For nearly 18 years, Denver Health & Fitness has been fostering strong programs, strong people and a strong community. From purchasing a 10,000-square-foot facility in 2008, expanding it to 45,000-square-feet in 2017, and purchasing another 40,000-square-foot facility about six miles from the other, the club has seen a lot of growth.
“It’s been a long road, but it’s been one filled with a lot of joy and accomplishments that I’ve been able to share with my family,” said Jeff Pettit, the CEO, owner and operator of Denver Health & Fitness.
Even through expansions and new facilities, the member experience stays at the top of Pettit’s mind — which is why they choose Matrix Fitness for their equipment.
Here, Pettit shares more about the partnership with Matrix Fitness, how their all-in-one solution improved the member experience at Denver Health & Fitness, and advice on why other club owners should use their equipment.
Why’d you decide to open a second location? What was that process like?
Believe it or not, the process to build from the ground up versus remodeling was a heck of a lot easier. The process working with Matrix was very smooth, and we started working with them before we opened up the second location. We started bringing in some of their treadmills, climbmills and some of their other machines in our first location as we were recycling and bringing in new equipment. There were a couple of reasons we started to do that. One is because we’re seeing Matrix actually innovating and staying up to the times. They’re not just relying on old equipment they’ve been selling for years. It was nice to see some of the new products and things they’re coming out with.
We started the process of bringing in Matrix equipment in 2018. When we began the new project for our South location, we started working with Todd and designing the floor plan. That process was really easy. The team over there with Matrix was a bunch of help and made the process really smooth.
Why did you choose Matrix Fitness over other equipment providers?
There are a lot of equipment providers out there, but there aren’t a whole lot of them that have pretty much everything. Matrix offered us a complete solution. We were able to go with one company, and we were able to design certain areas that we wanted to and give our members that experience that we wanted them to have. They have the product set to facilitate that, which is really one of the biggest reasons why we went with Matrix.
What has the member feedback been as you’ve upgraded these equipment pieces for your members?
They’re very pleased and happy. I hear all the time how nice and smooth the equipment is. Most people don’t really know equipment or care whose name is on it, but I do. I want what’s best for my members. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I care what they get and what they work out on, and why I make sure I have a company that stands behind their product. With projects like this, things are going to go wrong. The true test of a great company is one that can jump in and stand behind that product, and Matrix has done that.
What was customer service like working with Matrix Fitness?
I want my members to have a great experience and a great workout. I want them to like the equipment, the ergonomics and how it feels to use. On the flip side, I’m a customer of Matrix. I’m sure they want my experience to be great. I’ll send them a message and they’re on it. I’m getting replies back addressing the problem right away. So that experience has been very well received, not just by me but by Brooke, our general manager. She’s in communication directly with the person that services our area for the products — she’ll send him a text and he’s on it. You can tell they’re operating as a team, and they’re not worried about what their title is. They’re worried about making sure that we’re taken care of.
What advice or what would you like to share for other operators in the industry about working with Matrix Fitness that maybe we haven’t touched on?
Give Matrix a chance to see how they can help your club and your members. Matrix isn’t going to be for everybody and my club isn’t for everybody. However, more than likely they’re going to be able to fulfill the need for you. I think that’s a special place to be in.
