Alecia Schlichting
Alecia is an Associate Product Manager at Gratz Pilates, focusing on product development and the continued refinement of Gratz apparatus. She works cross-functionally to evaluate product performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and help ensure each refinement supports quality, consistency, and the authentic Gratz experience.
Alecia brings experience in operations, quality assurance, and product management to Gratz Pilates. She studied marketing at Rowan University and previously worked in operations management at Amazon, where she developed skills in process improvement and navigating fast-paced environments. Alecia began her career at Gratz on the Quality Assurance team, strengthening her attention to detail and developing a firsthand understanding of Gratz apparatus, manufacturing standards, and product quality. That foundation continues to shape her practical, detail-oriented approach to problem-solving and collaboration.
Alecia works closely with Gratz’s engineering, manufacturing, customer care, and marketing teams to help move product initiatives from evaluation through implementation. Her responsibilities include coordinating product testing, documenting product updates, reviewing customer and internal feedback, and supporting resources related to apparatus use and maintenance. Through this work, she contributes knowledge on Pilates apparatus design and performance, manufacturing and quality processes, product development, maintenance, and how the customer experience can inform product decisions.
"There's something grounding about working on equipment that's been made the same way for decades. Nothing here is disposable — the apparatus we build now will still be in a studio thirty years from now, and people will still be teaching on it. That changes how you think about a decision. A small change to a wheel or a piece of hardware isn't just a spec; it's something an instructor will feel under their hands every day for years. Getting to be careful about that, with people who care just as much, is what makes it meaningful to me."
"How much of it is done by hand. When I was on the Quality Assurance team, I saw the apparatus at the stage where you can't hide anything — every weld, every joint, every piece of upholstery. People assume a company our age must have automated most of it by now, and the truth is the opposite: the reason a Gratz Reformer feels the way it does is that real people are making it throughout every step, and they've been making them long enough to know exactly what "right" feels like. "
"The Reformer, and I don't think that's a boring answer. It's the piece I understand best from the inside out — I've looked at nearly every component of it in some form and knowing how it's built has made me appreciate how well the design holds up."