As a developer of leisure centres, Alliance Leisure brings strong supply chain benefits to clients – not just in terms of price, but range, quality and aftercare. Director Paul Cluett explains
Blackbrook Pavilion was supplied with Shapemaster equipment
What kind of supply companies do you have relationships with? We have supply chain relationships with key equipment suppliers that we’ve carefully built up and developed over the years. We try to keep it to a fairly select list of the products that we use most often in our developments. These include spa products, changing rooms and lockers, audio-visual equipment, soft play products, all weather pitches and climbing structures.
We’ll usually work with several companies within these different sectors, so if our client favours a particular company or product for some reason, they always have a choice.
The one area where we don’t have preferred suppliers is fitness equipment, as we find this to be a very personal choice for operators – so we work with all the fitness equipment suppliers. When we go to shows like Sibec, for example, we’re there as both a supplier and a buyer looking for the latest and best products.
How do you select suppliers? There are two key factors. One is price - can they give us the most cost effective and best value deal? Secondly, and just as important, what are they like as a company? Do they have sound warranties, are their products durable, and are they skilled at installation? We also do financial checks on them.
Our leisure developments are only as strong as the weakest link. We could complete a fantastic scheme, only to find it compromised by a sub-standard piece of equipment. Our reputation is very closely aligned to how our supply chain performs.
Do you only work with suppliers on your select list? We can work with any products and suppliers, but obviously we’ve chosen to work with our supply chain because we regard them as the best, and they are also accustomed to our way of working and high standards.
Of course, our client can have any product they wish in their new facility, as long as they realise they might need to pay more for it and the overall budget will need to be adjusted. From our point of view, we need to ensure that we can work well with any new suppliers and trust them during the installation stage.
All our preferred suppliers, for example, are very strong on health and safety and are used to working in live environments like leisure centres. Most of the developments we do cannot afford to close during the building phase, and so this aspect is very important from the point of view of end-user relations and consumer safety.
What are the other benefits of working with your supply chain? Aside from price and quality, there’s also the very important issue of aftercare. If it’s a one-off deal and you’ve already signed the cheque then it can often be quite tricky to get things fixed if problems arise. Our suppliers are much more likely to jump in the car and get any problems fixed quickly – especially when they have many more deals with us in the pipeline.
As we have national account status we can get things sorted out more easily. If there’s a problem with a widget we can usually go directly to the manufacturer, rather than waiting for a regional account manager to get in touch!
Are you always looking for new suppliers to add to your list? We are constantly market-testing suitable new products and all our current suppliers know that, so that ensures that their prices are kept lean and competitive.
We never rest on our laurels in this area, and must ensure that our supplier prices aren’t slowly creeping up and becoming out of kilter with what the rest of the market is doing.
Follow the series
1. Scoping / Investigation 2. Conceptualisation 3. Viability assessment & full feasibility 4. Site investigation 5. Fixed price contracts 6. Overseeing the building work 7. Ordering phase 8. Client support (part 1) 9. Client support (part 2)
Case Study
Feel Good Factory, Blackbrook Pavilion, Somerset The Feel Good Factory toning suite opened in early 2010 at Blackbrook Pavilion in Taunton, Somerset. Run by Tone Leisure, it was one of the first toning suites to open at a local authority leisure site.
Most operators are less familiar with this type of equipment, and Alliance worked with Tone Leisure to advise on the layout, room specification, operation and pricing, as well as supply of the equipment.
Alliance has been working with toning suite supplier Shapemaster for almost a decade, and has completed numerous successful projects with them. Like all companies in the Alliance supply chain, the toning table supplier has undergone and passed all the usual Alliance checks related to financial stability, product quality and durability, installation expertise and aftercare.
Alliance business development manager, Julia Goddard says: “Toning suites are an ideal product for centres to consider, they do not compete with traditional health and fitness facilities but attract a new user profile to facilities.
“From an installation point of view, the machines only require a 13 amp socket and there are few maintenance issues. No air conditioning is required for the room, nor any dedicated changing rooms, as people can use the tables in their everyday clothes.”
She adds: “Customers who can benefit often have a range of health issues, including: neurological disorders such as MS, fibromyalgia and cerebral palsy; musculoskeletal problems like arthritis and spine/neck/back injuries; cardiovascular issues – for example, following angioplasty and bypass surgery; chronic bronchitis and emphysema; diabetes; and obesity – especially morbid obesity.”
Blackbrook Pavilion now boasts over 250 members, and has been so successful that Tone Leisure has since opened a second Feel Good Factory in South Hams.
Contact details:
www.allianceleisure.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1278 444944
The suite is suitable for use by people with various health issues
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
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