Timeline
- 1975Johnson Health Tech is established in Taichung, Taiwan.
- 1976Teamed with IVANKO to produce weightlifting equipment and became the largest supplier in the world within three years.
- 1986-1995Provided equipment and/or design to leading industry partners Universal, Tunturi, Schwinn, True, Omron and Mizuno.
- 1996Launched Vision Fitness brand in North America to serve the specialty fitness market.
- 1997Established JHT UK for home and commercial markets in the United Kingdom. Passed Sporting Goods Product Safety standards by Japan's Consumer Product Safety Association.
- 1998Launched Horizon Fitness brand in North America to serve the retail/home market.
- 2000Established JHT Germany for home and commercial markets. Recognized by Taiwanese government for its MBO Management System.
- 2001Launched second manufacturing base and new JHT subsidiary in Shanghai. Launched Matrix Fitness brand in North America for the commercial fitness market.
- 2002Became ISO-certified under the requirements of sustainable environmental management systems. Products certified by US FDA.
- 2003Listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange and opened Taiwan retail stores. Launched JHT subsidiaries in France and Spain.
- 2004Launched JHT Japan. Signed agreement with fitness expert Phil Campbell to offer the SPRINT 8 workout exclusively on Vision Fitness products.
- 2005Launched JHT subsidiaries in Italy, Thailand and Malaysia.
- 2006Launched Merit, Tempo and Treo brands to serve the retail/home market at beginning price points. Launched JHT subsidiaries in The Netherlands and Brazil.
- 2007Launched AFG (Advanced Fitness Group) brand for the specialty fitness channel.
- 2008Consolidated its three North American companies into a unified business unit. Matrix Fitness partners with the creator of Spinning® to introduce the Johnny G KRANKcycle® by Matrix
- 2009Signed licensing agreement with Lance Armstrong Foundation to launch LIVESTRONG® Fitness. Matrix Fitness introduced Virtual Active™ by Matrix for its 7xe cardio products and MyRide through a partnership with Indoorcycling Group.
- 2010Launched JHT Australia.
Our Heritage
Growing up in an impoverished post-war Taiwan, JHT founder Peter Lo knew that following one's dreams would require hard work, ambition and a true entrepreneurial spirit that, 35 years later, has become the core of our business.
It was 1975. With the idea that building his own business would be the
key to long-term success, a determined Lo hand wrote over 1,000 letters
to American companies to offer support and services for their
manufacturing needs. He received two responses. One, an exercise
equipment company called IVANKO, asked if Lo could manufacture barbells.
With his first order of $400 for 200 barbell pieces, Lo created Johnson
Metal. While learning the skills and knowledge necessary for barbell
manufacturing, Lo began to understand the individual and societal benefits
of fitness equipment and wanted to foster his commitment to health and
well-being around the world.
By the 1980s, Lo's barbell business had expanded to the cardio fitness
space. JHT became the original equipment manufacturer for numerous
industry leaders, including Trek, Schwinn, Omron, True and Universal,
among others. In 1996, JHT's first branded effort was spun off by the
Trek Fitness management team-Vision Fitness-with the idea that the
specialty fitness channel, still a small market at the time, would see
immense growth in the future. While higher-end cardio products were too
expensive and mass products were too low-quality for most fitness
enthusiasts at the time, JHT was able to find the "sweet spot" by
offering exceptional quality at a more affordable price.
With a knack for spotting major trends in the fitness and manufacturing worlds to meet today's consumer needs, JHT's business more than doubled within just three years. In 1998, JHT introduced Horizon Fitness to bring higher quality and durability to the typically lower-end sporting goods/mass market channel. Three years later, JHT launched the Matrix Fitness line of products to the commercial fitness channel.
Throughout its gradual but massive growth, JHT has also established itself
as a true pioneer of product innovation, from the Matrix hybrid bike to the
first folding elliptical to perfecting the eddy current magnetic brake system.
Many of the technologies invented for JHT machines have now become industry
standards. From the beginning, an investment in key technologies to increase
quality and add value has been a key priority for JHT.
Currently, JHT is the largest fitness manufacturer in Asia and the third-largest manufacturer in the world. With a product portfolio covering all fitness channels and markets, including Vision, Matrix, Horizon, AFG, LIVESTRONG®, Merit, Tempo and Treo, we are among the industry's fastest-growing manufacturers, and, with 16 worldwide subsidiaries, we are able to deliver on a truly global scale.
