Icon Health & Fitness

Icon Health & Fitness

Type	Private
Founded	1977
Headquarters	Logan, Utah, USA
Key people	Scott Watterson Gary Stevenson
Products	treadmills elliptical trainers stationary bicycles weight machines and benches yoga and Pilates equipment
Number of employees	2,500 worldwide
Website	www.iconfitness.com

Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. (styled ICON Health & Fitness) is an exercise equipment manufacturer and marketer based in Logan, Utah, United States.

Company overview

Icon Health and Fitness is the world’s largest manufacturer of exercise equipment.^[1] The privately held company employs about 2500 people in 9 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 200 patents.^[2]

Brands

Icon major brands include ProForm, Weslo, Weider, Altra Zero Drop Footwear, HealthRider, NordicTrack, and FreeMotion Fitness. Other brands include Gold's Gym, Image, and iFit.^[2]

History

In 1977, Utah State University students Scott Watterson and Gary E. Stevenson founded Weslo, Inc.,^[3] 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.^[2]

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.^[2]

In 1994, Weider sold ProForm and Weslo, along with Weider Care, to IHF Capital Inc,^[4] 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.^[3]

Icon acquired HealthRider in 1996,^[5] NordicTrack in 1999, and FreeMotion Fitness, Inc in 2001.^[2]

References