Ryan McGrotty is one of the entrepreneurs behind REP Fitness. He co-founded it with his brother back in 2012 and retells the story in this discussion. We also talk about the REP product roadmap, a lot of “Made in China vs. Made in America” details, what it likely means if we see a copy-cat product and more. Much of this information hasn’t ever been publicly stated. I look forward to hearing what you all think. Comments can be added to the bottom of this blog post.
It can be listened to on Spotify, Apple, Anchor, and likely anywhere else you listen to podcasts. The “timeline links” in the guide below will take you to the specific portion of the podcast.
(0:00) Intro
(0:41) What do your days look like today?
(2:10) Other stuff to know about Ryan outside of REP?
(4:27) What does your home gym look like?
(6:49) What were you doing before REP?
(7:27) When did you actually come up with the idea to create your own equipment?
(17:19) After starting with bumper plates, what were the next few products?
(18:25) How long until you felt you were really going to make it as a company?
(19:00) Any mistakes or horror stories you could share?
(21:47) Can you explain what you and your brother worked on when first starting the company? Did that change?
(23:27) How do you stay close to the community? Or, what’s propelled your company to make such a huge leap in the last 5 years or so?
(26:37) Favorite product release?
(27:30) How long do adjustments on products take?
(29:42) How did your business change in 2020?
(33:17) Does it seem like the customers are different than they were back in 2012?
(34:25) The Denver distribution center is moving to a new spot in Los Angeles by the end of 2022. What does this mean for your company and its customers?
(36:21) What type of products will be released in 2022?
(38:56) Thoughts on fitness technology in the future?
(45:00) Where and how your products are manufactured?
(49:12) How long does it take to get to where it’s produced to the United States?
(49:12) What would you say to someone that just says all you do is copy other companies and contract someone from overseas to make it for you?
(52:45) It does not feel that the quality difference these days in certain import companies (like yourself) vs. Made in America is incredibly different. Can you explain why?
(55:47) Are there different types of ways to “import?” Are specific ways better than others?
(58:55) As a founder of a pretty large company, what keeps you up at night these days?
(60:17) What does REP need to improve on the most?
