CSSI'S SOFTPAVE ULTRA GETS A WORKOUT AT THE NEW YORK HEALTH AND RACQUET CLUB'S NEW CHELSEA LOCATION New York Health & Racquet Club's newest facility in Manhattan is located at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue. CARLISLE, PA -- In 1972, along the East River in Manhattan's posh Upper East Side, the New York Health and Racquet Club opened its doors for the first time on the corner of 76th Street and York Avenue. With a vision of offering neighborhood patrons a first-class fitness experience, New York Health and Racquet Club was designed with three key elements in mind-aestitics, amenities and functionality. By 2001, New York Health and Racquet Club's facilities were among the Big Apple's most exclusive and prestigious, with seven locations throughout the city from Wall Street and Greenwich Village to Midtown and Uptown. In early 2002, thirty years after the Yorktown location was open for business, New York Health and Racquet Club was preparing to open its eighth club in the heart of trendy Chelsea at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue. The 40,000-square-foot, full-service fitness facility would provide a convenient retreat for high-tech gurus of Silicon Alley, models from the plethora of nearby talent agencies and New Yorkers that simply live or work in the flatiron district. The club's goal was to design a visually stunning and unique fitness center in one of the world's most space-starved cities with all the amenities of a sprawling country club. "Our clubs have a reputation for providing an innovative and unique fitness environment," Charles Damiano, vice president of sales and marketing for New York Health and Racquet Club, said. "We wanted to carry on that tradition at our newest club in Chelsea." To achieve their design goals, Frank Denner, one of New York City's leading architects, was brought in for the job. SoftPave ULTRA tiles were manipulated and shaped to create a dramatic look. Denner's design incorporated warm hues, large columns and spacious areas with specialty lighting to create a classic yet contemporary atmosphere. "The lighting was an important element in the overall design, but in order to achieve a dramatic look, I needed a flooring material that would compliment the lighting scheme by reflecting it onto the columns." Damiano also realized the important role the flooring system would play in the facility's overall design. "I was interested in installing a plush, sleek-looking floor that added an element of luxury. But at the same time, I wanted a superior product that was durable, sound absorbent and easy to clean. I visited a club with CSSI's SoftPave ULTRA rubber resilient tiles and simply loved the look and texture of the floor." CSSI Resilient Surfacing Products, headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is the exclusive supplier of SoftPave resilient surfacing systems. The company's new SoftPave ULTRA option incorporates a patented polymeric wear surface construction into the design of its traditional 2-by-2-foot tile line for added durability and toughness. The tile's full one-inch thickness of impact-absorbing rubber has a unique mechanical installation option that allows for quick and easy site reconfiguration and tile interchangeability. The ULTRA line is available in five bold standard colors as well as a wide selection of custom colors. Custom colored SoftRoll was utilized for ramps and inclines. Kamway Distributing Corp., area representative for CSSI's fitness flooring product line, was called upon to install 17,000 square feet of SoftPave ULTRA at the new Chelsea location. "It was actually excellent timing because CSSI had just introduced the ULTRA version of their SoftPave with additional color and texture options," Kambiz Hakim, president of Kamway, explained. "The new granite tile was selected for the installation because it is both aesthetically pleasing and tough which met the New York Health and Racquet Club's criteria. The tile's color palette of white, gray and black also complimented the architect's color scheme and successfully reflected the overhead lighting." Once the architect completed design plans, Kamway began the process of diligently measuring the space with a precise laser method to identify the exact positioning of each tile course, ensuring a consistent and high impact final result. "Because of the versatility of CSSI's products, we were able to manipulate and shape tiles to create a dramatic look around the curves of the infrastructure and along wall edges. We also recommended CSSI's SoftRoll for ramps and inclines. CSSI's custom color option allowed us to incorporate SoftRoll which blended with the granite SoftPave ULTRA tiles." After the two-week flooring application project was complete, New York Health and Racquet Club was ready to furnish the facility with state-of-the-art cardiovascular, free weight and resistance machines. On March 11, 2002, the Chelsea New York Health and Racquet Club held its grand opening, offering New Yorkers a quality fitness facility with the amenities and atmosphere that has gained them a solid reputation as one of the most elite health clubs in Manhattan. SoftPave ULTRA compliments the club's color scheme while reflecting overhead lighting onto the contemporary columns. At the new Chelsea location, members are offered more than 90 fitness classes a week including such traditional programs as aerobics, martial arts and strength training as well as innovative fitness approaches such as fluidity, Hatha yoga and Pilates. Along with the expansive array of state-of-the-art fitness equipment, members of the New York Health and Racquet Club have access to a 20-by-50-foot pool and the club's 75-foot private yacht. "I am extremely pleased with the outcome," said architect Denner. "The granite SoftPave ULTRA tiles helped to accomplish my overall design objectives and Kamway's team of experienced installers quickly and accurately installed the tiles allowing us to meet our scheduled deadlines." Damiano is also pleased with the final outcome and feels the decision to install SoftPave ULTRA contributed to the overall look of the facility. "Visually," he said, "it's not a typical gym or fitness center floor. SoftPave ULTRA's unique colors provide an updated look to the traditional industrial tile. Not only is the flooring system aesthetically appealing, but we have also found that it reduces noise, hides dirt and is simple to clean and maintain. But, most importantly, our members comment on how much they love the product because it's easy to walk on and extremely comfortable underfoot. We are so pleased with SoftPave ULTRA, we plan to incorporate the product into several existing locations." SoftPave ULTRA provides a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and resilient workout surface for club members. Now with nearly 4,000 members, New York Health and Racquet Club's Chelsea location is busy providing first-class fitness accommodations to those New Yorkers seeking an escape from the crowded streets below to relieve stress, increase fitness levels and live healthier, happier lives. With plans to open additional locations throughout Manhattan during the next decade, New York Health and Racquet Club will continue striving to offer the largest and most impressive array of health, fitness and recreational facilities in the city. CSSI offers a full line of resilient flooring products for fitness, recreational, commercial, playground and architectural uses. For further information on CSSI products, contact CSSI at (800) 851-4746 or visit www.carlsurf.com. For additional copies or information regarding this case study, please contact Karen Gross at (717) 975-2148 or visit the newsroom at www.hersheyphilbin.com. ###

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