No strangers to staying fit, the Kitzmillers are ready to spread the message of being healthy to Carter County.
With construction underway, Anytime Fitness, a 24-7 gym that is located in the Ingles Shopping Center on Elk Avenue beside PetSense, is preparing to open to the public.
“We got the schedule for construction, and it is expected to be completed by August 31,” Brent said. “Once the construction is completed, we’re going to have to move the equipment in … we’re going to try to aim for the second week of September.”
Brent Kitzmiller, the owner of the business, and wife, Ellen, manned the fort Wednesday evening, providing citizens a chance to sign up for early memberships before the opening date. Throughout Wednesday’s discussion with the Elizabethton Star, numerous individuals stopped by to either ask or sign up for Anytime Fitness.
“It was a long process,” he said. “We just want to do something to make our mark. I’ve been a chief financial officer for 25-plus years, but once I hit 50 years old … I decided on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I did a lot of studying, praying, a lot of looking around, but then I stumbled across Anytime Fitness.”
Anytime Fitness currently has over 3,000 locations and was recently named the No. 1 franchise, surpassing Subway, according to Entrepreneur Magazine.
“Their whole motto is about caring and coaching,” Brent said. “We’re an athletic family. This all worked out well. We talked to Anytime Fitness for months. They had a week long training seminar in Minneapolis … Ellen and I both went up there. We bought the franchise territory and just started scouting out locations in Elizabethton. The response has been tremendous so far.”
It was the eagle of Ellen that scouted out the gym’s location, which was actually the last
“We immediately knew that this is what we wanted,” Brent said.
Athletics run deep in the Kitzmiller family. Both Brent and Ellen were collegiate athletes at King University. Currently, their son, Zak, is a member of the Tornado baseball team while their daughter, Taylor, who will serve as the store’s manager, was a four-year member of the East Tennessee State University cheer and dance team.
“I was thinking how special it was working together,” Brent said.
An fate seemed of played a role into the current location of Anytime Fitness.
“Our corporate name is Betsy,” Brent said with a laugh. “It kind of fell in our lap. My name start’s with a B, my wife’s is an E, our daughter’s is T and our son’s is Z.”
With 8,400 square foot space, the gym will be suited up with state-of-the-art free weights, equipment, and security features for attendees.
Brent also added his daughter’s love of working with children spearheaded the idea of “Fit Families” – which will be looked at being offered twice a week so that families can bring children while they work out. Fit Families would allow children to take part in different activities and games to learn more about healthy lifestyles. Another program Anytime Fitness in Elizabethton is working on is “Silver Sneakers”, a way for retirees or individuals unable to work to receive discounted service to use the facility.
Rates vary and individuals above the age of 14 years old are eligible for gym membership. For more information, contact the store at 543-4247 or visit the store’s Facebook and Instagram account by searching “Anytime Fitness Elizabethton”.
Brent also added he can reached by his cell phone at 791-1237 for appointments to sign up interested customers. The Kitzmillers will be on site at the store today from 2 to 7 p.m., 2 to 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.