While many fitness businesses struggled or permanently closed over the past year, PRO Fitness Club in Moosic, Pa., used the mandatory downtime to reinvent itself, treating the nearly-20-year-old wellness and fitness center to an ultramodern design that rivals most upscale spas.
"Like many other workout centers, we were forced to close for nearly a year," said Steve Pileggi, PRO Fitness's general manager. "Not knowing the duration of the shutdown, we decided to totally revamp the club with a multitude of boutique-style amenities to create a vibrant, aesthetically-pleasing physical fitness and rejuvenation experience for all of our customers."
Located in a 37-year-old strip mall, PRO Fitness Club opened in 2003 with a customer base that steadily grew to more than 2,000 members. However, given the rising number of gym and rehab facility openings in the area, Michael Prociak, owner and CEO, decided that 2020 was the ideal time to reimagine the facility's operations and services. After a 10-month renovation process from March 2020 to January 2021, PRO Fitness reopened earlier this year with state-of-the art exercise equipment, a saltwater therapeutic pool and whirlpool, juice bar, aromatherapy inhalation room, sauna, steam room and personal training classes.
The look and feel of the entire 16,000-square-foot complex was complemented by 57 burgundy Tufftec Lockers manufactured by Scranton Products. "We selected the lockers and built out from there," said David Strach at SA Architects. "The Tufftec Lockers were an excellent fit for the image and experience we wanted to create. The rich burgundy color and black hinges not only provided the ideal accent against the facility's gray color scheme, but are sized perfectly to store gym bags, cellphones, keys and other personal items."
Strach explained the previous metal lockers did not survive the chlorine and saltwater environment over time. "We looked at many different brands but chose Tufftec Lockers for their durability and low-maintenance. They are an excellent alternative to the outdated metal material and so much quieter."
With the locker room specification complete, PRO Fitness moved on to the restrooms, which were remodeled to ensure the highest sanitary and comfort levels. With a new world view of health and safety, it included touchless fixtures and Scranton Products' bronze-colored Hiny Hiders Partitions and urinal stalls, which are naturally germ-resistant and easy to clean. Unlike metal partitions, which are subject to rust and harbor germs, the new partitions offer superior resistance to dents, graffiti, corrosion, mildew, bacteria and moisture.
"Beside looking great and fitting exactly with the new look of our facility, Hiny Hiders Partitions are extremely resistant to rust, which is incredibly important given all the chlorine and saltwater floating around in the air," said Mike Lench, PRO Fitness Club's manager. "The original metal partitions were no match for this environment. The painted steel dividers in the women's room literally rotted away. But we are particularly impressed with how the [new partitions] stand up to extreme conditions. Their germ-resistant hard surfaces do not hold onto anything making them extremely easy to sanitize throughout the day."
"The feedback has been terrific," added Pileggi. "Everybody loves the new look and feel so much that we've made the locker room and restrooms a key component of every tour. Both have been a real selling point for our new members as well as the people we were hoping to retain after the long layoff. The facility turned out exactly like we imagined."
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