Entrepreneur takes recreational haven to next level in southern York County
- Carrie Almony took over Titanium Athletics with a vision to create a youth recreation facility with a safe space for every member of the family.
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Growing up in southern York County, Carrie Almony always wanted to create some sort of recreational facility for families—she just didn’t quite know what that would look like.
When the opportunity arose, she and her husband, Brian, jumped on it.
Their daughter had been involved in a competitive cheer program at Titanium Athletics, and when the owners announced they were going out of business in February 2018, Carrie and Brian offered to take over the lease at the New Freedom facility and purchase the equipment.
“They walked out the door April 30th,” she says. “We unlocked the doors on May 1st and just continued going with what they had.”
A new vision
Carrie envisioned a different direction for the space, though, one where youth—both her customers and staff—could find a sense of belonging. Rather than group sports, Carrie decided to focus on individual activities.
“I wanted to create an environment where when kids came in here, they didn’t feel pressured,” she says. “I wanted them to be able to come in freely and learn a skill knowing that there’s no program attached to it.”
When their lease was up two months later, they sought a bigger space that could fit more than just the bounce house gym and tumbling they’d been offering. They wanted batting cages, rock climbing walls, trampolines, a ninja warrior course, and full-size indoor turf fields.
They found the perfect spot about 6 miles up Interstate 83 in Glen Rock. Carrie and Brian, along with business partners John and Kellie Burton, purchased the building and began the long process of demo, cleanup, and build.
Carrie and Brian chose PeoplesBank to help finance the new endeavor. They had been working with PeoplesBank since first incorporating their property solutions company years earlier.
“It’s been a phenomenal experience,” Carrie says, “They took a chance on us. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
Titanium was closed for a year during the purchasing and renovation process. But it was all worth it.
“It was a lot of two, three, four in the mornings then getting back up at 6 a.m.,” Carrie says. “You always question, ‘Have we bit off more than we can chew?’ but the drive that I have and the reason and purpose I have behind having a facility was far more important than the late nights and the early mornings and the long hours.”
Building a team
The facility reopened in July 2019 and has grown to employ over two dozen people.
Several of her employees are students who are part of the Work Study program at Susquehannock High School, where they are able to count work as part of their high school credits and receive a grade based on their work performance. It’s a program that Carrie was part of in high school and one that helped build her drive for hard work and business-building.
As Titanium Athletics continues to expand its footprint and recreation offerings, Carrie hopes that the youth who enter her doors know it’s a safe place to go, whether they’re looking for a job or just want to try their hand at being a ninja warrior.
“To have a facility where kids could come, to feel included, to have activity, to have a place where they felt comfortable going, and to have staff here that could possibly relate to something they’re going through,” Carrie says, “that’s the purpose for why we continue to do what we do.”