The early days: opportunity meets innovation In those initial years, Lindsay and Moira’s deep belief in the benefits of Pilates fueled the company’s growth. At that time the field of physiother- apy was evolving, and research was pointing to the importance of neutral alignment of the spine. That research inspired them to develop STOTT PILATES®


body,” says Moira. “This was the ba- sis for how each exercise in STOTT PILATES would evolve.” When the National Ballet of


, the contemporary approach


to the original Pilates method. “Once you establish a neutral pelvis, it has a profound effect on the entire


Canada’s Karen Kain took classes at their studio, she was excited by the modality and offered to help build awareness. Two national publications photographed her doing Pilates in their studio, and word quickly spread. “Karen’s support brought us a lot


of attention,” says Lindsay. “It gave us the confidence we needed to continue growing.”


Part of that growth included man-


ufacturing their own equipment. In those days, Pilates equipment was difficult to find, so the enterpris- ing Merrithews designed their own Reformer, one that worked for a variety of body types and abilities. Excitement over the versatile piece of equipment inspired Lindsay and Moira to contin- ue refining their design and to create additional pieces.


Expansion and growth: making Pilates a household name In the late 1980s, demand for fitness programming was on the rise. Large fitness chains were establishing a strong foothold, and group exercise had gained in popularity. Pilates was an ideal fit with these trends, and the little Pilates company quickly grew into to a significant industry player. It established an equipment manufactur- ing division, and expanded its instruc- tor training programs. Relationships with training centres in Canada and the U.S. provided quality training to the growing number of instructors in- terested in teaching Pilates and build- ing their careers. Merrithew also entered into part-


nerships with the club and studio mar- kets, helping businesses broaden their offerings, add revenue streams and retain members – it helped them iden- tify the education their staff members needed, offered advice on space opti- mization and equipment selection, and provided marketing support. More and more clubs and studios began offering Pilates and popularizing it even more. These early successes put the


STOTT PILATES method on the map and solidified Merrithew as a leader in Pilates. The company was on the Profit 500: Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies list for five years running, and Lindsay Merrithew was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year two years in a row.


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Lindsay and Moira Merrithew


Fall 2018 Fitness Business Canada 29


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