Metro Fitness in Stockport owned by European boxing champion Matthew Hatton and his father, Ray Hatton, installs Gerflor Taraflex™ flooring for gym complex

Just off the M60 lies the Merseyway Shopping Centre in Stockport, home to Metro Fitness where they truly believe that you won’t have ever seen a gym quite like it. It was launched as a premium-offer budget gym in August 2012 and has since then gone from strength to strength, growing their membership year on year. Split over two levels, the fitness club has been laid out in a way that has been designed to provide a large selection of equipment and good amount of floor space. Metro Fitness offers specific workout zones including a women-only area, virtual spin, Vario suspension training, a large freeweight space, functional training area and Power Plate facilities. From the moment you enter, their mission is to make you feel like you really belong there, with professional staff on hand to provide personalised support and guidance along your fitness journey.

George Stylianou, Director, Metro Fitness said: “The growing popularity in functional exercise amongst our members had prompted research into further developing our existing space. I wanted to go with flooring that was highly durable and that would cope with the volume of use, whilst being relatively forgiving to higher impact exercise. It was therefore no shock that Metro Fitness chose Taraflex™ from Gerflor- the No. 1 preferred indoor sports solution for over 60 years as their preferred floor covering throughout the gym.”

Getting results
The atmosphere at Metro Fitness is anything but sterile and detached from you as an individual. They truly want you to feel like you have a place amongst them, which promotes a real sense of belonging. What you personally do as a member is one of their highest priorities, alongside orientation courses intended to make you familiar with the layout of the gym and the safe usage of all their equipment. George Stylianou said: “This gym has attracted a whole new market, namely those who may have previously considered joining a gym but have been put off by the inflated prices, hidden extra costs and long term commitments. We are also attracting gym members who have become disillusioned with the lack of customer service, cleanliness and general upkeep of both equipment and facilities.”

The Metro Fitness ethos is a simple one. They promise a fresh new approach to exercise and training modules, using their own unique way of working and a whole regime of exercise classes that enable the client to get results. Specifying a flooring product that would cope with the rigorous and arduous battering that most gyms have to endure would be pivotal in making their final flooring choice. Taking the business to the next level would be key for them therefore these flooring choices became crucial and sourcing both the manufacturer and the perfect product would feature heavily in the specification. Stylianou further commented: “Having noticed the Gerflor advert in Leisure Management, I felt that their new Taraflex™ product might be a good fit. I read the testimonials and having viewed the product for myself; I commissioned the installation, which I have to say, was extremely efficient and professional throughout’’.

Market leader
Taraflex™ has been used in every summer Olympics since 1976 and is available in 17 colours and two wood-effect designs. The Sport M Evolution product offers a very high P1 category shock absorbency which exceeds 25% and meets the EN 14904 Standard for indoor sports surfaces. Taraflex™ is recognised for providing durability, safety and comfort without impairing performance. The range also offers greater than 45% force reduction, making it unrivalled in the marketplace in terms of comfort for users. Bespoke designs are also available by either water cutting, HD printing or line marking. Taraflex™ also meets the EN Standard of 22196 for anti- bacterial activity (E. coli - S. aureus - MRSA) (3) returning >99% levels of growth inhibition. The product is also treated with Protecsol®, which renders polish redundant. Taraflex™ has a double density foam backing and as another bonus, it’s environmentally friendly.

Stylianou added: “The biggest compliment I can make is that the feedback is extremely positive, both from our resident professional boxers and coaches, including Matthew Hatton, and from our ever-increasing membership, who enjoy using the space; either when exercising alone with Battle Ropes, Kettlebells, Tractor tyres or as part of a group exercise class’’.

International flooring company Gerflor also take great pride in working hand in hand with architects, interior designers, equipment manufacturers and flooring contractors to provide the most effective flooring solution on the market today.

Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 01926 622 600, emailing [email protected], or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.