40 Under Forty alumni: Ed Hardy, Class of 2012 – grew his climbing gym across six states

Central Rock Gym is one of the largest rock climbing chains in the world, with millions of visits each year.

Hardy, along with his brother, has worked to grow the business, pushed through the COVID-19 pandemic, and has made significant strides since winning WBJ’s 40 Under Forty award 12 years ago. In 2012, Central Rock Gym consisted of two locations in Massachusetts, but now the gym has expanded across 30 locations in six states. When he was starting the business, Hardy had to convince a bank he could run his business at 22 years old, but he is now leading that same business with more than 1,000 employees. He created a space welcoming and accessible to all climbers, regardless of experience or background, and builds communities through the gym’s youth programs, competitions, and fundraising events. Hardy has always given back to the Worcester community, donating thousands of free climbing sessions to youth from underserved communities and served as a member of the Community Development Advisory Committee in Worcester in 2012. Now, he continues to donate his time to Worcester by volunteering at shelter charities and coaching soccer. 

What did getting the 40u40 award mean to you at the time? Those first years of growing the business were really challenging, so it meant a lot to be recognized for that work when we first opened the business. It felt great the community really valued the business.

What does it mean to you now? Very much the same, but now with the growth of the business. It feels great Central Rock is being recognized for adding all those jobs and serving the community in an exciting way with the sport of indoor rock climbing.

What advice do you have for this year’s 40u40 winners? Take care of your health!

How has Central Massachusetts changed since you won the 40u40 award? There is more private investment and development pouring into the city. I have seen a sizable transformation of the downtown, and people recognizing the value the city provides with a lower cost of living. We like that Central Rock has been a small part of that transformation.