Adam Thielen. C.J. Ham. Alex Mattison. Chad Greenway.

They’re names many Minnesota Vikings fans have heard before as they’ve all played for the team at some point in their careers.

But they’re also connected through ETS Performance: a Midwestern sports training facility for athletes of all ages. With its headquarters located in Woodbury, ETS has steadily grown to 43 locations since it was established in 2010. The company operates facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Illinois, Michigan, and Nebraska, with one location in upstate New York.

The aforementioned athletes are part of a group known as “facility partners” of ETS, which means they’re part owners of their respective locations. For example, Greenway is part owner of the Iowa locations and the newest ETS facility, in Plymouth, which opened in October.

The latter location is also home to Greenway’s oldest daughter Maddyn, a junior at Providence Academy and 18th ranked recruit for the class of 2026. She recently announced her commitment to playing women’s basketball at the University of Kentucky .

It’s people like Maddyn and her father who help the ETS name expand through different areas of the Midwest.

“We have grown organically with connections to pro athletes who have mostly trained with us,” said ETS Performance CEO Jed Schmidt in an interview with TCB. “They have the alignment with our vision and ultimately want to make an impact on their community.”

Another key role these athletes have is to act as spokespeople for ETS. Greenway, a former Vikings linebacker, said he does what he can to spread the word and promote the business to those looking for somewhere to train. This includes going to ETS sponsored events and posting about them on their social media accounts.

Schmidt said ETS stands out compared to other gyms in the metro area because of their community culture and their drive to be inclusive to all genders of athletes.

Greenway and Schmidt said it’s the facility directors that are a key factor to why ETS thrives.

“You’ll see our facility directors connecting with their athletes not only in the four walls of our facility, but they’re also really invested in their development and overall well-being,” Schmidt said.

Greenway pointed to Gabe Boyce, the facility director for the Plymouth location, and the impact he said he’s left on the athletes that train there.

“[Kids] look up to Gabe and want to make him happy all the while making themselves better. They have somebody they respect,” Greenway said. “Gabe fosters that and wants to make it fun.”

Community was a word that often came up when talking to those involved with ETS. ETS isn’t just a gym, Greenway said, it’s a second family.

Despite being retired for over a decade, Greenway said his business endeavors, like being an ETS partner, would not be possible without the support from Vikings fans and others who have been there for him along the ways.

“I’ve seen Vikings fans and support from people I had when I was playing carry over to my post-career,” Greenway said. “It tells me that Midwest folks care about those relationships and authentic people. I just try to be myself, and I think that goes a long way.”