Personal Best Fitness Open for Business

Personal Best Fitness received an official welcome from Montville Township Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The facility at 2 Changebridge Road has a fresh face and a new outlook. Six partners have joined together in a successful venture, three of whom were there today to meet people, give guided tours, and listen to what their customers are looking for. 

John Kiskiel is one of the partners. He owns Montville Karate Academy at 12 Main Road, which has been in business for almost 17 years. He talked about his dedication to improving the facilities and customer satisfaction at Personal Best Fitness.

“This place has been thoroughly cleaned, with reconditioned equipment, new bath sinks and countertops, and new floors," Kiskiel said. The staff is very efficient.

“We’ve got great programs — a variety of classes that we add to continually," he said. "We’re conducting surveys. If we see that the demand is there, we’ll establish a new class. We’re very user-friendly.”

James Jasiecki, another partner, was on the Parsippany police force, but retired because of a knee injury.  He knew John Kiskiel as a friend and successful business owner, and saw an opportunity to open a gym that would make Montville proud.

“For the last ten years, I’ve always wanted a gym," he said. When the space was available, the landlord approached John, and John came to me."

Aware of problems with the gym's former owner, Jasiecki said, “A lot of people are hesitant about coming back because of their prior experience. We are not the previous owner. There is no affiliation. We wanted to put a known face to this place so people won’t have anxiety about coming back."  

Jasiecki talked about the space during a tour of the facility.

“We completely redid the childcare area," he said. "My four-year-old daughter hand-picked most of the toys.”

He said they hire people who are qualified in day care.

The open house offered a sample Zumba class, belly dancing, martial arts presentations, refreshments, and raffles. Following the classes, Mayor James Sandham cut the ceremonial ribbon in the front entrance.

"We’d like to welcome you to Montville," mayor Jim Sandham said. "We know you will be an active part of the community, because you’ve already started.”

The gym currently has 170 members, with a goal between 500 and 1,000.  They have treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, a spinning room with reconditioned bikes, aerobics room, abdominal room, weight room, aerobic terrace, and locker rooms with showers. Supplemental services include professional trainers, nutrition and pain management consults, spa treatments, and a wide variety of classes for both men and women. 

Classes are included with a $39.99 premium membership, or $5 per class with the $24,99 basic membership. Membership is monthly and can be upgraded at any time. There are many options for membership, such as a 10-day pass for $100, no initiation fee for former members, group discounts, limited specials, and special arrangements for people who already belong to a gym.

“We are not into high-pressure sales," Kiskiel said. We want to work with our customers.” He encourages everyone to come in, look around, and ask questions."