General Information: Star Trac was started by the original designers of the Lifecycle stationary cycle. Their treadmills are popular in clubs. With the acquisition of the staff of Lamar Health & Fitness, Star Trac will make a push into the home market but the big tale was their direct to consumer sales of commercial treads. This process allowed the consumer to get a very significant discount that makes most high-end home treadmills far less attractive than a commercial Star Trac.
Manufacturing Philosophy: Star Trac puts very high quality electronics in their machines and then lets the rest fall into place. At retail, it is so-so parts for the price they sell in combined with a great electronics package. With the big discounts we saw online and in the Wall Street Journal last year, Star Tracs made quite a bit of sense if you were considering a $4000 to $5000 home treadmill.
Company Outlook: Star Trac is big in the club market because they are a value alternative and cheaper products will always sell well. We would expect them to be around for product support for a long time.
Treadmill Model