Who Manufacturers Merit Treadmills?

General Information:Another Johnson produced line, like Vision, AFG, Matrix, and Horizon. The packaging on these machines is nothing short of spectacular, especially considering the price but keep in mind, these are cheap machines; it is impossible to build a quality treadmill for $500. The low end models (around the $500 price point) can look very good but the components are simply too cheap to hold up good over the long term.

Manufacturing Philosophy:Hit low price points and sell as many as you can seems to be the philosophy of this brand for Johnson and at this point, they are doing it very well. We visited the headquarters and major factory outside of Shanghai and found that Johnson is the most integrated manufacturer of fitness equipment in the world. This can be both good and bad. The good is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production. The bad is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production- if you mess up there is no one else to blame. They are focused on doing things the right way so it appears that this is a case where it is good overall. We were impressed with their quality procedures and design and testing processes and the reviews will reflect these facts.

Company Outlook : Johnson will remain a player in the US market simply due to market penetration. Additionally, the quality pickups that Icon has made are also being made by Johnson. The only problem is typically you buy these at mass retailers or online so the service level you might need is typically not available.