Spa veteran Heinz Schletterer has teamed up with investment professional Chris Keen to launch the Medical Spa & Wellness Group, which will centre around three core divisions and their associated brands. Under the new group holding, Keen will be CEO, with 60 per cent ownership, and Schletterer will act as chair, with 40 per cent ownership.

Schletterer Spa Concept & Planning, along with spa equipment business Inviion, will be joined by a third division – IQCure – which will focus on the trend of illness prevention and general vitality.

Schletterer and Keen have worked together on numerous projects within the spa sector over the past two years, with a particular focus on medical spa concepts, said Schletterer.

“We both wish to create an advantage for our clients by offering an extensive service package ranging from concept and technical planning through to the installation of innovative wellness equipment, with a strong focus on the medical wellness trend,” said Schletterer.

The team has coined the phrase “Healthness” to reflect this element of health orientation, and will house this under the IQCure division.

The group has its its own manufacturing plant in Croatia, and has overseen 2,000 projects on four continents, including recent innovations such as the mystic dome, mineral steam bath, four senses lounger, holistic cocooning and healing liquid pools.

“Our ability to offer a full suite of design, planning and highly innovative spa equipment, [alongside] an established position in the increasing trend towards health-enhancing concepts, all point to a very positive outlook for our business in the years ahead,” said Keen.

Medical Spa & Wellness Group currently has projects scheduled across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

In early 2014, certain divisions of the former Schletterer Group – mainly linked to its general construction arm – were the victim of a significant non-payment on a finished project in Dubai. This led to the closure of this general construction branch. However, the spa planning and equipment business – with offices in Austria, Dubai and Hong Kong – remained intact and continued under Schletterer Consult GmbH. This business now forms an important part of the Medical Spa & Wellness Group – which now focuses solely on planning, equipment manufacturing and pre-assembled installation so that the company will no longer be exposed to the business risks posed by general construction works.