backed by a health advisory 
board of industry-leading experts across these disci-
plines, Equinox offers a holistic approach to fitness 
rather than just a place to work out. Delivered in a 
design-driven environment conceived by the world’
s 
leading architects and designers, the result is a suite 
of services and amenities, all under one roof, well 
beyond the typical fitness experience. 
Members can spend their entire day with us as they 
engage in personal training akin to holistic lifestyle 
coaching, community-based special events, a spa 
geared toward recovery, an app centered on goals and 
personalization, spaces for co-working and fostering 
community, curated athleisure apparel at our shops 
and cafes where members can refuel. With luxury 
travel experiences and Equinox Hotels opening this 
spring, we’
re now meeting our members outside the 
four walls of our clubs in a meaningful way. 
Q: Was former Detroiter Stephen Ross involved 
in your expansion into the market?

JT: As majority owner of Equinox, Stephen was 
involved in evaluating the location/deal and was a 
strong proponent due to his knowledge of the local 
market.
Q: How do you feel the larger macro market 
trends will most influence the Equinox model over 
the next few years?

JT: At a time where “lifestyle brand” has become an 
industry buzzword, our businesses have stayed con-
sistently dedicated to principles that others now strive 
to embody across their brands. From a macro trend 
perspective, health is the new wealth and the concept 
of “luxury” has evolved monumentally to include self-
care.
Experience, personalization, community, authen-
ticity, style — once qualities that were considered 
outliers in business — are core to our mission, which 
is to help members maximize the potential in their 
own lives. 
Q: Are there any particular aspects of your Jewish 
upbringing that have inspired your success as an 
entrepreneur or your impact as a philanthropist?

JT: As a first-generation American and child of 
Holocaust survivors, I learned very early on the value 
of hard work and being self-sufficient. Those teach-
ings from my parents, coupled with their emphasis 
on the importance of education, have been the critical 
building blocks to my career and success. ■

jews d
in 
the
business

ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Equinox in
Michigan

Talking business and Detroit
with Judy Turchin, COO
of Equinox Fitness Clubs.

Judy Turchin

As a fi
 rst-generation 
American and child of 
Holocaust survivors
I learned very
early on the value of 
hard work and being
self-suffi
 cient.

— JUDY TURCHIN

