SportsArt Fitness - Enhancing Form and Function
National Fitness Trade Journal, Spring 2002

Success in any endeavor rarely happens by chance. Rather, it is typically the culmination of vision, strategy, and hard work. And so it is with the SportsArt story. In their 20 plus year march toward recognition as one of the fitness industry’s leaders, SportsArt has been driven by a commitment. They call this commitment "the 3 pillars of success" and they include: 1) excellence in manufacturing, 2) excellence in customer service, and 3) excellence through innovations that enhance the form and function of their machines. A brief examination of each will shed light on how SportsArt has become a pre-eminent cardio supplier on the international front, and one of the fastest growing suppliers in the U.S. fitness market.

Manufacturing: Anyone who has toured SportsArt’s new state-of-the-art 430,000 square foot facility knows that they are committed to manufacturing excellence. Amenities include a dozen robotic welders, over a mile of powder coat line, atmosphere controlled electronic testing rooms, 40,000 square foot tool shop, and fully equipped R&D and 24 hour testing rooms. Perhaps the most vertically integrated of all cardio manufacturers, the SportsArt facility has an entire wing of CAD-CAM aided engineers, and an electrical engineering area where they design and develop all of their own electronics in-house. SportsArt was the first fitness manufacturer to receive TUV ISO 9001/9002 certification (TUV is the most stringent ISO certifier — they are the same registrar that inspects the Mercedes and Porsche plants). What this all means is that SportsArt has one of the finest manufacturing facilities in the fitness (or any other) industry.

Customer Service: International distributors and fitness facilities have long recognized SportsArt for their excellent track record of quality products and great service. That has been a cornerstone of their North American philosophy since the beginning and was recently recognized with SportsArt being awarded the 2001 Health and Fitness Business Award for best commercial customer service in the industry. While the goal remains to build trouble free products, the fact remains that electronic equipment occasionally needs repair. It is SportsArt’s philosophy to have the correct part and technician to your facility within 48 hours of the initial diagnosis. SportsArt understands that facility directors need the equipment running.

Innovations That Enhance Form and Function: What good is a feature that has no benefit to the user? One would think the answer is obvious yet many manufacturers seem not to "get it." Conversely, SportsArt believes that well-designed equipment makes exercise easier and more enjoyable. Take, for example, their range of club recumbent cycles. All have a patented, adjustable seat back to custom-fit the needs of any user. Many models also feature a proprietary infra-red remote built into the handle. Two features that enhance comfort and ease of use. More recently, SportsArt introduced their patented 8300 Total Body Club Elliptical. This machine is the first total body unit with adjustable stride length. This feature not only allows different size users the ability to customize their stride length, it also helps vary the training effect for a more complete workout. Switches for both stride adjust and resistance control are built into the handles so the user never has to "break stride" while making adjustments.

SportsArt's new generation of club treadmills, starting with the 6310, will build on this history of superb aesthetics and innovations. Features to enhance the user experience include Cardio Advisor^TM, a proprietary method of showing your high, low, and current heart rate relative to your pre-set workout goals. This feature takes all of the guesswork out of heart rate zone training and gives you full time data to ensure you receive maximum benefit from your workout. For the facility director, SportsArt has designed in a full time cooling system that keeps the motor and all circuitry running cool, thereby prolonging the life of key components. They've also added a patented filtering device that removes up to 80% of particulates under the hood. Again, keeping electronic parts clean enhances product life.

The SportsArt story is a compelling one. Their management and design teams have a passion for what they do and they understand the needs of not only the end user but of the facility as well. The result is some of the best and most innovative equipment in the industry. For more information call 1.800.709.1400.