Executive director of Community Partnership purchases SNAP Fitness

The head of a Cape Girardeau social service agency has purchased a local fitness center and has announced plans to rebrand and relocate the business.

Melissa Stickel, executive director of the Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, has acquired SNAP Fitness, 2530 William St., from Eric Goines, president and CEO of 180 Healthcare.

Stickel told the Southeast Missourian the idea of purchasing SNAP Fitness came up in a casual conversation a few months ago between her and Goines.

“He’s a friend of mine and he knew I was interested in business ownership,” she said. “I casually asked him one day if he could consider selling SNAP. It was more of a passing joke than anything, but he said ‘Well, actually, I would.’”

From there, Goines and Stickel negotiated the sale and business transition. Terms of the purchase have not been disclosed aside from the fact it became effective Jan. 1.

“Since it wasn’t officially up for sale, it was kind of a quiet transaction,” Stickel said, adding her business ownership does not affect her role with the Community Partnership organization.

“I’m still at the partnership. I’m not leaving there or changing my career focus,” she said. “I bought it (SNAP) as a business investment.”

The facility’s operations will remain under control of fitness manager Tamatha Crowson.

“She will continue to run the day-to-day operations, but I will be the visionary behind it as the business owner,” Stickel said. “I won’t be manning the desk, I won’t be signing people up and I won’t be training anybody. Those are all operational things that I won’t be part of.”

In addition to new ownership, SNAP Fitness will soon have a new name and a new location.

“SNAP is a franchise and I’m not moving forward with the franchise,” Stickel said. “Instead, it will be renamed ‘180 Fitness’ and it will be co-branded and co-marketed with 180 Healthcare.”

The name change will take effect Feb. 1.

Stickel said members of 180 Healthcare will receive gym memberships as a membership benefit, “and 180 Fitness will be the preferred fitness facility.”

By later this year, Stickel said she expects to move 180 Fitness to a vacant building on North Sprigg Street she is purchasing from Goines. The 16,000-square foot structure at 18 N. Sprigg St. was once the home of Rigdon Laundry and is about four times larger than SNAP Fitness’ existing 4,000-square foot location. SNAP’s current location was originally a Blockbuster Video store.

“We’re aiming to start renovations at the new location by March 1 and move in around six to eight months from now,” she said.

The Community Partnership is also hoping to move into the former Cape Girardeau Police Department’s headquarters, 40 S. Sprigg St., later this year, meaning Stickel’s office will be about a block from the fitness center.

While she said her purchase of a fitness facility “probably took a lot of people by surprise, people who know me know I operate on a high level of chaos and I’m always doing something. They know it’s not a stretch for me to do this.”

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