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Nieto-Jones Innovation Center celebrates founders of Life Fitness / Hammer Strength

By Kath Hudson    05 Feb 2026
Hammer Strength founder, Gary Jones, (second from right) attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Nieto-Jones Innovation Center / Life Fitness / Hammer Strength
Life Fitness / Hammer Strength launches the Nieto-Jones Innovation Center
Named after the company founders, it will be a centre of excellence for new products
CEO, Jim Pisani, says the company is committed to “relentless innovation”
Harper College will conduct hands-on research and product testing

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.

Nieto-Jones Innovation Center  Life Fitness / Hammer Strength  Augie Nieto  Gary Jones  Jim Pisani  Daniel Wille 
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