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Nautilus Inc

A maker of home fitness equipment, this company built the Bowflex line of home gyms and Max Trainer machines, along with Schwinn exercise bikes and StairMaster climbers. It traces its roots to 1986 in Vancouver, Washington, when it began as Direct Focus, Inc., later acquiring the Nautilus, Schwinn, and StairMaster brands. The Bowflex concept was invented in 1984 by Ethiopian engineering student Tessema Dosho Shifferaw, who used flexible bow-like rods instead of weights for resistance.