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A booming success

While Wilson went on to found

several successful health club chains, Nieto built Lifecycle Inc. into an ex- tremely successful enterprise that eventually became Life Fitness (in 1989). Today, under the current par- ent banner of Brunswick (of boats, bowling and billiards), bought the company

which in

Buy the Right Equipment

JUse Life Fitness president urchasing decision.

lohn Stransky’s check- pist to make an educated

1. 2.

that the cheapest product is okay, and we don’t subscribe to that idea. We ask about retention rate and club demographics, for example, and guide customers in the right direction to meet their goals and solve these issues. We do not assume that one size fits all.”

3.

functional and up-to-date? The exerciser must get the most out of the machine, not get stuck with something that looks cool but is not easy to manipulate. Users must be able to “get” the equipment and understand how the computer console works to help them design, monitor and develop a workout program.

4. 5.

Is the equipment company a good lis-

tener? To recommend the appropriate

equipment, it must define the problem and help determine customer needs. A club advisory committee helps identif issues and provides another forum for feedback.

commodities. When you pick the right partner, you’ll find the right product.

6.

Is the equipment company the right

partner? Do not assume that products are

Is the design a result of function, and not the other way around? Are the consoles

Is the equipment biomechanically cor-

rect? It must move the way the body

moves and achieve all the benefits without injury.

Is the equipment enjoyable and easy to use?

Does it offer value for the money?

“Buyers sometimes want corroboration

1997, Life Fitness em- ploys more than 2,000 people and is on the leading edge of research- ing, developing and selling cardio exercise equipment in more than 120 coun- tries around the world. The 500,000th

Lifecycle Exercise Bike rolled off the line in 2001. The company currently offers a com- prehensive line of cardio equipment and strength prod- ucts for the commercial club market, the hospital- ity segment (including ho- tels and cruise ship lines), educational institutions, the military, multi-unit op- erations (condos and apartment com- plexes) and the home exerciser. Current Life Fitness president John

can be more successful, and we work on how we can affect that. We ask our- selves, “How do we serve the end user and be an effective partner?’ ‘How do we tie it all together?’” Stransky says part of his raison

d’etre stems from his background at Brunswick where, at the helm of the billiards and then bowling divisions, his focus was on family activities and recreational pursuits that brought people together. It was then, about 10 years ago, that he met Nieto, who led the Life Fitness division of the company. He was impressed with Nieto’s

highly competitive nature, both in business and in his personal and athletic pur- suits, where he excelled in activities from waterski- ing to scuba diving to weight lifting. “I looked at

Life Fitness factory floor in Franklin Park, IL

the way Augie started this busi- ness because he was intent on changing the industry from a ‘barbell shop’ atmosphere to one that com- bined high-tech equipment with a terrific idea that would be transformation-

al,” says Stransky,

who took the helm of Life Fitness three years ago. Stransky notes that Nieto’s com-

Stransky credits much of the compa- ny’s success to the founding pioneers whose philosophy and work ethic still characterize the day-to-day opera- tions of the business. “With the intention of serving

the individual, Dr. Dimick came up with The Lifecycle, so we look back to the beginning for our inspiration,” notes Stransky, who points out that the inventor originally devised The Lifecycle as a medical device to help solve a physical problem.

A competitive and caring approach

“There are a lot of companies today

that focus on products, but we focus on our customers,” he explains. “We are intent on finding out how they

48 Fitness Business Canada March/April 2009

petitive – and caring – nature is what drives his people today. Getting the sale is only one thing, because every- one becomes invested personally in their customers’ well-being on a finan- cial, emotional and physical level.

Nieto faces another challenge

And there’s no better example of

that approach than Nieto, who retired from the company and then, unexpect- edly in 2005, was diagnosed with amy- otrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). With the same drive and gutsy determination that helped him launch a concept and a company, Nieto launched a worldwide aware- ness and fundraising campaign called “Augie’s Quest” to help find a cure for this currently incurable degenerative Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56