Our Story

It's In Our Blood

Over 40 years ago, back in 1980, a school teacher named Richard Sorin was sweating over a hot piece of hand-cut welded steel in a small 2 car garage. He had already taught the scholastic weightlifting club that morning, followed by AM bus duty, 8 hours of gym class, PM bus duty (for extra money that was used to eventually start his business), and then the jogging club for the teaching staff. Following the school day, he would tear across town to make it to the steel yard before it closed, strap steel to the roof of a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser, and drive back across town to get started with his new business and dream... Sorin Exercise Equipment.

 

You see, he loved to lift weights, and with a background of collegiate track and field and national level Olympic weightlifting, he knew his way around a weight room. What he did not have, was access to any super-strong, customizable, sport specific weightlifting equipment. Nothing on the market at the time was good enough for him. He was tired of the bar being set so low by weightlifting equipment manufacturers, so he did the only thing he could think of. He made his own.

 

I learned, designed and built equipment because I had very little. When you have little to work with you learn to be creative.
RICHARD SORIN - FOUNDER

 

The premise was to make functional strength training equipment that could be customized and above all, BOMB PROOF. After he would make a piece of strength training equipment, he would sell it to local gyms, schools or institutions. Some he would keep for himself, to put in his growing customized gym, where some huge weights were lifted, and modern grip training was born. As the years went by, the designs improved and the customer list grew like wildfire. The name Sorin Exercise Equipment was eventually shortened and changed to Sorinex, and the equipment kept getting better.

Now, almost 40 years later, Sorinex is still a family owned business and employs more people than ever. Sorinex is the most sought after strength brand for professional teams, colleges, high schools and military bases. Some of our designs have changed the face of strength training forever, and can be found in almost any serious gym in the world. During this process of growth, our clients have become an extended family to us, part of our brotherhood. We realize we are still around because of our great customers and friends. We want to take the opportunity to thank YOU, our customers, supporters, vendors and friends for being the foundation on which Sorinex is built. Without you, there is no Sorinex. We promise to do our best to serve you with the best strength training equipment and service in the industry.