Article from Aftonbladet today
Translation of the article:
The gym-king
Gym nr. 1 on Regeringsgatan, Gym nr. 2 on Nybrogatan
Victoria – what a great deal for Daniel
The boyfriend’s gym increased its profits with 365%.
It pays off to be the Crown Princess’s chosen one. Daniel Westling’s company Mastertraining has increased its profits with 365% since he became the Crown Princess’s boyfriend.
- We have worked hard, says Daniel Westling.
Master Training on Regeringsgatan 65 has never had to advertise to get customers. Even so, the gym has grown so much that the space is not enough. In May, they expanded the business. To be able to take in new members, they opened a new gym on Nybrogatan 57 on Östermalm. The yearly fee is 15 000 SEK.
- But everything is included, you can even borrow work out clothes, says Benny Johansson, one of the two partners.
Has 400 members
The high price also includes discretion. Members are only admitted after recommendation. Master Training now has around 400 members. More people are waiting to be cleared and admitted. Hard work is one explanation to the success of Master Training. Another explanation of the company’s success is of course the royal shine. It was Princess Madeleine and her friends that started working out at Master Training. Little sister brought Crown Princess Victoria and love with the gym owner occured.
From the same area
Daniel Westling and his business partner Benny Johansson started their gym on Regeringsgatan five years ago. A few years earlier, Daniel had moved to Stockholm where he had started to work as a personal trainer, sports consultant and leader coach at Sports Club in Stockholm. It was there he got to know Benny Johansson.
- We came from the same area, and got along well, says Benny Johansson.
After being in the business for a few years, they decided to open their own place. Benny Johansson, who is a few years older than Westling, made the larger part of the investment and today owns 67% of the company, Daniel Westling owns 33%. They chose to go for quality instead of quantity. The company was allowed to grow slowly.
- Our gym worked very well from the beginning without the attention, says Benny Johansson.
- Sure, it’s gone fine, but many companies have had a bigger success. A condition for this has also been that we work all the time, like all small company owners who like what they do.
The turnover for the company in 2003 was 7,1 million SEK, which can be compared to 6,1 million SEK two years earlier. The profit after tax last year was 479 000 SEK. The year before that, it was 103 000 SEK. An increase with 365%.
Aftonbladet has reviewed Master Training’s last annual report. It states that the company has 11 full time employees.
Wrong statement in the annual report
If the total amount for salaries is divided on everyone, it means that the employed only got 8 200 SEK a month. When Benny Johansson is confronted with this statement, he says that the figures on the number of full time employees in the annual report are wrong.
- The company only has three full time employees, five with me and Daniel, he says.
Within a short period of time, the number could be increased, because the partners are planning on starting a bigger SPA at Ulvsunda Palace.
Fact square on Daniel:
Name: Daniel Westling.
Age: 31.
Girlfriend: Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden.
Family: Dad Olle, mother Eva. Three year older sister.
Background: Grew up in Ockelbo,five miles from Gävle.
Education: High school/gymnasiet's two year social programme, sports educationalist from Lillived Folkhögskola, other sports courses.
Profession: Sports educationalist, self-employed.
Lives: Apartment on Banérgatan, Östermalm, Stockholm.
Income: 300 000 SEK in salary 2002.
Companies: Co-owner in Master Training AB that runs two gyms in central Stockholm. Daniel Westling owns 33%, business partner Benny Johansson owns 67%. The company is now in negotiations on about running an exclusive yoga- and health place at Ulvsunda Palace in Bromma, starting in the beginnign of next year.
Number of employed: 3 full time, 6 part-time. Also six trainers work as freelancers for the company.
Other business things: Is a co-owner in the stock-company PT Hästinvest (translates to Horse Invest) that deals with harness racing.