Sacramento Eco Fitness is the first sustainable cycling studio in the nation. Members of Eco Fitness not only get into shape, but also contribute to the environment each time they workout on the gym’s SportsArt ECO-POWR cycles, which harness the energy members produce to help power the facility.
Here, Jose Antonio Avina II, the owner of Sacramento Eco Fitness, shares why they partnered with SportsArt to offer their energy-capturing ECO-POWR cycles.
CS: How were you introduced to SportsArt, and why did you decide to partner with them?
JA: I found SportsArt through researching the industry to find a machine that could harness human power. I started writing my business plan with no intention of actually starting an eco-gym, but over time I knew I had to do something that was completely different from the rest. For years I wondered if it was possible to harness human energy to produce clean energy, and I wondered if it was already being done and if it was, why it wasn’t being done here in the U.S. So, through my search I found a few gyms in Europe that had started the eco power movement — they were utilizing SportsArt equipment, and I started there.
CS: What are the benefits to your business as a result of this partnership?
JA: Through our partnership with SportsArt and offering their ECO-POWR cycles, we have had tremendous success that I don’t believe could be duplicated with any other company. Their team is extremely friendly and passionate about what they do and how they want to help the environment.
CS: What are the benefits to your members as a result of this partnership?
JA: They have helped us gain our Green Certification to officially promote ourselves as an eco-friendly business. They have also taken us to speak at different events to help spread the word of what we as gym owners, Paul Crane and myself, are trying to do and how SportsArt is helping us accomplish this goal of harnessing as much human power as possible.
CS: Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with SportsArt in any way?
JA: Yes, since the moment I got on the phone with Craig, the West Coast sales rep, and when I informed him of what we aim to do, he quickly shot an email to his vice president and informed him that we at Sacramento Eco Fitness planned to become the first official eco gym in the U.S. and we wanted to work with them. SportsArt flew out a team to help set things up for us and they assisted us with additional resources to help market our gym and help gain the media’s attention.
CS: What else can you tell other club owners about the benefits of working with SportsArt?
JA: If they choose to go green and utilize the ECO-POWR line, SportsArt has a team of individuals that are ready to help them take their gyms to the next level by utilizing the latest technology that will help members become more involved with the gym.
For more information on SportsArt and how it can benefit your gym, visit http://gosportsart.com/international/eco-powr/.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
