100 New Jobs Headed to Vancouver

Star Trac, an Irvine, California-based leader in developing advanced commercial equipment for the fitness industry and Vancouver based StairMaster, will be consolidating a number of operational functions to StairMaster’s headquarters in Vancouver, Washington.

“This will allow us to streamline our business process to be more efficient and effective for our customers,” stated Dustin Grosz, President of Star Trac and StairMaster. While the company’s fitness equipment will continue to be manufactured in China, StairMaster picked Vancouver over Irvine for the location of its new 26,000 square foot corporate headquarters. The new offices, located at 4400 NE 77th Avenue, will house the company’s executive, administrative, and customer service functions.

“Cultural fit is very important to our business and Vancouver meets all of our needs” said Grosz. “The Portland-Vancouver metro is the nation’s hub for outdoor and fitness equipment enthusiasts which allows us to have access to the type of workforce we want to grow and shape our company.”

The recruitment of StairMaster was a community effort. The City of Vancouver took the lead, pulling the Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) and Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC) into the recruitment activities. The group worked collaboratively to compel StairMaster to locate its new corporate headquarters in Vancouver.

SWWDC will assist the company in attracting highly-skilled and adaptive employees that match Stairmaster’s driven and dynamic culture. SWWDC will work with the company and WorkSource throughout the summer to provide candidate recruitment and screening.

CREDC provided research and data information and worked closely with the Washington Department of Commerce to secure relocation assistance for StairMaster. As a result, Governor Gregoire allocated $100,000 of the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund to help off-set relocation costs and provide change management support.

“The consolidation of StairMaster’s California and Washington offices to Vancouver is a great success,” said Eric Fuller, Board Chair of the CREDC. “This is a globally recognized brand name in a billion dollar industry and the Governor’s support is evidence of her commitment in creating jobs.”