Minding Your Business - Chatham Works

Chatham Works

Fitness Center * Workspace * Retail

323 Orleans Rd.

North Chatham

508-469-0123

ChathamWorks.com

Open Monday to Friday 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.;

Saturday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to noon

“It’s my treat to myself,” said Chatham resident Susie Fishback, when she told me about going to her personal trainer sessions at Chatham Works. From the volume of folks I saw while there last week, I would say there are lots of people in our area treating themselves!

About seven years ago, Fred Bierwirth asked me to lunch at The Squire to discuss opening a business in Chatham. He took none of my suggestions but did open a business with one of his own ideas, and Chatham Works was born. He and his wife Lindsay had a vision and they brought it to fruition; a fitness center with rentable workspace. And this year they are celebrating five years in business.

“Though starting a new business, and then having COVID hit, was a challenge,” said Lindsay. “But we survived it, and things are slowly coming back to capacity again.”

They wanted to create both a fitness center and a workspace area. The idea being that visitors and even the year-round population would like a quiet space to plug in and work or meet with a client, preceded or followed by a workout or fitness class, was a new concept. They acquired the North Chatham building that used to be Campari’s restaurant, knocked it down and rebuilt it as Chatham Works.

“The top of the reception desk is the actual bar from Campari’s,” said Lindsay. “We wanted this to be a communal place,” said Fred.

“A place in people’s lives,” added Lindsay. They work with the community by offering space for blood drives, a pick-up location for Chatham Harvesters and Cape Abilities and more.

“That’s why we are super-focused on being open year-round. Sure, we’re busier in the summer months, but we are fully invested as a year-round business. We’ve hired all year-round Cape residents. We pay our employees a fixed rate; not by just the classes they teach,” said Fred.

Their business concept has never wavered. “Exercise is medicine,” smiled Lindsay. She also emphasized the social aspect. “Many of our clients are widowed, and they come here to feel better because they are taking care of themselves, and they are out seeing others. This business is very personal. It’s actually my favorite part of the business, tying both mental and physical health together.” Members range in age from late teens to in their 80s.

Speaking of togetherness, this husband-and-wife team also respect their roles in the business. “Fred created the business model, so he’s more the back of the house, though he does teach a rowing class now and again,” said Lindsay. “I love working with my husband!”

“And Lindsay is more the front of the house,” said Fred. You’ll literally see Lindsay at the front desk often. And they take a yoga class together.”

Chatham Works offers "the Cape’s largest variety of fitness classes,” plus an open gym area, and they have private rooms for physical therapy and massage therapy, too.They have state-of-the-art equipment, and the latest in technology to weigh body composition (InBody) and heart rate (MyZone). Upstairs, members come and go to use one of the nine dedicated private workspaces or the conference room.

The reward for all this? “Recently a client said he’s alive today because of Chatham Works,” said Lindsay.