Nautilus
“Here
in the Independence
plant we make 125 different Nautilus commercial strength machines
and ship worldwide via our company trucking fleet, common carriers
and international freight forwarders.”
Cindy
Rudy, Controller
The
Nautilus Group
Independence, Virginia Division
A
tour through the Nautilus manufacturing facility in Grayson County
will reveal a variety of silver, gray, white and black parts and
completed commercial Nautilus equipment.
You'll
find a vertically integrated industry taking raw steel and components
parts through its manufacturing fabricating processes of machining,
welding, painting and assembly to create one of the premier strength
training lines of equipment on the market today. The Independence
facility employs 200.
"The
company has a long history of product development with its number
one source of feedback being from Nautilus customers, in addition
to fitness industry experts and in-house design engineers, as well
as valued input from the Nautilus workforce,” says Cindy Rudy, Controller
for the Independence, Virginia Division of The Nautilus Group.
 The
Nautilus Group, Inc., with headquarters in the state of Washington,
is a leading marketer, developer, and manufacturer of branded health
and fitness products sold under such well-known names as Bowflex,
Nautilus, Schwinn, Trimline, TreadClimber, and StairMaster.
“A significant portion of the
Bowflex machines are shipped from here in the Grayson County area,”
says Rudy, who points out that the rods inside the Bowflex machines
have always been manufactured by another aCorridor company in Wytheville,
Virginia. The Grayson County Nautilus operation also distributes
the Nautilus Sleep Systems.
“We
ship all over the world, and one of our most recent large shipments
was commercial fitness equipment to our U.S. troops in Iraq. Activity
surrounding the shipment was very hectic in order to meet the tight
deadlines necessary to have the equipment in place by Christmas,”
says Rudy.
While
customer service is important to every employee throughout the process,
Rudy says the truck drivers who deliver Nautilus equipment all over
the United States can be very important ambassadors for the company.
“They
are very professional individuals who work in teams of two
to both install the equipment and to ensure that it is in perfect
condition prior to leaving the customer's facility. They are all
based in Independence,” says Rudy.
Rudy
credits her fellow team members, Greg Webb, Vice President of Engineering,and
Terry Hensley, Plant Manager, for their leadership in making this
plant successful.
“And
of course the employees. We have some employees who have been here
since the late 70s when Nautilus first came to Independence, and
a significant percentage of employees have been here more than 20
years. They are dedicated, and it is a great place to work.”
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