Dan Horan, CEO, started his career in the music industry in 1986 after graduating from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Communications and Theater. While at Millersville, Dan was captain of the football team. He was also a Counselor/Teacher and Football Coach before returning to West Chester University of Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, which he obtained in 1992. Dan started his fitness career as an intern at Workout Plus in Quakertown, PA in 1992.
He worked as an “in home” Personal Trainer in Center City Philadelphia and on the prestigious Main Line in the Philadelphia suburbs. Dan also worked in Corporate Fitness before returning to Workout Plus as the General Manager. He became the Regional Manager for the three Workout Plus locations in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania.
In 1997, Dan left Workout Plus to open Hatfield Athletic Club (HAC) in Hatfield, PA. While at Hatfield Athletic Club, Dan was on the Executive Board of the Delaware Valley Alliance of Health & Sport Clubs, was also featured as an industry expert on Philadelphia’s KYW News Radio and wrote numerous articles for the major trade publications. In 2002, HAC was named one of the top 100 clubs in America by Club Industry Magazine.
In January of 2006, Dan formed Pizzazz Fitness, named in honor of his father, to pursue the opening of the first new Planet Fitness franchise in the state of Pennsylvania (Malvern, PA). Since then, Planet Fitness has turned the Fitness industry upside down. With the trademarked “judgement-free zone”, Planet Fitness provides a friendlier, no–pressure version of the traditional gym with no commitment for just $10 a month. Planet Fitness is one of the fastest growing companies in America.
After opening his first club in Malvern, Dan continued to develop 14 Planet Fitness locations throughout Pennsylvania over a span of six years. In 2012, he sold twelve of the clubs to Planet Fitness Corporate. Subsequently since then, Dan has purchased the development rights for three new Area Development Agreements in three different states: (1) Baltimore, Maryland; the four counties to the south of the city and the “Eastern Shore”- thirteen clubs; (2) McHenry and Boone County, Illinois- five clubs; and (3) Chester County, Pennsylvania- six clubs.
