High Point Climbing and Fitness
Orlando, Florida
Specs: High Point Orlando—High Point’s eighth climbing gym—is opening soon in the Packing District of Orlando, Florida. Owners John Wiygul and Johnny O’Brien opened the first High Point gym in downtown Chattanooga in 2013 and have grown the business at a consistent pace since then. Wiygul, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up in Chattanooga and has been family friends with the O’Briens for nearly 20 years: as a teenager, Wiygul would housesit and mow the lawn for the O’Briens, and Wiygul and O’Brien’s son competed in triathlons together. After high school, Wiygul attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he received a degree in entrepreneurship. Wiygul and O’Brien later connected and decided to open their first Chattanooga gym, High Point Downtown. They then opened a second location in Chattanooga and “wanted to keep sharing our passion for climbing,” Wiygul said, leading to the pair to open gyms in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama, and Memphis and Cleveland, Tennessee.
Wiygul and O’Brien felt they had built out their region, which prompted them to look at other cities. Having spent a decent amount of time in Florida, the team decided to start venturing further south. The two looked at Orlando and “enjoyed the city, [which] seemed like a great place to build a gym,” Wiygul said. “We looked between Tampa and Orlando for a year. It took us a while to find the site where we are now, which is the Packing District.” The Packing District formerly hosted a Dr. Phillips packing house for Florida oranges and other citrus fruits, which the Packing District website states created “a key place in the early ecosystem of Orlando.” The website also mentions Dr. Phillips focused on his “business and his philanthropic passion of enriching his community,” which appears to live on through the Dr. Phillips Foundation.
The Dr. Phillips Foundation showed the High Point owners a 49,000-square-foot former distribution center in the District that will house the new gym. “The Dr. Phillips Foundation for sure is the reason why I went to Orlando. Wonderful organization. The kindest, nicest people. I can’t say enough great things about them,” Wiygul said. “They do wonders for the Orlando community on so many different levels.” The Foundation also enjoyed working with the High Point brand, Wiygul added, and appreciated the business’s focus on growing at a responsible, sustainable rate.
The Packing District is home to a new YMCA, grocery store, and several residential townhomes and apartments. High Point Orlando is in proximity to a park, a tennis center, a CrossFit gym, and several other businesses. The gym will feature 35,000 square feet of climbing wall surface, with a 12,000-square-foot area of roof elevation, bringing the rope walls to 52 feet. The climbable surface is split among a speed wall, lead and top rope options, boulders, and system boards. The gym will also feature a dedicated Kid Zone, with a tentacle-inspired pillar, a slide, and several auto belays, a recent Instagram post teases. Members and guests can attend yoga and fitness classes, work out in the extensive fitness area, and stock up on gear in the pro shop.
Walls: Walltopia
Flooring: Flashed
CRM Software: RGP
Website: www.highpointclimbing.com/orlando
Instagram: @HighPointOrlandoFL
In Their Words: “I enjoy being in all the facilities on a regular basis. I’m in most of the facilities monthly, and I love working with our teams. I enjoy working with our employees, front desk operations, routesetting, customer service, and sales. I really love the relationships, and I love our climbing communities as a whole and in each of our gyms.” – John Wiygul, Partner and President of High Point Climbing and Fitness
