The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Manufacturer of the Year, Large Firms

At least one brand of fitness equipment for the commercial and home markets carries a made in Washington label. Precors keeping manufacturing local has helped grow employment from 544 to 573, but neither happened without a commitment to lean principles and efficient production.

Precor estimates it spends $1 million to $2 million each year on machinery, equipment and automation to make improvements in machining, welding, tooling and production-line monitoring systems. It expects still more spending as it adds to its line of cross-training and fitness machines, and as it expands its networked-fitness service known as Preva, which lets equipment users track their workout histories and check progress toward goals.

The attention to the product doesnt end with its sale to a customer. Precor, a subsidiary of Helsinki-based Amer Sports Corp., designs products with recyclable components and participates in the E-Cycle program for disposal of electrical components.