Flourishing leisure firm Ace Padel has outlined multi-million-pound expansion plans adding three new sites before the summer, and two new possible ones in North Staffordshire.
The company set up just 15 months ago has already invested in the region of £1 million into new padel courts in Cobridge and Milton, both in Stoke-on-Trent.
North Staffordshire-based entrepreneur Jamie Reynolds, who co-founded the company with Lewis Woolley, has told Daily Focus that a deal has been signed with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to take over space at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in the city.
He hopes planning permission will be granted in time for four double courts to be launched in redundant space once occupied by a crazy golf course at the start of April.
The Fenton padel venue would be site number four, following the opening of one in Culcheth, near Warrington in Cheshire, due to open on 1 April.
Site five will be in at a countryside retreat in High Wycombe and there are proposals in place for other in Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, all of which will be owned by Ace Padel, rather than leased.
Other sites where proposals have been submitted include Merseyside and Cheadle, in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Padel is a fast-growing racket sport with over 30 million players globally.
Ace Padel’s first centre in Cobridge opened in December and was followed by the one at The Hardman Football Centre in Milton earlier this month. Around a dozen new jobs have been created, with more due to come.
Jamie said: “We’re excited to have agreed a deal to take over a site at Fenton Manor and, indeed, to see the expansion of Ace Padel across the country.
“Our investment into the Fenton site will be more than what has been made at Cobridge and Milton, because of the work which needs to be done.”
He added: “Our Cobridge site has really taken off, we couldn’t be more pleased with it.
“We’ve had more than 2,000 people through the doors, and most of these are now repeat customers, which is brilliant. We’ve had people of all ethnicities, aged from four up to 80, padel stars, beginners and everyone in between.
“Customers have formed great relationships in a short space of time, it is heartwarming. Helping local communities has always been an important part of our business.”
