Our History
The program was conceived in January of 1992 by Jill and Bob Manly . Their plan was to conduct classes on a local level only. Response by children, parents, and child care providers was indeed exciting. Galveston, Texas, their home at the time, provided a limited market base of approximately 30 child care facilities. By September, classes were being conducted in eleven of those schools, with an average class size of seventeen children, providing a gross income of approximately $750 per week. Excitement over what we were doing resulted in requests from several people in other cities for more information. Their excitement and success prompted a trial advertising program which launched the Stretch-n-Grow "Affiliate Ownership Program." Within one year, our expansion reached into twenty- five major U.S. markets; and in June 1993, we became an "international influence" as we entered the Canadian market.
The simple concept of providing a comprehensive fitness program at an early, impressionable age grew quickly into an impressive network of dedicated, talented people with the common goal of building a successful organization that has a positive impact on the health and fitness of pre-school aged children nationwide. And here is the "happy ending" to this story. There are now literally hundreds of thousands of Stretch-n-Grow "Stars" across the United States, as well as Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, learning to enjoy a healthy lifestyle while building a foundation of fitness and well-being.