Life Fitness / Hammer Strength has unveiled the Nieto-Jones Innovation Center in Illinois to lead on excellence in performance and product development. 

The facility is named in honour of Life Fitness founder, the late Augie Nieto, who transformed the company into a global enterprise and Hammer Strength founder Gary Jones, whose work in biomechanics revolutionised strength training. The facility allows for testing, quality assurance, prototyping and lab validation to drive innovation. 

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength will partner with Harper College’s Performance Insights Lab, to conduct hands-on research and product testing.

“This centre not only carries the names of Augie Nieto and Gary Jones; it carries their legacy and  exists because of the belief they shared – that innovation matters and that we should always push the industry forward,” said Jim Pisani, CEO of Life Fitness / Hammer Strength. 

“Commitment to relentless innovation and cutting-edge product development remains our primary driver. We're not just responding to industry trends; we're also creating the tools and technologies that inspire people all around the world to move and meet their fitness goals.”

Daniel Wille, chief product officer at Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, says this is a bold investment in the science of human performance, saying: “We're ensuring that the spirit of innovation defined by Augie and Gary continues to drive our product development. This centre of excellence will allow us to push fitness further while engineering equipment that outlasts real-world demands.” 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by members of the executive leadership team, with special guests including Gary Jones and Augie Nieto’s children, Lindsay Williams and Austin Nieto.