True Movement Tech Acquires Mancino Mats

SAN DIEGO – Before there was sports entertainment and manufacturing company True Movement Tech (TMT), there were just two brothers running a small gymnastics facility in Miramar, excited to get people moving.

After establishing their first gym, San Diego United Training Center, in 2010, the pair opened a second location. Before long, TMT was established, bringing founder and CEO Joseph Gram and his brother into the world of athletic equipment manufacturing.

“Our story is one of growth, expansion and new endeavors,” Gram said.

That growth has manifested itself most recently in the company’s acquisition of Mancino Manufacturing Co., a 60-year-old Pennsylvania-based safety padding manufacturer.

“As new opportunities come up, we notice gaps in our manufacturing, and what product lines are missing,” Gram said. “We were doing really well with steel. We were doing really well with inflatables, but with foam, we were reselling. So, we were looking for an opportunity to acquire.

“The match [with Mancino] was great. I’ve been calling us a brother and sister company,” he continued.

A Campaign of Acquisitions

TMT’s acquisition of Mancino will be its largest yet, doubling the company’s employee count and revenue, said Gram.

“We were selling nationally and internationally before but having offices in two states is just a pragmatic difference,” Gram said. “There’s a geographic maturing. There is an employee base maturing. There is a gross top-line revenue maturing. Strategically, it puts us in a prime position. There aren’t too many people inside the United States who have the resources we do under one roof.”

According to Gram, TMT is in an intentional era of expansion. The company’s family of brands has grown to include AirTrack, Superior Trampoline Manufacturing and XR Sports.
“I was anxious to get [acquisitions] done as a proof of concept, because I do think there are a lot of other products and brands that would fit right in with us,” Gram said. “I think that there is a large amount of growth to go, and we haven’t even been scratching the surface.”

In the future, Gram hopes to acquire more companies in the technology, lighting, molding rope and environmental aesthetics spaces.

This year, TMT’s projected top-line revenue is about $13 million, although Gram said that depending on the speed of growth, it could reach up to $20 million. In 2024, top-line revenue was $8 million and in 2023 it was $6 million. Most of the company’s growth has been driven by expansion of services and products.

TMT not only operates athletic entertainment facilities, but also offers design, equipment, construction and maintenance of such facilities.

Another component of growth is TMT’s XR Sports Division, in which the company develops technology to engage youth with movement. Every company now is a technology company, said Gram, and this division is one way that TMT aims to capture attention for investment and marketing.

“We’re all comfortable with and surrounded by technology, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to sit down and not move,” Gram said. “Embedding technology in our play is exciting, but we have to be really creative about it.”

TMT has several technology projects in development and would like to turn them into products. For Head of the XR Sports Division Jenny Gram, activating youth “sets my soul on fire.”

“We are trying to reimagine active play for the digital generation,” she said. “We have kids with their heads in their iPads, so how can we inspire movement through technology?”

Local-First Production

Domestic sourcing and production are central values at TMT. The company’s “local-first production” philosophy prioritizes U.S. manufacturers. TMT also hopes to provide a holistic option for domestic sourcing in the industry with its well-rounded offerings.

According to Gram, the sports entertainment industry is still evolving, and he wants to be a leader in that evolution.

“Consolidation and growth should happen in the US, and if no one else is going to do it, then we’ll do it right,” Gram said. “I’d argue that—although we have a long way to go—we are quickly becoming one of the larger sports entertainment manufacturing companies.”
Local-first production means that, while TMT still sources some raw materials from overseas, it prioritizes U.S. sourcing and partnerships. TMT also strives to become a go-to source for other companies.

“The looming challenge is importing and selling from China. It feels like you’re competing with an absolute behemoth at all times,” Gram said. “Our local-first, boots on the ground, American labor, installation and sales force—these are all legitimate differentiation factors on the perimeter of the competition.”

Offering domestic products does come at a premium, according to Gram, which makes it a “tough sale.” However, he hopes that consumers see the value in TMT’s holistic approach and offerings, which, to him, are “more than just a product.”

Throughout TMT’s journey, Gram has attributed much of its success to the support of the San Diego business community.

“We have very big aspirations for what TMT is going to be for production and manufacturing here in the U.S.,” Jenny Gram said. “This is just the beginning.”

True Movement Tech
FOUNDED: 2014
CEO: Joseph Gram
HEADQUARTERS: San Diego
BUSINESS: Sports Entertainment
EMPLOYEES: 50+
REVENUE: Projected top-line revenue is $13 million
WEBSITE: www.truemovement.tech/
SOCIAL IMPACT: True Movement Tech aims to shape the future of play by making movement more accessible and meaningful for kids, families and communities.

Born and raised in San Diego, Madison takes great pride in local storytelling. Her coverage at the San Diego Business Journal includes tourism, hospitality, nonprofits, education and retail. An alumna of San Diego State University’s journalism program, she has written for publications including The San Diego Union-Tribune and The San Diego Sun. At the 2024 San Diego Press Club awards, Madison was recognized for her exemplary profile writing. She was also a speaker for the 2023 TEDx Conference at Bonita Vista High School. When she’s not working on her next story, Madison can be found performing music at a local restaurant or on one of San Diego’s many hiking trails.