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From Playground Idea to Correctional Market Leader: The Outdoor-Fit Story
In 2003, a father took his two young children to a local playground in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. While his kids played, he tried to sneak in a workout using the playground structures. But beyond a few calf raises and chin-ups, there wasn’t much he could do. That moment sparked an idea: what if there were durable outdoor gyms that delivered a true indoor-quality workout right alongside a playground?
That idea became Outdoor-Fit Exercise Systems (OFES) – a Canadian company now recognized as one of North America’s leading manufacturers of outdoor fitness equipment. The father’s name was John Lewis, president of OFES. At Outdoor-Fit, John’s mission is to rethink how and where people exercise – bringing the benefits of safe, biomechanically correct training outdoors. He continues to lead with a philosophy rooted in practicality, problem-solving, and pushing the boundaries of what outdoor fitness systems can be.
OFES Early Days and a Big Outdoor Fitness Equipment Break
What began as one man’s vision quickly evolved into a business. The U.S. military was among the first to express interest in OFES’s unique multigym concept, and soon after, the company secured its first major parks and recreation contract: Milwaukee County in Wisconsin purchased 15 units. At the time, this was a huge milestone for the small Dartmouth-based company. But an unexpected sector soon changed everything – the correctional market.
A Shift Toward Corrections
Although the company’s founder initially envisioned the equipment in parks and community spaces, correctional administrators quickly realized the value of OFES products. Secure, tamper-proof, and weather-resistant, they were ideally suited for correctional yards.
Today, more than 90% of Outdoor-Fit’s business is with U.S. correctional facilities, where the company’s correctional fitness equipment supports inmate wellness while creating safer environments for staff.
Built for Strength and Safety
Behind every Outdoor-Fit unit is a rigorous design and manufacturing process. Using advanced SolidWorks 3D CAD software, each product is engineered to meet ASTM safety standards and withstand the toughest environments.
Local fabrication partner WeldPro cuts, bends, and welds heavy-duty steel parts with precision before they move through blasting, powder-coating, and curing processes. Each piece is primed with corrosion-resistant zinc and finished with a durable polyester powder coat, ensuring long-lasting protection against rust, weather, and heavy use.
Every unit is fully test-built before leaving the facility, ensuring flawless performance once it arrives at its destination – whether that’s a park, a school, or a correctional institution.
OFES Growth and Recognition
From a single multigym concept, Outdoor-Fit has expanded to nearly a dozen unique products grouped into three categories: Dynamic Multigyms, Static Multigyms, and Cardio + Stretching Systems – with a new modular, customizable exercise line, Cali-Line, on the way. OFES’s rugged systems, like the Apollo Multigym and Everest Cardio Climber, allow multiple users to exercise at once, maximizing space and value.
What began as a Canadian startup is now a trusted supplier for facilities across North America, manufacturing commercial-grade outdoor fitness equipment built for the toughest environments.
Made in Nova Scotia, Shaping Wellness Everywhere
Every Outdoor-Fit unit is designed and built in Nova Scotia, Canada, then shipped to clients across the U.S. and beyond. Each product is carefully packaged, anchored, and prepared for the journey, destined to deliver real exercise for real results, improving lives in correctional facilities, schools, and public spaces.
What started as one parent’s solution for balancing fitness with family time has grown into a company reshaping how outdoor fitness systems are delivered. For correctional facilities in particular, Outdoor-Fit provides more than prison workout equipment – it offers a path to safer, healthier environments for both staff and inmates.
This journey was recently showcased on Eastlink’s Maritime Made, with the support of Invest Nova Scotia, whose programs have helped make OFES’s growth and success possible.