ASHLAND – For CrossFit 419 owner Craig Nolletti, breaking ground on a new location is just the next step in what he’s already building– something that feels like way more than a gym.
“It’s a community,” Nolletti said.
Customers may come for group training workouts featuring various functional movement exercises, but it’s the people that keep them coming back, Noletti said.
“It’s a place to meet like-minded people who are doing something beneficial for their lives,” he said.
Having outgrown two different Ashland locations in three and a half years, CrossFit 419 is moving from its current building– an old 12,000 square foot warehouse at 715 Sherman Avenue– to an approximately 2 acre site behind Aldi’s at 1151 Commerce Parkway. The company plans to invest $1,360,000 in a new 20,000 square foot building, which will include 8,000 square feet for CrossFit and 12,000 square feet for a 24-hour gym.
To celebrate, Ashland Area Economic Development hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the company Monday.
“We’re excited that he’s expanding and we’re excited the he chose to stay here in Ashland for his expansion,” AAED executive director Kathy Goon said of Nolletti.
Nolletti said he never expected his business in Ashland would grow so quickly.
“You know, when you first open a business you just hope to survive,” he said. “You’re not really thinking about making a ton of money or trying to build a new building.”
Nolletti also has a 12,000 square foot gym in Wooster, but the Ashland location has become the more successful of the two with about 240 CrossFit members and about 520 24-hour gym members. Noletti said he believes the success of the Ashland location is in part because there aren’t as many gyms in the Ashland community, so the business fills a void.
For people unfamiliar with CrossFit, Noletti recommends visiting the gym to watch a class.
“A lot of people when they hear CrossFit think, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t do that,’ but when they see it they say, ‘Oh, yeah, this is pretty cool,'” Noletti said.
Still, Noletti recognizes CrossFot isn’t for everyone. That’s why his goal is to be not just a place for CrossFit training but also a hub for fitness in Ashland.
“Anybody, regardless of age and physical ability, can come and work out,” he said. “That’s the idea.”
Mayor Matt Miller praised Nolletti for being “in the business of helping people become their best selves.”
Miller said before he became mayor, when he was working in human resources at The Ohio Department of Transportation District 3, some of the ODOT employees started CrossFit training at Noletti’s gym.
“Over just a few months, not only did their physical appearance change and improve, but their mental and emotional situation improved,” Miller said. “I literally stood out on the floor with them as they told me about how it helped them get their lives together and get their focuses in the right places… They were better off not just in their professional roles, but also in their roles at home with their spouses and their kids.”
Nolletti also received praise from city councilman Dennis Miller and commendations from the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce and The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.
The city approved a 50-percent tax abatement for 10 years for the company as an incentive for business’s investment in the city. Construction of the new location is expected to be complete in November.
CrossFit 419 joins several other businesses to recently expand or open on the city’s east side along the U.S. 250 corridor.
Aber’s Towing & Crane Service broke ground for a new location on Commerce Parkway in April. Stonecreek Dental Care is currently constructing a building to relocate next to Buffalo Wild Wings, which moved from Claremont Avenue to East Main Street in late 2016. Akron Children’s Hospital plans to build a new free-standing medical office on nearby George Road.
Hampton Inn and Suites, Dunkin’ Donuts, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar, Pet Valu, Kay Jewelers, Sprint and Burger King are all recent additions to the area.
