Formerly | Weslo, Inc. |
---|---|
Type | Private |
Industry | Exercise equipment |
Founded | 1977 in Utah, United States |
Founders | Scott Watterson Gary E. Stevenson |
Headquarters | Logan, Utah , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Scott Watterson, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Steve Barr, Chief Financial Officer David Watterson, Chief Merchandising Officer |
Products | Treadmills Elliptical Trainers Stationary Bicycles Weight Machines and Benches Yoga and Pilates equipment |
Brands | FreeMotion Fitness, Gold's Gym, HealthRider, iFit, Image, NordicTrack, ProForm, Weslo, and Weider |
Number of employees | ~2,500 (2019) |
Website | iconfitness |
Footnotes /references [1] [2] |
Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. (stylized as ICON Health & Fitness) is an American manufacturer, developer, and marketer of exercise equipment based in Logan, Utah.
ICON Health and Fitness is the world’s largest manufacturer of exercise equipment. [3] The privately held company employs about 2500 people in nine locations, including facilities in China, Europe, and North and South America. The company manufactures treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles, weight machines and benches, and yoga and Pilates equipment. ICON is ISO 9000 certified, and holds about 250 patents. [4] [5]
ICON Health & Fitness has a wide range of brands, products and technologies, including the brands NordicTrack, ProForm, Weider, Gold's Gym and FreeMotion Fitness. [4] Their fitness technology brand, including WiFi-enabled fitness equipment and fitness wearables, is iFit. [6] The company previously owned a running and trail shoe brand named Altra footwear. [7]
Under a license agreement with Gold's Gym, ICON Health & Fitness designs, manufactures, markets and sells a full line of fitness equipment under the Gold's Gym brand name. [8]
In 2016, Golf Digest named the Free Motion Fitness Dual Cable Cross as the best universal fitness equipment in their Editor's Choice award. [9]
In 1977, Utah State University students Scott Watterson and Gary E. Stevenson founded Weslo, Inc., [10] a company that imported Asian kitchen and tableware, along with marble products. In 1979, Weslo began selling wood-burning stoves under the Fire King brand. In the 1980s, they began manufacturing trampolines, and then, under the name ProForm Fitness Products, treadmills, exercise bikes, indoor rowers, and home gyms. [4]
In 1988, Weider Health and Fitness acquired Weslo and ProForm, and in 1990, moved them into the current 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) headquarters in Logan. [4]
In 1994, Weider sold ProForm and Weslo, along with Weider Care, to IHF Capital Inc, [11] a group led by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital, in a deal equaling US$450 million. The companies were renamed ICON Health and Fitness, Inc. [10]
ICON acquired HealthRider in 1996, [12] NordicTrack in 1999, and FreeMotion Fitness, Inc in 2001. [4]
In late October 2015, manufacturing activities at the Logan, Utah facility were moved offshore. This resulted in the laying off of more than four hundred workers. [13]
The former manufacturing space is now a television studio for making advertisements, a showroom, and engineering and innovation offices. Some of the manufacturing jobs are now being replaced with industrial design, marketing, engineering and computer programming positions. [5]
In 2017, ICON created a partnership with Southern Virginia University where the company established an on-campus call center allowing paid employment and flexible hours for students to be employed while attending the University. ICON also donated branded fitness equipment to the student fitness center and the athletic training center. [14]
In March 2018, Icon sold the Altra Running brand to VF Corporation for an undisclosed amount. [2]
In June of 2021, Icon re-branded their company name from ICON Health and Fitness to iFIT Health and Fitness.
ICON Health & Fitness was central to a United States Supreme Court case regarding frivolous lawsuits and fee shifting. ICON Health & Fitness had sued Octane Fitness in 2009 alleging patent infringement. Octane was granted a summary judgement stating its designs did not infringe, and asked to be reimbursement for attorneys' fees. Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that Octane deserved reimbursement of its legal fees. ICON was held liable for $1.6 million in fees by the district court, which was later upheld on appeal. [15]
Kettler is a German company based in Ense-Parsit, with locations all around the world. The company produces riding toys, leisure gear, patio furniture and exercise equipment.
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an American chain of international co-ed fitness centers originally started by Joe Gold in Venice Beach, California. Each gym offers a variety of cardio and strength training equipment as well as group exercise programs. Its headquarters have since relocated to Dallas.
Larry Dee Scott, nicknamed "The Legend" and "The Golden Boy," was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition and defended the crown at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest before retiring.
Nautilus, Inc., located in Vancouver, Washington, United States, is the American worldwide marketer, developer, and manufacturer of fitness equipment brands Bowflex, Modern Movement, Nautilus, Octane Fitness, Schwinn Fitness, and Universal. The products are sold globally to customers through a combination of television commercials/infomercials, the Internet, call centers and retail stores.
Netpulse is an American fitness technology company, and a provider of branded mobile apps for health clubs.
Planet Fitness is an American franchisor and operator of fitness centers based in Hampton, New Hampshire. The company reports that it has 2,039 clubs, making it one of the largest fitness club franchises by number of members and locations. There are locations across the United States as well as in other countries such as Canada, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico. In 2019 the franchise expanded to Australia. It markets itself as a "Judgment Free Zone" that caters to novice and casual gym users and is reported to be the nation’s fastest growing fitness center franchise.
A health club is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:
Cybex International is a fitness equipment manufacturer for commercial and consumer use. They produce mainly cardiovascular and strength equipment such as Arc Trainers, treadmills, stationary bicycles and steppers. Cybex markets their products through distributors in over 87 countries. The company has over 600 employees and their products are manufactured in their two manufacturing facilities, located in Franklin Park, Illinois, and Owatonna, Minnesota.
NordicTrack is an American company that manufactures treadmills, strength training equipment, ellipticals, exercise bikes, and accessories. It is best known for its Nordic ski machines, low-impact exercisers, ellipticals, and incline trainers. NordicTrack is owned and managed by Icon Health & Fitness and is headquartered in Logan, Utah. The company has been manufacturing exercise equipment since 1975.
Life Fitness is an American fitness equipment company that specializes in the production and distribution of equipment such as stationary bikes and treadmills. They developed the industry's first electronic stationary bicycle. As of 2015, the company has over 1,700 employees and twelve manufacturing facilities around the world.
ZAGG Inc is a company based in Midvale, Utah that focuses on producing protective coverings for consumer electronics and hand-held devices under the brand name InvisibleShield. Under its subsidiaries iFrogz, mophie, Braven, Gear4 and HALO, the company distributes phone and audio accessories.
Johnson Health Tech. Co., Ltd. is a multinational company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of exercise equipment. It is headquartered in Taichung, Taiwan. JHT's products include treadmills, stationary bicycles, elliptical trainers, weight training machines etc. The company has manufacturing plants in Shanghai and Taiwan, and R&D centers in Shanghai, Taiwan, and North America. It is the winner of two Taiwan Excellence Awards.
Altra Running, commonly known as Altra, is an American manufacturing company engaged in the design, development, marketing, and sales of athletic shoes for road running, trail running, and general footwear. Altra has been ranked in the top 10 brands in “run specialty” and number 4 for trail running.
Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 572 U.S. 545 (2014), is one of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions issued on April 29, 2014 regarding patent lawsuit fee-shifting. The Supreme Court essentially made it easier for courts to make the loser pay for all attorney costs if the lawsuit is regarded as frivolous. In other words, "the Supreme Court's decision grants judges more leeway to crack down on baseless claims."
AlterG, Inc. is an American medical device company founded in 2005 by Sean Whalen in Fremont, California. The company makes mobility enhancement products for physical therapy and athletic training. The first product, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill, now includes a product line including the M/F320, Via 400 and 400X, and Pro 200 and 500. In 2013 the company acquired Tibion Corporation and added the Bionic Leg to its list of products. Charles Remsberg is CEO.
iFit is an Internet connected and interactive fitness platform that brings together fitness activities that take place in the home, the gym, and outside, all with a single login and device. This product provides maps, visualization, and workouts for those working out on iFit-enabled equipment. The level-up version of iFit connected fitness offers true interactivity with iFit interactive technology controlling the speed, incline, decline, resistance and program length of workouts remotely, then uploads results at end of the workout to track workout results and progress at iFit.com.
Rogue Fitness is an American manufacturer and distributor of gym equipment based in Columbus, Ohio. Its produces strength and conditioning equipment such as weightlifting barbells, plates and racks, kettlebells, as well as a range of fitness related equipment for CrossFit boxes, home gyms, military, collegiate, and professional sports teams.
Peloton Interactive, Inc. is an American exercise equipment and media company based in New York City. It was founded in 2012 by John Foley and launched with help from a Kickstarter funding campaign in 2013.
Fitness, formerly Activity, is an exercise tracking companion app announced by Apple Inc. during their September 2014 Special Event. The app is available on iPhones running iOS 8.2 or above for users with a connected Apple Watch. The application displays a summary view of user's recorded workouts from the Apple Watch or supported third-party apps and exercise equipment.
Icon’s patented iFit technology syncs wearable devices and home exercise equipment with a cloud-based app that allows users to track their progress.