Matrix Fitness is the fastest-growing commercial fitness brand in the world and a division of US$800 million global powerhouse, Johnson Health Tech. We talk to MD Matthew Pengelly

What is Johnson Health Tech?
Johnson Health Tech is a truly global business which remains loyal to its founding philosophy to promote health, value and sharing, not simply via its products but also by giving back to its communities across the world.

This philosophy began in 1975 when our founder Peter Lo gave back to his childhood home in central Taiwan, establishing a library and a community and learning centre called the Lo garden.

All the Johnson Health Tech subsidiaries give back like this. Here in the UK, we hold regular charity challenges and events and also work in partnership with local schools and colleges to promote healthy lifestyles.

Financially, Johnson Health Tech is a very strong and stable business, owning all its own manufacturing warehouses in Shanghai, Taiwan and the USA.

Because we own all components from the first phase of product development to quality control through to manufacture, we are able to maintain the highest quality standards, while minimising costs to the customer. This is a particularly strong USP, of which we are very proud.

How does Matrix innovate?
Three factors make innovation happen at Matrix: corporate culture, our development process and technology.

Corporate culture is important to our employees and is celebrated – in thought and word – in our communications and even on the walls of our buildings.

Our corporate culture is based on sincerity, expertise and initiative and is embedded in everything we do.

Our development process thrives on continuous improvement and is based on the results of research and data gathered.

The process begins with our customers and we look to club owners, PTs, users and technicians to identify un-met needs.

From that point, we set out to improve our existing products and also to develop new ones. Our innovation involves learning from other sectors such as consumer electronics, technology, automotive, furniture and design.

We draw inspiration from these to transform our ideas into prototypes, at which point we have a good idea what will work – and what won’t!

Technology is an essential tool that helps customers maximise their return on investment. We invest heavily in this area, as the best ideas can only work if the technology behind them is cutting edge.

Recent examples of where our concepts have matched with leading technology solutions are the Workout Tracking Network and the Personal Trainer Portal, which help trainers connect and engage with members.

Our Matrix Connected Solutions assign workouts to members, check their progress and communicate with them via any internet connected device, to increase engagement and enjoyment.

Ultimately this helps gym members to achieve their goals and is a powerful way to improve retention levels.

Aside from individual user experiences, our commercial customers can track individual equipment activity from wherever they are, to optimise their space and maximise equipment lifetime.

You’ve been with Matrix a year – what's changed?
Over the last 12 months, we’ve not only streamlined our processes, but also our entire sales team structure – all while increasing our profitability.

The team now consists of sector specialists, dedicated project managers for key accounts such as PureGym, Snap Fitness and The Gym Group and customer experience managers.

Together they ensure sustainable growth and focused, bespoke support throughout each customer journey.

A fresh focus on sector-specific fitness solutions sees Matrix poised for further significant growth.

What’s your strategy?
All the team have expert experience in each of their sectors, enabling us to work with all our customers to really know and deliver exactly what they need.

By truly understanding our customers and their members’ needs, Matrix has positioned itself as a total solutions partner, offering so much more than fitness equipment alone.

We pride ourselves on really listening to customers before recommending what they need, rather than what they want. The two things are not always the same!

Part of our restructure involved creating sector-specific teams, each of which has a playbook, with clear goals for the next 12 months across the business.

This, in turn, drives product and brand development, as each sector is analysed in terms of the competition, customer and consumer needs and the identification of ‘gaps’ ready for new products.

It’s early days, but looking at each sector as a discrete area is already showing us brand development opportunities that address specific user needs.

What’s next?
We have some very exciting product launches later this year: anyone who saw us at FIBO and IHRSA will know we launched 32 products there.

Our most recent launch is the S-Force Performance Trainer – a unique product designed for HIIT and functional training. It’s proving immensely popular with our sporting partners who trialled it and the health club roll-out is now nicely underway.

Next up is the launch of our Target Training Cycles range. These cycles are genuinely ground-breaking and unique in the indoor cycling market. The premium CXP bike is the first to allow targeted training with multiple metrics – all of which can be viewed on the LED-lit console at the same time.

The coloured consoles change depending on whether the member is on track to achieve the target they’ve set – whether that be calories burned, heart rate, watts or distance. The personalised tracking and measurement are taking indoor cycling to the next level – on the gym floor and in the cycling studio.

Early results indicate that this range will do really well for us and our customers.

As the brand strengthens and develops, we will continue to strive for sustainable growth and streamlined processes.

Our commitment is to always deliver the most innovative products, which are sought after by fitness-lovers, to drive the success of our customers' businesses.