Charlie Ellis has been in the club business at varying levels for 30 years. He has managed club locations from the North to the South in the eastern US and has surmounted challenges ranging from membership stagnation to gradual plant site decline. After seeing so many clubs struggle and fail, Charlie created Fair Play Tennis club management consulting to help owners and operators experience the same type of success that he has in his career.
In addition to turning around club operations, Charlie also has renovated existing clubs, functioning as the architectural consultant and general contractor, and created the architectural design of a large public tennis center. His designs created a high degree of customer satisfaction while improving the efficiency of club management operations.
Whether your organization is privately owned, member-owned, corporate-owned, or tax exempt, Charlie can help you improve programming and operations, while increasing sales and revenue.
How is Charlie Uniquely Qualified to Help Your Organization?
Selling New Memberships – Charlie has personally sold more than 3,000 club memberships and has been instrumental in selling more than 10,000 memberships at the clubs he has managed. For example, at an upstate New York club, Charlie increased membership from 750 to 1,700 in three years, and at a Kentucky-based club, he increased membership from 890 to 1,300 in five years.
Retaining Existing Members – Charlie has created programs that have increased membership retention, leading to an attrition rate of only 11 percent.
Hiring, Training, and Retaining Staff – As a de facto human resources director, Charlie has recruited, hired, and trained more than 3,000 employees. Retaining good staff and motivating employees to return day-after-day can be one of the greatest challenges that club owners and managers face. During his career as a club manager, Charlie created an atmosphere where employees felt essential and valued. He achieved this through accurate and clear job descriptions, clearly communicating job expectations before and during employment, providing proper direction and guidance on actions and behavior in a properly constructive manner, and demonstrating to and training supervisors on how to take care of their employees.
Tennis Curriculum and Programming – Charlie significantly increased participation in every facility that he’s worked in and created entry level programs for all ages that made clubs successful. For example, in New York, he increased clinic and lesson participation by more than 250 percent, totaling approximately $400,000 in revenues. Also, in Kentucky, he increased court time sales by 30 percent, totaling approximately $350,000 in revenues. He also created intermediate to advanced programs for the highest level of racquet sports and fitness and swimming programs.
Administrative Operations and Budgeting – Charlie streamlined back-of-the-house operations for efficiency to increase revenues without sacrificing customer service or overwhelming staff members. As a club manager, Charlie has developed and scrutinized budgets to create desired financial results, ranging from incorporating capital projects to adjusting staffing and maintenance needs for growing customer demand. For example, in New York, he increased income from operations (IFO) from a negative $123,000 to a positive $140,000 in three years. In Kentucky, he increased IFO from a negative $80,000 to breaking even in his first year, and then going on to maintain a positive IFO ranging from $90,000 to $120,000 for 15 consecutive years.
General Facilities Maintenance – Charlie ensured that plant site maintenance took a front seat in the everyday priorities of club management within some of the most difficult and harshest environments in the US, ranging from the extreme heat of Georgia to the blizzards of New York. He balanced usage with staffing rotations, trained staff to maintain the facility for cleanliness and health regulations, and instilled a sense of pride in all employees with regard to providing a top-notch facility for members enjoyment.
Long-Term Strategic Planning – Charlie has integrated management’s long-term plans into everyday club operations, including restructuring staff and reformatting programming. He has ensured that the organization has remained on track to meet stated long-term goals.
Club Remodeling, Design, and Building – Charlie designed the Newman-Augusta Tennis Center, a public facility with 17 outdoor courts, tennis stadium seating 1,500, and 3,000 sq. ft. clubhouse. He twice remodeled the Lexington Tennis Club, in Lexington, KY, creating a new front desk, food and beverage snack bar, locker rooms, and whirlpools. At Sportime of Schenectady in New York, he acted as the general contractor for a $1.8 million renovation and new construction of 8 outdoor clay courts, 8 indoor hard courts and drop ceiling, a 50,000-gallon outdoor pool, 14,000 sq. ft. fitness center, second-story cardio fitness level, aerobic and spinning rooms, 2 racquet ball courts, 5 administrative offices, locker rooms with saunas, children’s nursery, lobby, and front desk.
Pool Design and Operations – As a Certified Pool Operator, Charlie simultaneously managed 2 Olympic-sized pools with active swim teams in Lexington, KY. He also managed diving wells and whirlpools and other high-maintenance aquatic areas such as children’s pools. In New York, Charlie identified the appropriate pool size and design for the club’s membership needs, including adult usage and children’s programs.