Industry Press Room - Athletic Business

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

ACE Breaks Down Fitness Aspects of Healthcare Reform

Posted by AB Editors

Source: American Council on Exercise

In 2014, the Affordable Care Act will fully go into effect, but already there are several wellness, prevention and fitness aspects of the law available to both employers and the public. These programs are designed to encourage and reward preventative healthcare measures with a goal to improve the overall health of the insurance pool with millions more now being insured. According to American Council on Exercise (ACE) CEO Scott Goudeseune, a significant portion of healthcare costs are preventable through the long term adoption of exercise, proper nutrition and wellness programs. These aspects of the Act will help the public make better choices at home and in the workplace for a significant impact on overall health.

With Open Enrollment Periods beginning, ACE breaks down the top four prevention aspects of the Act and suggests next steps for the public and employers to implement its benefits.

1. The change: Increase in the level of insurance discounts provided to employees who participate in workplace wellness programs. The programs must help participants meet certain goals before the discount is available, including body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, or blood pressure. Beginning in 2014 under the Act, participants who meet these health targets may be eligible for up to a 30 percent discount on their insurance premiums (vs. 20 percent formerly) at the employer’s discretion. The U.S. Health and Humans services (HHS) division also has the ability to increase this to 50 percent. This gives plan participants an extra financial incentive to reduce their health risks. Studies show that a healthier workforce means more productivity, and employers who choose to implement these discounts for their employees may see benefits for promoting health in the workplace including reduced absenteeism as well as lower future health costs.

ACE’s suggested action: The increased financial benefit provides a great ROI opportunity for participants to invest in a properly skilled partner to help them meet the criteria. Trained Health Coaches are a great resource to help guide employees through the lifestyle and behavior modification required to enact change. To find a Lifestyle and Weight Management/Health Coach certified by ACE, visit www.acefitness.org/findanacepro.

2. The change: Unlimited reimbursement for fitness and health club memberships allowed in insurance plans.

ACE’s suggested action: While the majority of Americans do not have insurance plans that offer health club reimbursement, those that do should take advantage of this benefit. With discounts now available to employers with workforces that meet health requirements, employers should consider investing in membership discount offers. As an alternative, ACE’s Get Fit program offers hundreds of free exercises, videos and effective workout plans that can be done at home, with little to no equipment for those without gym access.

3. The change: Both insurance plans and Medicare must now covers the full cost of an “annual wellness visit” to include a body mass index (BMI) measurement, obesity screening and provide personalized health advice and referral to counseling on healthy living, including weight loss and physical activity.

ACE’s suggested action: This free resource gives people the information they need to understand their numbers and where they should set their goals for improved health. Critical to success is the follow through from this visit to ensure resources are provided for support. A certified personal trainer or health coach is a great resource to help customize programs based on the individual’s specific needs and abilities. To find a certified personal trainer in your area, visit www.acefitness.org/findanacepro.

4. The change: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awards Community Transformation Grants to states to develop programs that reduce obesity and improve access to nutritious food.

ACE’s suggested action: Some states and counties have already taken advantage of the grants, working in schools to help promote the advantages of recess and replacing vending machine items to more nutritious offerings, improving community design for walking and biking and working with businesses to implement workplace wellness programs. ACE encourages local and state governments to review details of available grants and identify community partners to help implement programs.

Posted At 1:57 PM • Comments (0)

Monday, August 27, 2012

Motionsoft Inc. Makes Inc Magazine’s List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Posted by AB Editors

Source: Motionsoft

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) August 23, 2012 -- Inc. magazine today ranked Motionsoft number 778 overall and 82 in the Software Category on its sixth annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Unified Payments tops this year’s list. Motionsoft joins Yelp, yogurt maker Chobani, Giftcards.com, KIND and famed hatmaker Tilly’s, among other prominent brands featured on this year’s list.

“Motionsoft is thrilled to be included once again with such a prestigious group of companies,” said Motionsoft CEO Al Noshirvani. “This year's release of MoSo, our next generation member management software, has generated enormous excitement from leaders throughout the health and wellness industry and Inc’s recognition only inspires our team to continue our path of life changing, and business changing, innovation.”

The recognition comes as Motionsoft’s highly awaited SaaS product, MoSo, a fully cloud-based member relationship management software solution, marks the first anniversary of its enormously successful rollout. The company has recently added some of the fitness industry’s preeminent operations like San Francisco’s Club One and The Atlantic Club of New Jersey to its already heralded list of 2500-plus clients including Equinox, Crunch, Gold’s Gym, Baptist East Hospital and Starbucks corporate.

In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2012 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 97 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created over 400,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $299 billion.

“Now, more than ever, we depend on Inc. 500/5000 companies to spur innovation, provide jobs, and drive the economy forward,” says Inc. magazine Editor Jane Berentson.

“Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the action is.”

About Motionsoft
Motionsoft’s software & services redefine health club management, enabling fitness operators to get, keep & know their members better with forward-thinking member, facility, & payment management technologies. The health & wellness software pioneer services commercial gyms, corporations, universities, hospitals, and hotels.

Posted At 11:10 AM • Comments (0)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

High School Sports Participation Achieves All-time High

Posted by AB Editors

Source: National Federation of State High School Associations

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 23, 2012) — Boosted by continued growth in several girls sports, participation in high school sports increased for the 23rd consecutive year in 2011-12, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Based on figures from the 51 NFHS-member state high school athletic/activity associations, which includes the District of Columbia, sports participation for the 2011-12 school year reached an all-time high of 7,692,520 participants – an increase of 24,565 from the previous year.

“In this time of ever-increasing financial challenges in our nation’s high schools, we are greatly encouraged to know that participation in high school sports continues to rise,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “With more than 55 percent of students enrolled in high schools participating in athletics, the value of these programs in an education-based setting continues to be significant.”

An additional 33,984 girls participated in high school sports last year, making the all-time record total 3,207,533. This also marks the 23rd consecutive year for an increase in the number of female participants. Outdoor track and field (468,747), basketball (435,885) and volleyball (418,903) continued to be the top three participatory sports for girls, with volleyball up 9,571 participants from 2010-11.

Soccer (370,975) surpassed fast-pitch softball (367,023) as the fourth most-popular girls sport, up 9,419 from last year, while cross country (212,262), tennis (180,870), swimming and diving (160,456), competitive spirit squads (108,307) and lacrosse (74,993) completed the top 10. Along with soccer and volleyball, cross country, competitive spirit squads and lacrosse all had increased participation from 2010-11.

While girls participation continued to climb, boys participation figures dipped for the first time since the 1992-93 school year, down 9,419 from last year’s number of 4,494,406 to 4,484,987. Seven of the top 10 boys sports registered drops in participation, with 11-player football (1,095,993), outdoor track and field (575,628), basketball (535,289), wrestling (272,149), tennis (159,800), golf (152,725) and swimming and diving (133,823) all down from last year. Baseball (474,219), soccer (411,757) and cross country (248,494) all had increases from the previous year, with soccer registering the largest increase of 13,406.

Lacrosse, which ranks No. 11 in participation among boys sports, topped the 100,000 mark (100,641) with about 5,000 additional participants. Wrestling continued its rise in popularity among girls, with almost 1,000 additional participants up to 8,235.

Participants by state stayed true to last year’s order, as Texas and California once again topped the list with 808,806 and 781,912, respectively, followed by New York (389,475), Illinois (346,896), Ohio (333,349), Pennsylvania (317,869), Michigan (308,080), New Jersey (259,219), Florida (257,282) and Minnesota (238,363). Twenty states registered increases in participation in 2011-12.

The participation survey has been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 2011-12 High School Athletics Participation Survey is available on the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

Posted At 9:40 AM • Comments (0)

PlayOn! Sports and YouTube Announce High School Sports Partnership

Posted by AB Editors

Source: PlayOn! Sports

ATLANTA and SAN BRUNO, Calif. (August 23, 2012) – PlayOn! Sports (PlayOn), the nation’s largest rights holder, producer, distributor, and aggregator of high school sports events, announces a partnership with YouTube, the world’s largest online video community, to become the site’s leading provider of high school sports programming. As part of the partnership, PlayOn will produce more than 1,500 full-length live sporting events a year as well as extensive packages of clips and highlights.

“We are thrilled to partner with YouTube to engage fans with the high school sports they love,” said Bo LaMotte, executive vice president of distribution at PlayOn! Sports. “PlayOn’s volume of content together with YouTube’s extensive online community will provide high school sports fans unprecedented access to athletes, teams and games from schools across the country.”

Over the next year, PlayOn will provide both regular season and playoff games including more than 550 football games, 500 basketball games and 450 other sporting events, including volleyball, wrestling, baseball, soccer, softball, track and field, among others. PlayOn will also provide YouTube more than 150 highlights clips each month of the best high school action.

“High school sports is the largest sports market in the country with nearly 60 million self-professed high school sports fans,” said Frank Golding, Head of YouTube Sports, North America. “Partnering with PlayOn allows YouTube to showcase the passion and excitement of high school sports as well as provide an extensive library of content to our community of sports fans.”

PlayOn will provide content from across its wide network of current high school sports productions, currently covering sports in 22 states and growing. The events and highlight clips will be available on the PlayOnNetwork YouTube channel.

Football coverage kicks off this Friday, August 24, 2012 with live game coverage from around the nation, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, and Connecticut.

PlayOn! Sports is the largest rights holder, producer, and aggregator of high school sports events distributed across television, the Internet, and IP-video enabled mobile devices. By combining State Athletic Associations’ postseason content with the regular season events of member schools, PlayOn provides marketers with a unique multi-media platform solution to reach teens, young adults and families. PlayOn is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with offices in the Southeast, Midwest and California. For more information, contact PlayOn! Sports at info@playonsports.com, or visit www.playonsports.com.

YouTube is the world’s largest online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch, and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original-content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, California, and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

Posted At 9:35 AM • Comments (0)

Friday, August 10, 2012

Gold’s Gym International Awards Matrix Fitness 2012 Equipment Vendor of the Year

Posted by AB Editors

Source: Matrix Fitness

COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. (August 6, 2012) – Johnson Health Tech North America, Inc. today announced that its commercial brand, Matrix Fitness, was awarded 2012 Gold’s Gym International’s Equipment Vendor of the Year (VOY) at their annual convention, the second such award in the past four years. Matrix was previously awarded VOY in 2009.

The VOY is voted on by all Gold’s Gym Franchisees, gathering their rankings in areas such as customer satisfaction, likelihood of referral and overall product quality. The annual Gold’s Gym convention brought together over 750 club owners, corporate executives, staff and vendors from 14 countries. This year’s convention was held under the theme “From GOOD to GOLD”. The convention wrapped up with the annual Gold’s Gym Awards Ceremony where more than 40 awards were given in a wide range of categories.

“Matrix has been a true partner to Gold’s Gym International and our franchisees,” said Todd Scartozzi, Chief Operating Officer for Gold’s Gym International. “Over the past year, we have spent substantial time meeting with Matrix and visiting their facilities in Wisconsin to get a deeper understanding of their new product lines, their impressive research and development and their state-of-the-art equipment. In turn, Matrix has brought forth innovative ideas and solutions that will deliver powerful new experiences for our members.”

“We are proud of the Matrix team for winning the Equipment Vendor of the Year Award at this year’s convention,” said Ginger Collins, Executive Director, Gold’s Gym Franchisee Association (GGFA). “This award is voted on by the Gold’s Gym Franchisees based on great equipment, great customer service, and great warranties. We appreciate Matrix for their high level of service and their continued support of the GGFA and the Gold’s Gym brand!”

“To win the Gold’s Gym VOY award twice in the past four years is truly an honor,” said Kent Stevens, Matrix VP of Sales. “The recognition is made even more significant with the knowledge that it is decided by the customers themselves. The Matrix team would like to express our appreciation for being recognized as a well- respected partner of Gold’s Gym, a respect we reciprocate to all franchisees. We look forward to the continued strengthening of our relationships with all of our valued customers.”

About Matrix Fitness
Matrix Fitness (www.matrixfitness.com) is the premium commercial brand of Johnson Health Tech and is comprised of a complete line of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment for health clubs and other fitness facilities.

About Johnson Health Tech North America, Inc.
Johnson Health Tech North America (JHTNA), Inc., is a leading provider of a full line of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment for health clubs, vertical market and homes. Its brands include Horizon Fitness (consumer exercise equipment), Matrix Fitness (commercial products) and Vision Fitness (specialty equipment). JHTNA is a subsidiary of Johnson Health Tech, Co. Ltd. Johnson Health Tech, Co. Ltd., has been producing premium fitness equipment since 1975 and is the world’s fastest growing manufacturer of fitness equipment.

Posted At 1:39 PM • Comments (0)

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Beachbody and Powder Blue Productions Announce Certification Partnership

Posted by AB Editors

Source: Beachbody LLC

August 8, 2012, Los Angeles – Beachbody LLC – the home-fitness innovator behind industry-leading exercise programs such as P90X®, INSANITY®, BRAZIL BUTT LIFT®, and TURBOFIRE® – today announced a partnership with Powder Blue Productions (PBP). PBP is a leading group exercise certification organization that will provide its expertise, programming and infrastructure to expand Beachbody’s recently launched fitness certification business. By bringing their popular branded fitness programs to group exercise instructors, health clubs and fitness professional the companies will expand their influence on the health and fitness of Americans, fulfilling Beachbody’s core mission to end the trend of obesity. The partnership between the two companies also bolsters Beachbody’s international expansion strategy.

Beachbody recently announced P90X Certification, and has plans to launch several other programs, including Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift, from its widely successful portfolio. Professional trainers, fitness enthusiasts and health clubs can now capitalize on the significant brand strength, TV advertising and demand for live classes of its popular programs. The company is uniquely positioned in the certification business because it provides fitness professionals an additional income opportunity as part of the Team Beachbody Coach network.

PBP will contribute their established lineup of group-exercise programs like TurboKick, PiYo and Hip Hop Hustle, their popular apparel lines, and the industry expertise of celebrity trainer and PBP founder Chalene Johnson, who has more than 20 years of experience in the fitness and certification business. Featured at health clubs such as 24 Hour Fitness and countless other fitness locations, PBP’s programs can be found in all 50 states and 56 countries around the world.

“For years we wanted to find a way to combine Beachbody’s business model with the certification expertise Powder Blue Productions has built,” said Carl Daikeler, CEO of Beachbody. “We believe there is a trend toward branded-fitness programming in gyms and among personal trainers, and there is no one who understands how to maximize that opportunity better than Chalene and her team at Powder Blue.”

A well-known Beachbody celebrity trainer responsible for popular programs such as TurboFire® and Turbo Jam®, Johnson started PBP with her husband Bret Johnson from a spare bedroom in their home. The company began certifying in 2007 and has certified more than 60,000 instructors to date in Turbo Kick, a cardio-based mix of kickboxing and dance moves set to up-beat music, Hip-Hop Hustle, a blend of hip-hop and dance moves and PiYo, a strength workout blending sports training, core conditioning, dance, stretch and athletic drills to offer an all-encompassing, calorie burning workout.

“Simplifying the process of becoming a fitness professional and bringing fun into health clubs has been our focus at Powder Blue Productions for over 15 years, and I’m excited to couple my expertise with that of an amazing partner like Beachbody,” said Chalene Johnson. “The partnership is like World’s colliding. For years fitness professionals have been changing lives as a passionate labor of love but it’s no secret that most fitness instructors aren’t exactly paying the mortgage on their teaching wage. By partnering with Beachbody we are finally able to give people a way to do what they love and the means by which to make a meaningful income. This partnership allows us to help millions make the leap into fitness as a career. Beachbody dominates home-fitness. Now anyone will be able to teach the most popular at-home workouts like P90x and Insanity at their local gym”

For more information on Beachbody, its wide array of fitness products, P90X Certification and the recent partnership with PBP, please visit www.Beachbody.com. More information on PBP, the company’s certified instructors and group exercise classes can be found at www.TurboKick.com.

About Beachbody LLC
Founded in 1998 by Carl Daikeler and Jon Congdon, Beachbody, LLC, operates Beachbody.com and TeamBeachbody.com. The Santa Monica, California-based company is the creator of the nation's most popular fitness and weight loss solutions including P90X®, Insanity®, Brazil Butt Lift®, Slim in 6®, Turbo Jam®, Hip Hop Abs®, and Power 90® among many others. Beachbody® programs combine challenging DVD-based workouts with easy-to-follow diet guidelines, nutritional supplements (including its breakthrough health shake called Shakeology®, AKA “The Healthiest Meal of the Day®”), and an unparalleled customer service and peer-support system. In fact, Beachbody has expanded this support system through TeamBeachbody.com, which includes a network of thousands of independent "Coach" distributors as well as a dynamic online support and fitness community.

About Powder Blue Productions
Powder Blue Productions is a fitness minded company engaged in developing, marketing and distributing fitness and weight loss programs, instructional videos and related products and services. The company choreographs fitness training programs, develops and produces fitness training videos and provides instructor training for its proprietary fitness programs that combine exercise with a fun, entertaining format and social interaction. In addition, the company has a clothing boutique that offers the latest trends in fitness wear at www.turbokick.com. The company trains instructors to teach Turbo Kick, PiYo, Hip Hop Hustle, All-Star Instructor Training, among other fitness programs in development that combine exercise with a fun, entertaining program and social interaction.

Posted At 1:35 PM • Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Little League Baseball and Softball Powers Up With SKLZ

Posted by AB Editors

Source: SKLZ

CARLSBAD, CA – August 7, 2012 – SKLZ, the global leader in athletic skill and performance training products, announced today its new partnership with Little League® Baseball and Softball. As the Preferred Training Partner, SKLZ will assist the nationwide youth sports program advance coach and player expertise through online content, training programs and products focused on the development of baseball and softball players’ skills, athleticism and knowledge.

“SKLZ is proud to partner with one of the largest and most prestigious youth sports organizations in the world,” said SKLZ CEO, John Sarkisian. “We’re not only helping millions of young athletes get better at their sports, but also delivering products and content to coaches—especially new ones—that will give them a great head start in improving their players and building solid programs.”

SKLZ will incorporate knowledge and instruction from its extensive brand ambassador lineup of players and coaches into its customized programs for Little League. Current ambassadors include Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels, Florida Pride catcher Megan Willis, University of San Diego Head Baseball Coach Rich Hill and Long Beach State Head Baseball Coach Troy Buckley. These ambassadors will help in the creation of video series for Little League, with a special emphasis on supporting coaches in tee ball and early player development.

Additionally, SKLZ will be supporting Little League Baseball and Softball with training products at all levels of the organization. The product assortments will be focused on enhancing hitting, fielding, and throwing, as well as the overall athleticism of the players. Products will be offered individually to players and their families, as well as in kits to give coaches a full set of items to kick-start their training regimens.

“Fundamental skill development and training of Little League players is important and necessary in the resources we offer to our coaches and players,” said Stephen Keener, President & CEO of Little League Baseball and Softball. “By partnering with SKLZ, we are excited to provide additional tools content and programs to help our participants learn the game and develop their own skills.”

SKLZ baseball and softball training products are available at sporting goods retailers nationwide, including Little League official sponsor DICK’s Sporting Goods and online at SKLZ.com. SKLZ provides online instructional content from its brand ambassadors free of charge to help athletes of all levels improve their game.

About SKLZ
SKLZ is committed to elevating the athlete in each of us by guiding and serving athletes on their journeys to be their personal best. As the flagship brand of Pro Performance Sports, SKLZ develops innovative athletic performance and skill development training products, technology and knowledge for serious athletes of all ages, skill levels and sports. Based in San Diego, California, SKLZ delivers durable, high-performance trainers that can be found around the world at major sporting goods retailers, specialty shops, and mass merchants, as well as on the SKLZ web site at www.sklz.com.

About Little League Baseball and Softball
Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with more than 2.5 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.

Posted At 11:12 AM • Comments (1)

Saturday, August 04, 2012

Cybex Treadmills Powers Endurance World Record

Posted by AB Editors

Source: Cybex International Inc.

MEDWAY, MA – Cybex International Inc. (NASDAQ: CYBI), a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment, applauds the Forest School in London on its world record for farthest distance covered on one treadmill in 24 hours. Cybex provided two 750T treadmills for the challenge.

“The world record completed by the Forest School team was a fantastic accomplishment,” said Luke Berry, Cybex regional sales manager. “Not only is it a fantastic achievement for the team, but they also raised a huge amount of money for charity. We were honored to play a part in this challenge and illustrate the durability and reliability of the 750T treadmill.”

The team of teachers, parents and sixth-form (ages 16 to 18) students ran a total of 437 km (nearly 272 miles) in the 24-hour period between 12:30 p.m. on July 4 and 12:30 p.m. on July 5. They broke the previous record, set by a German team in 2010, by more than 15 km. The team averaged 11.3 miles per hour, a pace of better than 5:18 per mile. The team included Noel Thatcher, MBE, a five-time gold medal-winning Paralympic athlete and patron of Forest School’s preparatory school; and Tony Cottee, a former professional soccer player for West Ham United F.C.

Through the world record attempt, the team has raised more than £8,500 (more than $13,100 US) for the Essex Disabled Sports Federation and the Forest School Olympic Scholarship.

“When we came up with the idea, the first call I made was to Cybex,” said Wayne Bishop, sports facilities manager at Forest School’s Sylvestrian Leisure Centre. Bishop was familiar with Cybex, as the Centre already uses Cybex cardiovascular and strength training equipments in its fitness facilities. “Without delay, we were provided with two of the latest model treadmills to ensure that we had the equipment to cope with the demand of the challenge. As part of the regulations outlined by Guinness World Records, we had to supply very detailed, comprehensive evidence regarding the equipment used; and Cybex was fantastic supporting us with this making the entire process much easier.”

As one of the industry’s leading suppliers of premium fitness equipment, Cybex is renowned for its premium-quality, highly durable strength and cardio equipment. The 750T treadmill used as part of Forest School’s world record challenge has been designed for the most demanding of users, delivering ultimate levels of reliability and performance with a larger running area, which incorporates Cybex’s innovative IS3 Intelligent Suspension System.

About Cybex
Cybex International Inc. is a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment primarily for commercial use. The Cybex product line, including a full range of strength and cardio training machines, is designed using exercise science to reflect the natural movement of the human body. Led by the Cybex Research Institute, Cybex fitness equipment is engineered to produce optimal results for users from the first-time exerciser to the professional athlete. Cybex designs and builds its products in the USA for a wide range of facilities, from commercial health clubs to home gyms, in more than 85 countries worldwide. For more information on Cybex and its products, visit the Company’s website at www.cybexintl.com.

Posted At 11:15 AM • Comments (0)

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Johnson Health Tech Acquires Magnum Fitness

Posted by AB Editors

Source: Johnson Health Tech

COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. – (July 31, 2012) - Johnson Health Tech (JHT), the parent company of such fitness brands as Matrix, Vision, AFG and Horizon, today announced that it has acquired Magnum Fitness, the manufacturer and marketer of high quality performance strength equipment, based in South Milwaukee, Wis.

“For more than thirty years, Magnum has developed commercial strength training products that have produced tremendous value for its customers. Their initiative, knowledge, expertise and focus on the health and fitness industry complement our culture and philosophy at Johnson Health Tech,” said Jason Lo, CEO of JHT.

“With the acquisition of Magnum, JHT now has a comprehensive commercial strength product portfolio that greatly increases the competitiveness of our product offering in adjacent channels of the commercial market,” said Mark Zabel, VP of global product development & marketing for JHT.

In addition to rounding out the existing product portfolio, the acquisition of Magnum also gives JHT North American-based manufacturing capabilities.

“This acquisition allows us to offer customization and flexibility options to our commercial customers that simply were not feasible before,” Zabel continued. “We’re excited about the possibilities.”

“We’re pleased to join Johnson Health Tech,” said Larry Nelson, VP of Sales for Magnum Fitness. “It’s a well diversified company with strong brands, exceptional products, and a team of dedicated professionals, passionate about fitness. It’s an exciting organization to be part of.”

Over the next 12 months, the JHT management team will evaluate how to best integrate the existing Magnum team, product lines, distributors and facilities into its existing operations. Ron Carringi will serve as general manager of the manufacturing facility. Prior to this post, Carringi served as a director of engineering at JHT for nine years, and brings experience in managing strength manufacturing facilities to his new position.

About Magnum Fitness
Magnum Fitness was established in 1978 by Larry Nelson and Pat Ellis. Based in South Milwaukee, Wis., Magnum’s product line includes more than 300 commercial products.

About Johnson Health Tech
Johnson Health Tech, Inc. (JHT), Taiwan, is the third largest fitness equipment manufacturer in the world and is home to some of the most respected brands in the fitness industry, including: Matrix, Vision, AFG, and Horizon. The company manufactures a wide assortment of fitness equipment for both commercial and residential use, including treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes and strength training equipment. Johnson Health Tech’s global management headquarters is based in Taichung, Taiwan, with global product development, marketing and engineering based in Cottage Grove, Wis.

Posted At 10:39 AM • Comments (2)