Three Northern Ireland brothers flex their muscles with £300,000 gym expansion plus growth plans for five more gyms, creating 100 jobs

Gymco has announced the completion of a £300,000 renovation programme to its Cityside location and the creation of five new jobs.

The owners of the two largest independent gyms in Northern Ireland, located in Cityside Retail & Leisure Park and the Devenish Complex in Finaghy, brothers Jim, David and Martin Conlon, have also revealed the upgrade is part of an ambitious growth strategy for the business which includes the opening of five new GymCo locations across Northern Ireland and the creation of up to 100 new jobs.

In preparation for this, a long-term equipment partnership has been agreed with local fitness company Blk Box.

The substantial investment to GymCo Cityside includes new cutting-edge equipment - 18 x four lane track with sleds, two Olympic lifting platforms, six racks each with 150kg of bumper plates, 2 x Olympic barbells and adjustable bench. A range of new HIIT cardio machines have been installed including Ski Ergs, Bike Ergs and Assault Runners as well as a variety of functional fitness equipment. The steam room, sauna and changing facilities have also been upgraded.

In addition to this, GymCo has become a certified HYROX partner gym and introduced the global fitness and workout phenomenon that combines running and functional exercises and is accessible for all ages and abilities.

Jim Conlon, co-owner of GymCo, said: “We are delighted to announce the completion of a £300,000 renovation programme of our Cityside location. We have reconfigured the gym floor and transformed the space to create a versatile training area for members and also introduced the new HYROX style of training.

“This investment also represents our commitment to the area of North Belfast which has seen massive regeneration in recent years including the newly opened Ulster University campus and the £10m refurbishment of York Street Train Station which is due for completion this year.”

David Conlon, co-owner of GymCo, added: “2024 marks 10 years since we opened GymCo Finaghy and we are going from strength to strength. In this time we have led the way and continued to evolve our offering with state-of-the-art facilities and innovative fitness and training options for our members.

“We are looking forward to building on this and have exciting plans to open five new locations across Northern Ireland and create up to 100 new jobs in the next number of years. We have started identifying potential sites and a new GymCo in East Belfast is set to be the first location that will be announced in the months ahead.”

To celebrate the completion of the renovation programme, GymCo is hosting an Open Week starting today (Monday) and running until Sunday to give people the chance to try out the facilities for free. There will be gym challenges, taster HYROX classes, spot prizes and one lucky person will win a year’s free membership. No booking is required.