'The next time you\'re at the gym working up a sweat on the elliptical, there\'s a good chance you\'re doing it on you a machine created by Brooklyn Park-based Octane Fitness. \"We don\'t try to do everything,\" said Dennis Lee, CEO of Octane Fitness. \"We try to do one thing really well, and that\'s low impact exercise.\" A global company with 66 employees, Octane Fitness currently has 21 different elliptical and low impact exercise products. The Brooklyn Park company has grown quickly since it first started in 2001, but it took a major leap forward last month when one of Octane\'s elliptical trainer\'s made \"Oprah\'s Favorite Things 2012\" list. Sales have soared since Octane Fitness\' Q37ci Elliptical Trainer was mentioned on \"Oprah\'s Favorite Things\" on the Oprah Winfrey Network in November and then published online in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. \"Sales have been off the charts, we\'re actually back-ordered for the next 3-4 weeks on the Q37ci,\" said Tim Porth, Executive Vice President of Octane Fitness. Porth said web traffic at Octane\'s site was up 375% on Black Friday alone, just several days after the first national mention. Octane Fitness was first contacted last year by Oprah\'s trainer, Bob Greene, after Greene had tried the elliptical trainer at a hotel workout facility. \"To be listed as one of Oprah\'s favorite things is one of the biggest achievements you can have in fitness equipment,\" said Porth. The company credits its success to good product innovation, design and quality. More than a dozen engineers work continuously on new product development and design, and each piece of equipment goes through a rigorous test to make sure it\'s built to last. \"We\'re really trying to beat it up, create an environment even above and beyond what they would see in a club,\" said Lee of the company\'s test machines which run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While Octane\'s Q37ci Elliptical Trainer caught Oprah\'s eye, the company is moving forward with its latest innovation, LateralX. Launched, in 2012, the latest elliptical trainer includes more lateral motion rather than the standard front to back motion. \"What consumers want is they want something new, they want something different,\" said Lee. \"Our engineering staff is constantly coming up with ideas for new products.\" Alexandra Renslo reporting http://www.ccxmedia.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ccxmedia.org/ http://twitter.com/ccxnews 12 News is on Comcast cable channel 12 in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.'
Tags: News , Cable 12 , Channel 12 , NWCT , Northwest Community Television , 12 News , 12 Sports
See also:
comments