This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Iron Grip Barbell Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of innovative, heavy-duty, American-made commercial free weight equipment.
“As we achieve this company milestone, we’re proud of the strong ties we’ve built with our customers and associates over the past three decades and grateful for the trust so many of our partners have placed in us,” said Michael Rojas, President and Co-CEO. “We’re also honored to have such a talented and dedicated team of employees who are committed every day to supporting our customers and advancing our efforts in the industry. Throughout 2023, we’ll be reflecting on our heritage and enthusiastically mapping out future goals.”
Established in early 1993, Iron Grip was built on a dual promise: revolutionize free weight equipment (the oldest tools in strength training,) and bring commercial free weight manufacturing back to American shores.
The company’s first innovation was a simple, yet profound design improvement—adding functional grips to what had previously been cumbersome, difficult to handle weight plates. This innovation not only immediately improved the safety, utility, and versatility of barbells, but also enhanced the user-friendliness and appeal of plate-loaded machines.
With the success of their first launch, Iron Grip continued to add new features and products to their line, including using American-made Urethane as a more durable replacement for rubber coatings; creating a complete line of dumbbells and barbells with solid, one-piece construction for better reliability and functionality; designing a dumbbell handle with improved ergonomics and strength to withstand the heaviest workouts; developing a series of high-quality weightlifting bars, including their world-class Competition Series meticulously crafted for IWF-style lifting; and constructing the most advanced and prolific custom-engraving production line for branded commercial free weights.
Iron Grip has been committed to manufacturing its premium line exclusively in the United States since the very beginning, even at a time when almost all early competitors were exclusively importing overseas products. “Having a hands-on approach to running our onsite factories means we can react quickly to customer feedback and fast-track design improvements and manufacturing efficiencies,” said Scott Frasco, Co-CEO and CFO. “But equally important, investing in our local business community and building a loyal, long-term workforce has been a core company value since day one.”
Building and operating their own production lines in the US has empowered Iron Grip to maintain consistent product performance while keeping dependable inventories and on-time delivery commitments. With a continued corporate presence in California, Iron Grip has since expanded to Texas to enable more robust manufacturing capacity.
“We’re looking forward to driving another 30 years of innovation in the free weight category,” added Rojas, “and to continually improving and perfecting our materials, our production processes and our designs to ensure the best experience for our customers and their members.”
About Iron Grip
Founded in 1993, Iron Grip Barbell Company is the leading manufacturer of commercial-quality dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, and Olympic bars. As the only company with a complete line of exclusively American-made commercial free weight equipment, Iron Grip sets the standard for durability, reliability, and performance in the fitness industry. Iron Grip was the first to offer Olympic plates with integrated handgrips and a unique 12-sided “anti-roll” design to improve safety in the weight room, and they went on to revolutionize the dumbbell and barbell category with their design and construction innovations. Iron Grip equipment is chosen by premier fitness facilities in over 95 countries, including major health club chains, independent gyms, colleges and pro teams, corporate fitness centers, medical wellness facilities, and police, firefighter, and military fitness facilities worldwide.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
