Clinton welcomes Anytime Fitness with ribbon cutting and a focus on community

Anytime Fitness Clinton marked its official arrival in the community Tuesday with a noon ribbon cutting at its new facility at 100 Laurens St.

The gym is owned and operated by Greenville-based Baleo Fitness and has already opened its doors to members.

City Manager Joey Meadors welcomed the new business on behalf of the City of Clinton. He noted that the mayor had stopped by earlier in the morning but had to leave for a prior commitment.

“On behalf of the city, we want to welcome Anytime Fitness to Clinton,” Meadors said. “If there is anything we can do, please give us a call. We’re truly happy to have you here.”

A member of the Anytime Fitness leadership team, speaking on behalf of the ownership group, including co-owner Mike Chere, said the Baleo Fitness team is excited to be part of the Clinton community. In the weeks leading up to the opening, the team worked with the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce and set up a tent in the area to spread the word and answer questions.

“Everybody that I’ve talked to, whether it was business owners or people who came and popped into our tent and inquired about the gym, has been super excited,” the representative said. “They told us how much this area needed something like this, and it reassured us that we’re here for a reason. We’re here to build the community around health and fitness in this area.”

The leadership team described Anytime Fitness Clinton as a coaching-focused business. Every member who walks through the doors will receive personalized guidance from the training staff, along with check-ins every six weeks to track progress and make sure members are reaching the goals they set.

“That’s going to be the basis of the business,” they said.

The gym also plans to be a community partner for downtown Clinton. The team invited local business owners to bring in promotional materials for their businesses and downtown events so Anytime Fitness can help share the news with its members.

“We want to be a place where we can connect with business owners and help promote their businesses as well,” they said. “Please allow us to be a part of that.”

General manager Marcus Anthony, a Laurens native and certified personal trainer, thanked those in attendance and said the opportunity means a great deal to him.

“This is very, very important to me, because I always want to help my community,” Anthony said. “They gave me an opportunity, and I want to make this the best place it can be.”

Chere, an Army veteran and former college athlete, has said the goal is for Anytime Fitness to be Clinton’s gym, a clean and welcoming place where everyone feels comfortable, whether they have been working out for years or are stepping into a gym for the first time. Anthony and trainer Teal Edwards lead the local team.

Members have 24-hour access to cardio and strength equipment, free weights, a functional training area, group classes and personal training. Membership also includes reciprocal access to roughly 2,400 Anytime Fitness locations nationwide and about 6,000 worldwide.

A founders rate of $1 to join and $20 biweekly is available now.