New Owner Takes Over Mahwah Gym

Though Eric Stillwachs has about 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, this spring marks the first time that he actually owns his own gym. Eric officially took over the Snap Fitness franchise location in the A&P Shopping Plaza this February.

So far, he says the experience as a gym owner has been, “amazing. We have such great members and the community has been wonderful. It doesn’t feel like work."

Stillwachs, who grew up in Fair Lawn but now lives in Queens, said he choose the Mahwah location when looking for a gym to buy because it felt like “coming home. Plus, this is a great location, and the gym is coming up on it’s five year anniversary, so everything is still new and fresh.”

Stillwachs said he spent almost 20 years working at various gyms in NYC before making the decision to buy his own gym. He started his career as a personal trainer, and rose to several management positions at the New York gyms.

“It was always my goal to own my own gym, so when I saved up enough money to do it, I started looking,” he said. “This just felt like the right fit.”

Stillwachs said he plans to keep many aspects of the 24/7 gym the same, including all of the staff that was there before. But, he is making some changes, including a current renovation that is redoing the facility’s restrooms, and future plans that include getting in new cardio equipment and adding a multi-purpose fitness studio.

“The great thing about Snap is that it’s not a corporate gym, it’s designed to be in a smaller community and have a family environment,” he said. “It caters to all parts of the community. Our members are so diverse – the youngest is 18 and the oldest is 89. It’s my job to make sure this stays a comfortable and safe place for all of them to work out.”

The new owner also said locals should look out for the gym at community events, as it is one of his goals to become a bigger part of the Mahwah community.

“My goal is to make this the most respected and admired gym in the community,” he said. “And, I am really happy to be here and excited to do that.”

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