SBA NEWS RELEASE

Release Date: June 4, 2008

Contact: Kate Herrington (802) 828-4422

RehabGYM Owner Wins Small Business Person of the Year Award

After 25 years as a practicing physical therapist, Sharon Gutwin decided to give her clients an opportunity they’d asked for but never experienced.  They wanted physical therapy plus a guided, “whole body” fitness regimen to help them avoid future injuries, and they wanted it in one unified location.  No such facility existed, but Sharon clearly saw and appreciated the need.

Over the years, Sharon Gutwin had dreamed of consolidating the profession of physical therapy with the fitness industry.  By 2003, she was ready to take action.  To achieve her goal, she drew the equity out of her home and launched the RehabGYM, a thriving specialty gym staffed with medical professionals in Williston, Vermont. 

For outstanding leadership related to her company’s staying power, employee growth, increase in sales, innovative ingenuity and contributions to the community, the U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Sharon Gutwin, owner and founder of the RehabGYM in Williston and Colchester, as the 2008 Vermont Small Business Person of the Year. 

The RehabGYM began as a start-up with 4 full-time employees and a payroll of $63,000.  Custom-designed by Sharon, the 4,200 sq. ft. Williston facility provided a rubber-floored unit with gym and therapeutic exercise equipment; a floating hardwood floor unit for sport-specific drills, agility and balance training; and a therapeutic pool. 

One year later, the RehabGYM’s clientele had tripled in size and the staff had more than doubled to a total of 10 employees.  In addition to rehabilitation services, the RehabGYM was offering fitness and wellness consultations; progressive athletic training services; purpose-driven exercise classes, and community offerings such as tri-annual blood drives, community fundraising runs, and free community lectures. 

By 2006, employment had increased to 15 full-time employees, and Sharon opened an additional, temporary site at a nearby primary care physician’s office building.  As the business continued to flourish, Sharon realized a pressing need for expansion; however, she needed a funding boost. 

With a U.S. Small Business Administration loan processed through the Vermont 504 Corporation, Sharon opened a second, permanent site in 2007, her 4th year of business.  The new 11,800 sq. ft. facility in Colchester models the original Williston design but includes two therapeutic pools, a climbing wall, three private treatment rooms, an exercise studio, a small retail section and an innovative Kids RehabGYM.  With the new expansion, the RehabGYM’s total staff increased to 25 employees and the payroll topped $600,000. 

As Vermont’s Small Business Person of the Year, Sharon Gutwin competed for the national title at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., April 21-25, 2008, and was locally honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) at a ceremony sponsored by Vermont Business Magazine.  The event took place on the shores of Lake Champlain at Burlington’s Waterfront Park,

June 4, 2008, 4:00 -7:00 p.m.  # # #