Black Country firm bucking trend with demand for its gym equipment

Among the customers of dumbbells, barbells and weight plates manufactured by Onward Strength, based in Willenhall, are contestants from the hit TV show Love Island.

The firm was only set up last month by Robbie Podmore, 23, of Sedgley, after he struggled to source the very same equipment due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Robbie believes he has been able to fill a gap in the market. He said: "The idea came from when we went into lockdown and I couldn't get any weights myself.

"I just couldn't any weight plates that were available or didn't cost an absolute fortune. That was the idea of actually creating the weight plates myself.

"I put the idea to my uncle, who is in the manufacturing industry, and we went through a couple of designs and decided to make a couple of prototypes and from this we were able to make weight sets."

Onward Strength's weight sets are made in house - ranging from 50kg sizes up to 150kg. Equipment varies from short barbells to long barbells and dumbbells.

Asked about the response to his equipment, Robbie said: "It's been amazing to be honest - so much better than I could have imagined.

"I knew there would be a demand out there, because I wasn't able to get weight plates. Quite a few people who I know who go to the gym couldn't get them either.

"We have got a fair few Love Islanders on board, they have been contacting us directly to see if we like to collaborate with them."

Robbie is proud to be carrying on the family tradition of manufacturing.

He added: "Everything is made locally in the Black Country.

"My grandad actually started a company 50 years ago this year and that was a fabrication company.

"So it is nice to be able to carry on something similar to what he did 50 years down the line."

Visit onwardstrength.co.uk or search Onward Strength on Facebook or Instagram.