Precor's history of fitness innovation

1980

Precor is founded by industrial designer David Smith as Precision Corporation.

1981

Precor develops the first ergonomically sound rowing machine, the Amerec 610 Precision Rowing Machine.

The Amerec 610 Rower is used by the U.S. Ski Team while training for the World Cup.

The Amerec 612 Rower wins Award for Excellence from Industrial Design Society of Amerec; and wins first place in the durables category by The Aluminum Association Annual International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition.

1982

Precor becomes the first fitness equipment manufacturer to add motivational microprocessor-based electronics to its equipment, providing continuous feedback and enhanced work-out effectiveness.

The Amerec 612 Rower is named Consumer Product of the Year by Industrial Design Magazine.

1983

The 935e Treadmill wins Excellence in Design award from The Aluminum Association, Inc.

1984

Precor acquired by Dart and Kraft, Inc.

1985

Precor introduces a full line of electronic ergometer treadmills, rowers and cycles.

1986

Precor Treadmill wins Best Category Award by Industrial Design magazine.

1987

Precor develops the first home and commercial programmable treadmills.

1988

Precor becomes a subsidiary of Premark International, Inc.

1990

Precor creates the first cushioned treadmill, reducing stress on the body and joints during workouts.

Precor forms a separate Commercial Products Division, and launches the 960 series commercial treadmills.

1993

Precor opens its first international office in the United Kingdom.

Precor produces its one millionth piece of fitness equipment.

1994

Precor receives a patent for the unique Ground Effects (GFX) technology for its treadmills.

1995

Precor introduces the world to the first Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer (EFX), creating a new category in fitness, with the EFX 544.

1996

Precor voted No.1 supplier of treadmills by Sporting Goods Business.

1997

Precor EFX wins Product of the Year by Fitness Magazine

1998

Precor acquires Pacific Fitness, renowned for its strength equipment.

Precor wins Best Treadmill as judged by personal trainers.

1999

Premark merges with Illinois Tool Works (ITW), making Precor a subsidiary of ITW.

Precor receives ACE Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction for treadmills.

The 9.25i Low-Impact Treadmill wins Overall Excellence in Customer Satisfaction award from more than 20,000 treadmill owners polled by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Precor earns Distinguished Business in the Green status, the highest recognition a company can receive from Green Works, a department of the King County, Washington, USA, Solid Waste Division.

2000

The Precor Recumbent Bike is winner of the 13^th Annual Excellence in Design Award.

2001

The home EFX 5.17 and EFX 5.21si Elliptical Crosstrainers received Best Buy rating from a leading Consumer Rating Publication; and win Consumer Digest Best Buy certificates.

Precor launches a multi-station home strength line featuring six models.

2002

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries awards its first Ergonomics in Action award to Precor.

Precor is purchased from ITW, becoming a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation, the world’s largest sports equipment company, with internationally recognised brands Wilson, Atomic, Suunto, Salomon, Arc’Teryx and Mavic.

2003

Precor expands into Japan, with new offices in Tokyo and Osaka.

2004

Precor acquires Fitness Products International (FPI) a manufacturer of single- and multi-station selectorised equipment, functional training/free motion models and two types of plate equipment including the Icarian brand, Abench, Flite®, Stretch Center™ and Jade® brands.

Precor acquires entertainment technology leader, ClubCom, including its Cardio Theater division.

Precor Cardio Theater named the industry's top entertainment supplier in the Nova7 People's Choice awards program sponsored by Fitness Management magazine.

Precor doubles the size of its commercial strength equipment capacity by relocating its manufacturing operations to Valencia, California from Burbank.

For second year, Precor Cardio Theater named the industry's top entertainment supplier in the Nova7 People's Choice awards program.

Global fitness industry leader Gold's Gym International Inc. names Precor as its Vendor of the Year for 2004-2005, and the Precor sales manager as the Outstanding Support Individual.

2006

For the third consecutive year, Precor Cardio Theater is named the industry's top entertainment supplier in the Nova7 People's Choice awards program.

Precor and Hilton Hotels Corporation partner to launch Fitness by Precor facilities at full-service Hilton, Doubletree® and Embassy Suites Hotels® in North America, and at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Anytime Fitness honors Precor with the 2006 Franchise Choice Award for Vendor Excellence.

2007

Precor launches the revolutionary Adaptive Motion Trainer® (AMT®), creating another new category of fitness equipment- adaptive motion.

Precor wins Vendor of the Year award from Gold’s Gym International.

S3.23 Functional Trainer for home use wins Best of Fitness Award from Health magazine.

M9.35i home treadmill named one of the best treadmills by Runner’s World magazine.

Precor earns top awards in the annual Nova 7 People's Choice awards program, earning recognition as Best Cardio Equipment Supplier to the international fitness industry, and gaining Best Product of the Year recognition for the breakthrough Adaptive Motion Trainer™.

For the fourth consecutive year, Precor Cardio Theater named the industry's top entertainment supplier in the Nova7 People's Choice awards program.

Precor expands its Woodinville, Washington, USA, campus to five administrative, warehousing and manufacturing buildings comprising 270,000 square feet.

2008

The Adaptive Motion Trainer wins prestigious Red Dot design award as one of the world's best-designed products; and is honoured as best product innovation at Fit2PRO, Belgium's national fitness-industry trade show.

2008 Precor again earns top honors in the Nova 7 People's Choice awards, named Best Cardio Equipment Supplier.

Precor sells ClubCom to Zoom Media & Marketing.

Precor introduces the all-new Experience Strength™ C-Line and S-Line machine-defined, selectorised strength equipment for fitness facilities.

Precor announces intent to build a new commercial strength equipment manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, investing $26.2 million.

The Hilton Family of Hotels announces that Fitness By Precor facilities have been installed in more than 500 Hilton Family hotels.

2010

The 9.31 home treadmill receives Best Treadmill rating from a leading Consumer Rating Publication, besting 28 competitors, in the February 2010 issue; and the S3.15 Strength System for the home awarded Best Buy from Consumer Digest magazine.

Precor opens and begins operations at its new commercial strength manufacturing facility in Guilford County, North Carolina, near Greensboro. Operations move from Valencia, California, to Greensboro. The new Precor strength facility earns LEED CI Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Precor awarded Partner of the Year by 24 Hour Fitness.

Precor awarded 2010 Vendor of the Year by Gold’s Gym.

Precor is finalist in Washington’s Best Workplaces 2010 by Puget Sound Business Journal.