At the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), Jim Walczyk, the director of University Recreation, and Liz Rosenberger, the assistant director for strength training and conditioning, have both worked hand-in-hand with Octane Fitness during a multi-year project. Below they describe their experience:
Campus Rec: How were you introduced to Octane, and why did you decide to work with them?
Jim Walczyk: Introduction to Octane at various trade shows and conferences such as NIRSA National Conference and Athletic Business Conference.
Primary reasons to work with Octane were consistency, design and quality of the products that meet a variety of needs and goals for our patrons. Also Octane’s philosophy of zero impact exercise, customer service with reliable communication and follow through. The style and look of the equipment is aesthetically pleasing and inviting to use as well.
CR: What are the benefits to your rec center as a result of this partnership?
Liz Rosenberger: First, a willingness to provide demo products to allow evaluation of new and innovative equipment. Based on these opportunities, it has allowed us to expand our cardio offerings. Second, consistency in performance and construction reduces downtime of units increasing the patrons’ usage. Third, Octane offers multi-function capabilities which saves on square footage while offering multiple training styles.
CR: What are the benefits to your members as a result of this partnership?
JW: With a diverse population on campus, Octane’s equipment, which focuses on zero impact exercise, creates a distinct training environment accommodating to varied users. Octane creates this opportunity by offering high intensity training with low impact. We feel Octane’s control consoles are user friendly for all and offer a variety of workouts.
CR: Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with Octane in any way?
LR: All of our interactions have been positive and direct interactions with Octane. It shows they care about meeting our needs and not just selling products. They believe in their product based on their knowledge they share and want the customer to know.
CR: What else can you tell other rec center professionals about the benefits of working with Octane?
JW: They are professional, highly knowledgeable and motivated. They know their product extremely well. Octane’s product line will help offer different options for your patrons to train, and have a feeling of accomplishment at the end of their workout based on the variety of equipment they offer. What they do, they do extremely well because they don’t try to be an ‘all things to all customers’ company.
