Motivated by their commitment to health and exercise, the father-and-sons team behind Hammer Fit Gym began to conceptualize their ideal gym while visiting different work out facilities during the pandemic.
Their ideas became reality last summer as they celebrated the opening of Hammer Fit Gym in Park Rapids. The 6,500-square-foot gym offers a mixture of machines and free weights, accessible 24/7 to its members through a cell phone app, though it is staffed during traditional business hours as well.
Bryan Hammitt and his two sons, Tanner, 25, and Tate, 22, already run a successful construction business. They didn’t “need” the gym but it was a passion project that gave the younger generation hands-on business experience, from ideation to business planning to permitting to construction.
“We, as a family, we were like, ‘It’s a huge risk but if we’re presented with green lights and we don’t really hit a lot of red lights, let’s keep going,’” Bryan said. “If we’d have hit a big roadblock and we’d have had to fight and keep fighting for it, then things would have just been wrong as a whole.”
The family was guided and advised throughout the process by Colleen Falk, a consultant with the Northwest Small Business Development Center (NWSBDC).
“(Colleen) helped us with cash flow statements, the business plan, just general advice, everything really,” Bryan said. “She knew Park Rapids really well and … helped us put the whole thing together. We couldn’t have done it without her.”
Through Colleen, they were referred to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF), which was able to offer business lending to support the project. As the host organization for the NWSBDC, NMF provides a natural connection between small business consulting and lending resources. But it’s important to note that NWSBDC consultants ensure their clients explore all available options to best achieve their goals.
Perhaps, though, what helped the Hammitts the most in achieving their vision were each other. Tanner is a U.S. Army Ranger – thus, Hammer Fit is a veteran-owned business – and he envisioned a true powerlifting gym, but there was also the need to offer a more accessible approach for members not comfortable with free weights.
“We complement each other so well, that’s the best way to put it,” Bryan said of his sons. “Yes, we had a shared vision, but what I didn’t know, they did. What they didn’t know, I could help with.”
The gym is meeting its business projections and is proving quite popular. With membership options that work for year-round residents and seasonal visitors alike, the gym is drawing from a radius larger than originally predicted.
“This has really been 10-out-of-10 experience,” Bryan said.
To learn more about Hammer Fit Gym, visit https://hammerfitgympr.com/
