| IHRSA Report | Member News Value Proposition SPRI
For nearly 30 years, this company has been providing club members with the tools they need, and it’s just getting started
W Taking an Industry Stand
ith a SKU (stock-keep- ing units) list exceed- ing 300 products, SPRI Products, Inc., in Libertyville, Illinois,
has solidified its standing as a leading manufacturer and distributor of rubber- ized resistance exercise tools for the health and fitness industry. At its inception in 1983, SPRI intro-
duced a single, but significant product— the Xertube. It was one of the industry’s first resistance tubing models. “We offered it with or without handles, and then added color-coding to help users determine the different levels of resis- tance,” recalls Herb Flentye, the CEO of SPRI. “Our firm is largely responsible for popularizing rubber resistance training in the fitness industry.” SPRI was also among the first companies to adapt the stability ball, which had proven its value in physical therapy, to the needs of regu- lar exercisers.
identified new applications and as professional and consumer interest has increased. The company’s SKU list, constantly growing longer, now includes, among other things, kickboxing, physical- therapy, weighted-resistance, sports- conditioning, and educational products. SPRI doesn’t disclose financial figures, but Flentye notes that the company has more than doubled its sales over the past decade. In addition to increasing revenues, the manufacturer has made inroads in a number of vertical markets. “Fitness has been SPRI’s mainstay for almost 30 years,” Flentye observes. “We remain strong and continue to grow in this area, but, at the same time, we’re moving into related channels, such as wellness, recreation, hospitality, and sports performance.”
Partners for progress
In May of this year, SPRI was a sponsor of, and active participant in, the IHRSA Summit for a Healthier America. The two-day gathering, held annually in Washington, D.C., is the only national lobbying event for the fitness industry. “We’ve participated in the summit for a few years and plan to take part for years to come,” says Herb Flentye, the CEO of SPRI. “We believe we have an obligation to support initiatives that help people lead healthier lifestyles. The Summit is on the forefront of the effort to create positive change in our nation through fitness and exercise.” —|
A pioneer in producing simple, effec- tive ways to strength-train, tone, and build lean muscle tissue, SPRI has expanded into related markets as it’s
98 Club Business Internat ional | DECEMBER 2011 |
According to SPRI’s mission statement, the company pursues, and achieves, its goals with the help of what it calls a part- nership philosophy— it’s a key component of the firm’s value proposition. The concept not only informs every aspect of its operation, touching everyone from employees and sales reps to vendors and customers, but also enlarges and enhances its industry and public presence.
The company’s partnerships span a wide spectrum of fitness personalities and organizations. With respect to instruc- tion, SPRI has partnered, for instance,
ihrsa.org
CEO Herb Flentye »
“FITNESS HAS BEEN SPRI’S MAINSTAY … WE REMAIN STRONG AND CONTINUE TO GROW IN THIS AREA. BUT … WE’RE MOVING INTO RELATED CHANNELS, SUCH AS WELLNESS, RECREATION, HOSPITALITY, AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE.”
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