By leasing space at The Forum, one of the founders of local company 101 Mobility has moved on to a new concept related to health, fitness and wellness.

Luke Sampson is opening Well Below Zero, a cryotherapy studio, next to Epic Food Co. in the shopping center on Military Cutoff Road. Cryotherapy involves the use of extreme cold (as low as minus 350 degrees) to help accomplish a vareity of health, wellness and fitness goals, and Sampson said he felt it would be a good idea for a new venture after he left 101 Mobility about 18 months ago.

Founded in Wilmington in 2008 by Sampson and Keith Barnhardt, 101 Mobility became one of the nation's fastest growing companies, landing a spot on Inc. 5000 list  in 2012 and 2015.

"We grew that business through a franchise network of that concept and then sold it to a private equity firm in late 2013. I actually left 101 Mobility in August 2014 to look into pursuing other opportunities, one of which is this cryotherapy concept," Sampson said.

At first, he thought the method sounded too good to be true, Sampson said. But he said personal experience convinced him that there would be demand in the Port City.

"I have personally always been focused on health and wellness and trying to stay in shape, going to the gym four and five times a week," Sampson said. "I actually tried it and then I tried it again and I can tell you my experience - I felt unbelievable.

"I'm almost 50 years old. It was becoming tougher and tougher for me to recover and honestly even motivated to do it [work out]. . . I looked at this as potentially a method that could help me continue to focus on my health and so I tried it. I felt so good after the treatment, I started to really research the industry potentially as a business." 

Lately, the concept has gotten a lot of media attention, Sampson said, including stories about its use by the Denver Broncos, who face the Carolina Panthers at the Super Bowl on Sunday. According to an ESPN story headlined "Denver's big freeze: Broncos use Cryotherapy," the method can reduce recovery time for athletes like the Broncos players from 72 hours to 24 hours.

Recovery from intense sports and fitness training is one of three "buckets" that cryotherapy purposes fall into, Sampson said. Another is beauty and anti-aging - the therapy aims to reduce cellulite, boost metabolic rates, promote weight loss, stimulate the natural production of collagen and reduce the skin's visible signs of aging, for examples. The third "bucket" involves health and wellness because the therapy is believed to lead to the reduction of pain, inflammation and muscle soreness, among other potential benefits, Sampson said.

In its 1,200-square-foot facility, Well Below Zero's cryotherapy offerings will involve two pieces of equipment - a full-body (except your head) cryosauna and a smaller piece of equipment used for facial treatments. Sampson and a member of his staff have been certified by the manufacturer, Impact Cryotherapy of Atlanta, to administer the treatments.

"It’s typically a two- to three-minute treatment," Sampson said of the cryosauna. "It is very tolerable. You get the sensation of standing in front of an open freezer. Is it cold? Yes, it's cold. Is it unbearable? It’s not unbearable."

Also, he said, a technician is always with the user, who can stop at any time.

Sampson said he hopes to hold a grand opening for Well Below Zero at the beginning of April. The space is being upfit now. Howard Coupland, vice president of brokerage at Cape Fear Commercial, represented Sampson in the lease transaction, and Alex Thorpe of Swain & Associates represented The Forum.

The Forum came with the space, demographics and traffic volume that Well Below Zero needed, Sampson said, but he expects his clients will also come from areas outside the Military Cutoff corridor.

"Wilmington, North Carolina, is a highly active community, and I think it [cryotherapy] kind of matches up well with who lives here," Sampson said.