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Rogue Fitness

Rogue Fitness (legally named Coulter Ventures, LLC,[3] often branded and referred to as Rogue) is an American manufacturer and distributor of gym equipment based in Columbus, Ohio.[2] It produces strength and conditioning equipment such as weightlifting barbells,[4] plates and racks, kettlebells,[5] as well as a range of fitness related equipment for CrossFit boxes,[6] home gyms,[7] military, collegiate, and professional sports teams.[8][9]

Rogue Fitness
Company typePrivate
IndustryStrength & conditioning equipment manufacturer
Founded2007 (2007)[1]
FounderBill Henniger[2]
Headquarters
Columbus, Ohio
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
OwnerBill Henniger
Number of employees
850 (2020)
DivisionsRogue Supply Co.
SubsidiariesRogue Europe
Rogue Australia
Websiteroguefitness.com

History

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We started as a garage gym in the CrossFit community. Rogue began by selling jump ropes and boxes out of a small space. We were at the 2008 CrossFit Games and it was there when we knew how we wanted to contribute to the CrossFit Community. We've done so ever since. CrossFit was and is crucial to Rogue Fitness's success.

Bill Henniger, [10]

Rogue originally started in 2007 in Toledo, Ohio, by Bill Henniger when he had difficulty finding the necessary equipment for his new gym, a CrossFit affiliate. He set up an e-commerce one-stop site roguefitness.com, with the intention of selling all the equipment necessary for a CrossFit gym.[2] Initially, Rogue only sold other manufacturers' equipment through its website, but there were still issues with customers having to deal with multiple manufacturers and their own shipping fees and schedules, as well as equipment not entirely suitable for CrossFit.[11] In order to resolve the issues and speed up the delivery, the company started warehousing the equipment and eventually building some of the equipment itself. The company relies primarily on local and U.S. manufacturing to allow it to respond quicker to demand.[11][12]

The company grew into a 5,000 square foot (460 m2) facility in Columbus that was next to a CrossFit box that Henniger also owned. Rogue began offering more products and also started manufacturing more of them.[1][10] It had a 175,000 square foot (16,300 m2) manufacturing facility by 2014.[11] It produces a variety of strength training equipment, such as barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls,[13] and as well as other exercise products, such as its Echo Bike.[14]

Rogue Europe launched in Finland in January 2014 with Juha Puonti and 2009 CrossFit Games male champion Mikko Salo.[11] It opened a branch in Belgium for its European customers.[12]

In 2018, Rogue moved into a 600,000 square foot (56,000 m2) building on 30 acres (12 ha), a former Timken Company property located on the southwest corner of East Fifth and Cleveland avenues in Columbus.[15][16] The new building consolidated their administrative, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations.[8] It includes two gyms and showroom.[17][18] It acquired a series of other fitness-related companies, including Nebula Fitness in 2012,[6] Pendlay, OSO Barbell and Reflex Fitness Products in 2018,[19][20] and powerlifting equipment manufacturer Ghost Strong in 2022.[21]

Rogue was a contender for Inc.'s 2018 Company of the Year.[12]

Rogue Fitness had 200 employees in 2014,[11] increasing to 600 in 2019,[18] and 850 in 2020.[22] It has 1,400 employees worldwide as of 2022.[23]

Activities

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Rogue has been associated with CrossFit from its beginning. Rogue is one of the primary suppliers for equipment for CrossFit boxes (gyms) around the world.[11][10][15] It started supplying equipment for the CrossFit Games in 2009, before becoming the sole provider to the Games and regional events in 2010.[24] Fifteen semi-trucks of equipment were needed to supply the 2013 CrossFit Games at the StubHub Center in Carson, California,[11] up from nine trucks used to supply the 2011 CrossFit Games.[25] Rogue often creates new or unusual equipment specially for the Games.[26][27][28] It organizes Rogue Invitational, one of the most significant competitions for CrossFit athletes.[29][30] The Invitational features the biggest prize purse for CrossFit athletes outside of the Games, and it is the only CrossFit competition that pays out to all athletes competing including airfare and accommodation.[31][32] The company briefly cut off its ties with CrossFit after controversial statements made by CrossFit founder Greg Glassman in 2020, but has resumed their association after Glassman resigned.[33][34][35]

Rogue has also expanded into building equipment for strongman, powerlifting, and Olympic weightlifting.[10] It became the official supplier of USA Weightlifting,[36] the Arnold Strongman Classic, and the World's Strongest Man in 2017.[37][38] It also created implements used in competitions, such as the largest implement ever created specifically for a strongman competition, the "Wheel of Pain" inspired by the film Conan the Barbarian used in the Arnold Classic.[39] It has staged a series of events since 2015 for those who wish to set weightlifting records titled Rogue Record Breakers at festivals such as Arnold Sports Classic, and it also introduced the Rogue Challenge for various sports starting December 2020.[40] Rogue Invitational also expanded to include a strongman contest since 2021.[41][42]

The company sponsors numerous CrossFit athletes around the world, such as Rich Froning Jr., Ben Smith, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Mat Fraser, Katrín Davíðsdóttir, Jason Khalipa and Justin Medeiros.[10][43] One of the first sponsored athletes was Henniger's future wife and 2008 CrossFit Games female champion, Caity Matter Henniger.[44][11] Rogue also sponsors Strongman athletes such as Brian Shaw and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.[45][46]

Rogue started manufacturing medical equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[47][48] It also increased its production of gym equipment due to increasing demand from home gyms during lockdown that led to shortages.[49][50][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "FACT SHEET JUNE 2015 COULTER VENTURES, LLC DBA ROGUE FITNESS". Rogue Fitness. 13 May 2015. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Foster, Tom (November 8, 2019). "How Rogue Fitness Founder Bill Henniger Built His Company". Men's Health.
  3. ^ "Company Overview of Coulter Ventures, LLC". Bloomberg. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Rogue barbell review: What to know?". Medical News Today. 27 May 2021.
  5. ^ Shultz, Alex (April 7, 2020). "Inside the Great Kettlebell Shortage of 2020". GQ Magazine.
  6. ^ a b "Rogue's Under-The-Radar Dominance". Fitt Insider. 23 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b Wolff-Mann, Ethan (April 28, 2020). "Coronavirus has caused a home gym boom, sending companies scrambling". Yahoo! Finance.
  8. ^ a b Warren, Brent (23 April 2016). "Massive Rogue Fitness Facility Starting to Take Shape in Milo-Grogan". Columbus Underground. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  9. ^ "2015 CrossFit Liftoff, Powered by Rogue, Awards $100,000 to Olympic Weightlifters and CrossFit Athletes". Business Wire. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e Huntley, Tim. "Rogue Fitness: A Start-up Success Story". myathleticlife.com. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Equipment Outlaw". The Box. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b c Crino, Tim (10 December 2018). "How This Air Force Vet Capitalized on Crossfit". Inc. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. ^ Porcaro, Gabrielle (October 25, 2023). "The 6 Best Gym Equipment Brands of 2023". Livestrong.
  14. ^ Spin, Brian (December 27, 2017). "Rogue Fitness Releases Its Own Fan Bike". The Barbell Spin.
  15. ^ a b RODIO, MICHAEL (26 April 2016). "Fit Fix: the Rock Is Seriously Bulking up for 'Fast 8'". Men's Fitness. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  16. ^ Hall, Brian R. (1 June 2015). "Fitness equipment provider up for city incentives for $36M project". Columbus Business First. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  17. ^ Sullivan, Lucas (19 February 2015). "Coleman closing in on tenant for Timken site". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b Foster, Tom (8 November 2019). "The Man of Steel Behind CrossFit's Favorite Gym Equipment". Men's Health. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  19. ^ English, Nick (January 9, 2018). "Rogue Fitness Acquires OSO Barbell". BarBend.
  20. ^ "Rogue Fitness Announces Acquisition of Reflex Fitness Products". Rogue Fitness. November 30, 2018.
  21. ^ "Rogue Fitness Acquires Ghost Strong". Rogue Fitness.
  22. ^ Naveau, Jim (May 1, 2020). "Caity Matter Henniger built Hall of Fame career". limaohio.com.
  23. ^ "Powerhouse strength training partners rogue fitness and kabuki strength expand manufacturing and distribution deal with Kabuki's Kadillac bar". PR Newswire. May 9, 2022.
  24. ^ Koenig, John. "Talking With Bill Henniger of Rogue Fitness". johnkoenig.squarespace.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  25. ^ CERIZO, KEHAULANI (7 August 2011). "Willpower & work". The Maui News. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  26. ^ Bric, John Michael (25 October 2012). "Rogue's Latest CrossFit Equipment". The RX Review.
  27. ^ "The Rogue Pig 2.0 for CrossFit". Fitness Gizmo. September 10, 2015.
  28. ^ "Rogue To Sell Equipment Used By Your Favorite Athletes From The CrossFit Games". BarBend. July 27, 2016.
  29. ^ Kyllmann, Caro (June 15, 2020). "How Much Money Did Athletes Win at the Rogue Invitational?". BoxRox.
  30. ^ Friend, Brian (June 11, 2020). "CrossFit: Rogue Invitational kicks off this weekend with star power amid uncertain future for sport". South China Morning Post.
  31. ^ Kyllmann, Caro (August 5, 2021). "Rogue Invitational Announces $1,250,000 Uncapped Prize Purse, Paid Party in Bitcoin". BoxRox.
  32. ^ Newby, John (August 25, 2021). "Rogue Increases Travel Stipend to Support Athletes' Travel to Invitational". Morning Chalk Up.
  33. ^ Agnew, Mark (June 8, 2020). "CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman's George Floyd tweet sees Reebok and Rogue drop sponsorship". South China Morning Post.
  34. ^ "CrossFit founder Greg Glassman resigns as CEO after George Floyd tweet". ITV News. June 10, 2020.
  35. ^ Easter, Michael (February 1, 2021). "These Two Men Are on a Mission to Save CrossFit". Men's Health.
  36. ^ Farley, Kevin (June 27, 2017). "Breaking: USA Weightlifting Names Rogue Fitness Official Equipment Manufacturer". Team USA. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018.
  37. ^ Beck, Kalle (December 13, 2017). "Rogue Fitness Now The Official Equipment Sponsor Of The World's Strongest Man".
  38. ^ Boly, Jake (December 13, 2017). "Rogue Fitness Named World's Strongest Man Official Equipment Provider". BarBend.
  39. ^ Darling, Mike (January 22, 2020). "The 'Wheel of Pain' Strongman Challenge Inspired by 'Conan the Barbarian'". Men's Health.
  40. ^ Blechman, Phil (November 30, 2020). "First-Ever Rogue Challenge: 50 Biking Calories For Time". BarBend.
  41. ^ Blechman, Phil (August 26, 2021). "2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Roster — Kieliszkowski And Licis Return". BarBend.
  42. ^ Blechman, Phil (2022-10-29). "2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Results". BarBend. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  43. ^ Clark, Patrick (December 27, 2020). "Justin Medeiros is the Newest and Youngest Rogue Athlete". Morning Chalk Up.
  44. ^ Koenig, John (12 March 2012). "ON HER TERMS: CAITY MATTER HENNIGER". CrossFit. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  45. ^ Carson, Audrey (October 9, 2019). "Rogue Debuts Toomey Billboard Ahead of CrossFit Open". The Barbell Spin.
  46. ^ "The Mountain Destroys All Competition, Wins The Arnold Strongman Classic 3rd Year In A Row". GQ Magazine. March 8, 2020.
  47. ^ Blechman, Phil (March 23, 2020). "Rogue Fitness Is Producing Ventilators And Protective Equipment In Response To COVID-19". BarBend.
  48. ^ Navera, Tristan (March 24, 2020). "Rogue Fitness is hiring, making medical supplies amid coronavirus pandemic". Columbus Business First.
  49. ^ Colombo, Hayleigh (May 1, 2020). "Columbus-based fitness business hires 200 as demand surges for home gyms, medical equipment". Columbus Businees First.
  50. ^ Settembre, Jeanette (August 25, 2020). "Weights and dumbbells are latest coronavirus-fueled shortage: Here's what to use instead". Fox Business.
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