Delta Flyers owner, Eric Kartchner, began his journey to success at the age of five when he started gymnastics and has been in love ever since. He grew up in Southern California, became a USA gymnastics athlete, and has trained with some of the top names in the field. Additionally, Kartchner also has coached in both Southern Utah and Southern California, as well as had the opportunity to preform in the show Cirque de La Mer at Sea World. But after marring the love of his life, Ashley, they ended up in Delta, Utah, where they decided to put his exceptional talents to work by starting their own business, helping others to find the same joy in gymnastics that they had found.
Delta Flyers is like a dream come true for Eric and his family. Just about three years after Delta Flyers was founded, the gymnasium has just boomed, bringing children from all around to experience the magic of being a gymnast. Delta Flyers is a company that has everyone’s interests in mind and they’re happy to work with anyone they can.
Delta Flyers is one of the many businesses that received a Mainstreet Preservation Grant. According to co-owner Ashley Kartchner, “We knew that [coaching gymnastics] wasn’t going to be the hard part of this new business. First we needed funds to get started so we talked to my dad and he took out a loan through his home equity line of credit for us. Eric’s grandma also gifted us some money when she learned of our venture.
“Then there was the issue of two people starting a business that had never done something like this before, but we had a passion and a goal, and we learned along the way what needed to be done in order to achieve it. Four years later we have come to know hundreds of families in our small community that have kids in the program who found their perfect fit in the gym when they felt like they didn’t have a place anywhere else. That’s why we love what we do. It is for the kids. We teach so much more than gymnastics. We want these kids to walk out of the gym with life skills.
“When the coronavirus hit, we obviously had to look at our finances and weigh out if it there was any possible chance to reopen after a few months of no income or if permanently closing was the road we would have to take. We applied for the PPP and the EIDL but they weren’t coming fast enough to bridge the gap. The Mainstreet Preservation Grant was literally the only reason we were able to continue fighting for our business. So, when asked what this grant means to us, I can say with overwhelming gratitude that it meant everything!”
Learn more about Delta Flyers at: deltaflyersgymnastics.com.
The Mainstreet Preservation Grant, provided by the Salt Lake Chamber’s Utah Job Opportunities Foundation, is made possible thanks to a $500,000 donation from WCF Insurance. The grant funds are used to support rural and/or minority small businesses in Utah that need immediate assistance due to the COVID-19 and before federal stimulus funding is accessed. These grant funds are intended to help businesses in the short-term. To donate or learn more about the Mainstreet Preservation Grant, visit slchamber.com/mainstreet-preservation-grant.
