Read this article for more information on the Vitamaster treadmill including a company history of Roadmaster Industries, the parent company of Vitamaster. See why Vitamaster is one of the leading brands when it comes to treadmills and fitness equipment.

Roadmaster Industries, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers of bicycles and a leading producer of fitness equipment in the United States. The company has some product lines that date back to the 19th century. Product lines include: bicycles for adults, teens, and juveniles; fitness equipment, including stationary aerobic equipment; tricycles, wagons, sleds. and more. Vitamaster is one of many Roadmaster brand names that the company uses to distribute its equipment.

The Roadmaster company began in a small metal factory in Harvey, Illinois in 1925. Later in the decade, he changed the name of his company to Junior Toy and began manufacturing metal tricycles and wagons. These products had a great reputation and were very durable - they were often passed down from one generation to the next. Just as the company was taking off, the Great Depression hit. In spite of this, the company managed to survive and actually managed to double sales each year during the 1930s. One of the most popular items sold by Junior Toy during this period was a sidewalk bicycle with a stamped metal frame that had a price tag of just one dollar. Beginning in 1935, the Junior Toy company began releasing this line of metal bicycles and tricycles under the Roadmaster label.

The company was acquired by AMF Wheel Goods in 1951. The postwar baby-boom period provided a great market for Junior Toy and Roadmaster products. The company went through some rough times in the following decades, particularly because the quality of their products began to decline. A new president was hired in 1982 who was charged with turning the company around. Waste was cut out and an aggressive new add campaign was started and new products were added to try to compete with foreign competition. New divisions included Healthmaster home fitness equipment and Arrow bicycles. Roadmaster also began to court retailers such as Sears, JC Penney and KMart in an attempt to carve themselves a niche in a very competitive market. This helped the company boost its sales by 40%; these gains were only temporary, however. Lower priced imports gained a bigger and bigger share of the market in the United States and by 1985 domestic companies only controlled half of the market. In spite of these difficulties, Roadmaster sold 55 million dollars worth of bicycles, tricycles, and exercise equipment in 1987.

In 1988 the company acquired Ajay Enterprises Corporation, a manufacturer of fitness equipment and sports accessories. This purchase doubled the size of Roadmaster and helped to increase their sales numbers. The greatest increase in sales was largely due to Ajay's line of treadmills, exercise benches, and free weights. The following year, Roadmaster acquired Hamilton Lamp which further boosted their sales.

During this time, physical fitness was becoming a primary concern for adults. Roadmaster did not fail to capitalize on this craze as it marketed its bikes and fitness equipment well. The company grew to be the 44th largest sporting goods company in the nation by 1990. Roadmaster soon acquired Diversified Products, a $215 million sporting goods company that was known for its "Fit for Life" brand of fitness equipment. This consolidation created one of the largest sporting goods companies in the nation.

Roadmaster continued to add momentum to its successes throughout the 1990s and beyond, purchasing such companies as Flexible Flyer and expanding the recognition of their many brand names. Vitamaster treadmills are just one of the brands that Roadmaster released fitness equipment under. In their heydey, Vitamaster offered one of the best workouts available. They have often been used in doctors offices and rehab clinics. Vitamaster treadmills were an icon long before treadmills were readily available to anyone for home use.

Related Article: Buying Fitness Equipment >>