David – Gorilla Strength Equipment

When is the last time that you saw a new piece of equipment from China?! I’m not referring to a copy of a design developed by someone else but an original design!! I will bet that you can not name a single fitness equipment innovation that has originated in China in that last 30 years. You have to ask yourself, “Why is that??” well.. the answer is simple. Companies in China are more concerned with copying the creations of others than they are with creating and adding innovation to the market. There are 1.3 billion people in China and nothing new, that can only be by design.

Innovation in the market helps the consumers by furthering knowledge and proceeding down a path of development and knowledge. This is the path of human excellence. This is the path that brings us to the future. We want the future you to be better than the person that you are today. It is important to stand on the shoulders of those that have come before you while you look to the future so that you can stand on legs that you have grown and developed. It is this goal of development and innovation that drives me. I do not want to simply replicate a better version of what someone else has done. I want to further our collective knowledge of fitness so that we can stand on legs which we have grown. I definitively do not what to create a less than equal (cheap) version of someone else’s innovation. I want to add to the collective of our human knowledge of fitness so that we may all rise.

Innovation and Creativity are the hallmarks of a free society that shows love and consideration of each other. This is a hallmark of America! Our purpose and mission in life is to bring you the innovation that furthers your development. I hope you choose to join me on this journey.

Respectfully
David Dennis

Founder of Gorilla Strength

President Trump has suggested a tariff be placed on imported steel and aluminum. This has sparked a lot of debate about price raises of many items both domestic and import. This is what I think will happen.

Most American fitness companies use American-made steel.

While we use American-made steel, the overall steel market in the US is dependent on imported steel. I spoke to several of our steel suppliers today and the general consensuses is that steel prices are headed up. Don’t run off and buy the store dry yet though. Steel prices are just one aspect of this.

How are fitness products priced?

Steel is only a small part of the general pricing of equipment. Breaking down the cost of a typical piece of equipment from most impact to least: shipping, labor, raw materials, equipment, and consumables.

Shipping is including box creation, supplies, labor packaging, as well as actual cost of shipping.
Consumables include things such as welding wire, paint, cutting blades/disc/tips, gas, and utilities.
Advertising budgets can range from as little as 10% to over 50% percent.

The price of steel is usually only 10% to 18% of the total cost of a product. A 25% increase in the price of steel will only result in a $25 to $35 increase in the price of a typical $1000 dollar piece of equipment.

Expect a widening gap between domestic and import equipment.

The formula for equipment cost is not the same in the United States as it is in other countries. I’m going to pick on Chinese-made equipment now. When dealing with Chinese import, shipping (or container cost), is usually your greatest expense. Shipping in this regard still reigns supreme. Labor on the other hand is almost a non-factor. Price of materials becomes a much greater part of the overall pricing.

As America starts to depend less on imported steel there will be more of it available in the countries that produce fitness equipment. Equipment made in China, for instance, will become less expensive to produce. We are likely going to see a widening gap in the price of domestic equipment vs import. This widening gap will likely extend past fitness equipment in to other markets.

-David Dennis 3/2/2018

Author: David

Nothing New From China!!

How will Tariffs affect Fitness Equipment Prices?