Small scene, big results.
That’s the motto for Custom Workouts’ co-owners Susie Duane and Marc Gatson, who are celebrating five years in business and preparing to move their private fitness studio into a much larger facility by June.
Duane and Gatson, both certified personal trainers, met while working at another local fitness center. They wanted to offer their clients training and customer service they couldn’t provide at a big gym, focusing primarily on individual needs.
Since starting up, Duane and Gatson have never advertised and have managed to increase their client base strictly through word-of mouth referrals. Even though they’re expanding, they’re holding fast to the personal touch approach that’s kept their clients coming back.
“From the front desk to how people are treated, we care a lot about the people we’re training, beyond just that it’s money or a job,” Duane said. “We care about their results.”
The move will mark the fourth expansion for the gym, which began in a 400-square-foot facility in Santa Maria’s Mission Creek Plaza. The current space has been located off Broadway since 2007, and, according to Duane, it only took a year to outgrow the building. They’ve been ready to move for years.
“The business took off so fast, we’ve been playing catch up the whole time,” she said. “We have been blessed beyond what we could have ever hoped for.”
Unlike some larger gyms that seem more like social clubs, Custom Workouts takes fitness seriously, Duane said, minus the long-term contracts. A staff of 10 certified personal trainers provides customized workouts, with great care taken for specific medical conditions. Sessions run about $35 for a half-hour, and because of the intimate setting, trainers have the freedom to do things their counterparts at larger fitness clubs can’t—including taking clients for a workout in the park.
Custom Workouts also takes a holistic approach to fitness, paying special attention to nutrition matters. Clients fill out food journals and go over their health history with trainers, creating a unique road map for reaching their fitness goals.
The new 6,000-square-foot facility is located next to the current one, and will feature an aerobics room for group classes, including kickboxing, yoga, pilates, spin, and Zumba. The facility’s gym floor will accommodate twice the number of exercise machines as the old location, along with a massage room. Duane and Gatson will also be adding an expanded nutritional line with more over-the-counter supplements.
The gym is already offering specials in anticipation of the move, including memberships at $32 a month for six months, plus a small sign-up fee. They’ll also match membership prices other local clubs charge.
Custom Workouts is currently located at 2125 S. Broadway. For more information, call 928-5862 or visit custom-workouts.com.
Highlights
• With summer fast approaching, booth registration is starting up for the city of Santa Maria’s 2011 Teen Job Fair, scheduled for May 5 at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center.
Now in its 10th year, the fair runs in partnership with businesses and agencies, providing employment information, applications, and career options to the hundreds of teens who attend. Employers distribute job applications, conduct interviews, and even hire new employees during the fair. The goal is to help businesses find qualified staff members and secure age- and ability-appropriate summer jobs for teens.
The fair will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. inside the Events Center at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, 600 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. Businesses must submit a registration form by April 23.
For more information or to reserve a table, call 925-0951, Ext. 252.
• In a bit of good news, the Employment Development Department on April 15 announced Santa Barbara County’s unemployment rate remained unchanged for March 2011 at 9.6 percent.
The rate came in below the estimated 10.1 percent from the same time last year, reflecting a possible flattening in hiring, the EDD said.
The greatest job growth came in the business and professional services and the leisure and hospitality sectors, while the biggest job losses came from government, trade, transportation, and utilities.
Cities showed little change in unemployment figures. The highest unemployment rate in the county remained in Lompoc, at 16.7 percent. Guadalupe’s rate dropped to 16.2 percent, followed by Santa Maria at 14.9 percent. Buellton posted an unchanged rate of 7.0 percent, followed by Santa Ynez at 4.9 percent and Solvang at 3.7 percent.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Apr 21-28, 2011.