Expanding Business

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By Brandy Nance (Contact)

Friday, July 18, 2008

Photo by Adam Vogler

Brian Walburn describes the changes that will be made to Walburns Athletic Club with its new expansion Thursday, July 17.

Thanks to a zero-interest loan program through Network Kansas, the owners of Walburn’s Athletic Club, 1007 Commercial St., are realizing their dreams of expanding the gym to include many new amenities.

Frannie and Brian Walburn, owners of Walburn’s, met with a representative of Network Kansas Thursday afternoon to close on the zero-interest loan. The Walburns were able to apply for the loan through Emporia Main Street, said Kayla Oney, Main Street executive director. Lisa Brumbaugh, of Emporia State University’s Small Business Development Center, also was instrumental in the application process and helped work the numbers, Oney said.

“They (Walburns) are the first ones here in Emporia to get Network Kansas funding,” Oney said.

The program is a 60/40 match program. Network Kansas provides 60 percent of the funds needed in the form of a zero-interest loan. The other 40 percent comes through a match. The two programs used for the matching funds are Incentives Without Walls, which is a Main Street program, and the Trustler Entrepreneur Revolving Loan program. This program was created using money from the Trusler Foundation as a partner.

Oney said the loan programs are a big benefit for small business owners.

“I thank Kayla and Main Street for helping us continue our journey of lifetime fitness and wellness,” Brian Walburn said. “We’re just very appreciative of Kayla and all her help and Network Kansas.”

Walburn also said he was appreciative of Brumbaugh’s help as well.

The money will be put to good use. The Walburns acquired an additional 4,000 square feet of space from the other half of the building. They now own both sides and are remodeling the space. On the new side, which is in the early construction stages, there will be a women’s fitness center with a separate entrance. There will be various pieces of equipment in the women’s fitness center.

The new area will include a fitness room as well with a flex-floor, which is a wooden floor with rubber padding.

“It almost makes the floor flexible,” Brian Walburn said.

Frannie Walburn talks with Kayla Oney about plans to expand Walburns Gym.

Part of the wall that now divides the two sides of the building will be knocked out and the gym will flow through. A salon and massage parlor will be added as well.

“I can’t wait,” Walburn said. “It’s going to be great, especially for the community. We’re trying to keep the community healthy for life.”

In the existing gym, new cardio equipment will be purchased and a commons area will be built where people can sit with wi-fi and have a healthy fruit drink or shake. The kids room will be brought up front as well. The free-weight area will move back to where the group fitness room is now.

“We’re going to spread everything out and make it more user friendly,” Walburn said.

Frannie Walburn said this has been their dream for a long time.

“It just came at a good time so we can do all these things,” she said.