COTTAGE GROVE, WI -- Johnson Health Tech, Co. Ltd., based in Taichung, Taiwan, recently announced it has merged its four U.S. subsidiaries. The new entity, named Johnson Health Tech North America Corp., combines Matrix Fitness Systems, Horizon Fitness, Vision Fitness and Johnson Health Tech Research and Development into one company.

Matrix, which produces commercial products, Horizon, which produces consumer exercise equipment, and Vision, which produces specialty equipment, will retain their brand identities in the new organization, and each will maintain its own sales and marketing groups, according a company statement.

Chris Clawson, formerly the president of Matrix, has been named president and CEO of Johnson Health Tech North America Inc., which serves as the North American headquarters of Johnson Health Tech, Co. Ltd.

“This move enables us to streamline the organization to better leverage our existing resources and improve product distribution through shared warehousing,” Clawson says in a statement. “The result will be a greater ability to meet customer needs across all of our markets as well as a more efficient organization, which will allow for substantial cost savings.”

Mark Zabel, formerly vice president of global marketing for Matrix, has been named vice president, global marketing for Johnson Heath Tech North America Inc. Zabel will oversee all product management and marketing for the Horizon, Matrix and Vision brands.

Matrix also recently announced its sales results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2008. U.S. sales increased by 48.3 percent, and global sales increased by 41 percent over the corresponding 2007 period. Clawson attributes the domestic growth to an increase in the number of trade shows Matrix has been attending in 2008, including the Gold’s Gym convention and the National Apartment Association Conference.

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