A hip joint expands to Willard

Roughly five months after debuting in Nixa, a Springfield-based health care practice has added a clinic in Willard.

Today is the grand opening for A hip joint Willard LLC, which marks the fourth chiropractic clinic for the company launched in 2016 by Drs. Eric and Tania Reavis. The new clinic is at 100 E. Jackson St.

Tania Reavis said she and her husband bought the 1,500-square-foot building for an undisclosed price from Renee Owen, who owned and operated antique store Wildflower out of the space until March. Reavis said while the couple, who are Willard residents, weren’t necessarily eyeing the town as the next clinic location, she expressed to clients and family earlier this year she had interest in the Jackson Street property.

“I told them, ‘If that building ever goes up for sale, I’m going to buy it and we’re going to put A hip joint there,’” she said.

A week later, Owen announced she was closing her business and selling the building, Reavis said.

Startup costs for the clinic were around $35,000, Reavis said, adding the investment included a new roof and HVAC.

The Willard clinic’s launch follows the practice’s first franchise location in Nixa, which opened in February. LeAnne Aust is owner and franchisee of the Nixa clinic, while the Reavises own the other three, including two in Springfield. Among its services, A hip joint clinics offer chiropractic, massage and acupuncture.

Reavis said she’ll work one day a week out of the Springfield clinic at 1720 E. Republic Road, Ste. S, but is spending the remainder of her time in Willard. She’s the sole full-time employee at the clinic, which also has three massage therapists as independent contractors.

“A big reason for opening the clinic here in Willard is for me to have a slower pace to work on our business and not in the business so much,” she said. “I joke around, calling it ‘my world headquarters,’ so we can start developing our online training for the franchises. We understand that if we’re going to open franchises across the United States, our training model has to be more on the online presence, like everybody’s learned during the pandemic that you have to have some online credibility.”

Nixa remains the lone franchise for the company, whose website indicates franchise opportunities are available through The Hip Joints LLC. It notes an undisclosed franchise fee, 6% royalty fee and 2% marketing fee.

A hip joint’s growth might not be finished this year. A location in Branson owned by either a franchisee or the Reavises is under consideration, she said.

“We have spent the last two months looking for something in that area that would fit the look and feel of A hip joint,” Reavis said.