Anytime Fitness Honored as One of Minnesota's Top Workplaces of 2011

HASTINGS, Minn., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Anytime Fitness, the fastest growing fitness club franchise in the world, has been named one of the Top 100 Workplaces in Minnesota based on an employee-based survey project from the Star Tribune.

The Star Tribune Top Workplaces special section was published in the Star Tribune on Sunday, June 19. The report can also be found at StarTribune.com/topworkplaces2011.

Anytime Fitness ranked #20 in the small business category; and co-founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen were also recognized with a special leadership award, a distinguished honor shared with just two other executives in the state of MN.

Survey results revealed that employees gave the organization high marks in the areas of:  feeling "genuinely appreciated," having "confidence in their leaders," and believing that the organization is "going in the right direction."

"This is a wonderful honor for Anytime Fitness, especially considering that our employees served as judges – which, of course makes the recognition all the more meaningful," says CEO Chuck Runyon.  President Dave Mortensen added, "We strive to make our work culture a creative, supportive, energetic and happy environment where everyone feels valued."

Click here for a video interview with Dave Mortensen, in which he discusses how creating a sense of play and purpose in the workplace leads to happy and productive employees.

Employee commitment to Anytime Fitness is so strong that many choose to have the company logo tattooed on their skin. To date, more than 20 corporate employees (along with 400+ franchise owners, personal trainers, and gym members) have been permanently inked with the company's iconic purple "Running Man."

"We all really love our jobs, and thank goodness, because can you imagine going to a job that you hate every day?" says Franchisee Consultant, Tressa Gustafson. "And, yes, I have the tattoo."

Top Workplaces was produced by the same team that compiles the 20-year-old Star Tribune 100 report of the best-performing public companies in Minnesota, and recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions about company leadership, communication, career opportunities, workplace environment, managerial skills, pay and benefits. The analysis included responses from over 60,500 employees at Minnesota public, private and nonprofit organizations.

The rankings in the Star Tribune Top 100 Workplaces are based on survey information collected by Workplace Dynamics, an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention.

To qualify for the Star Tribune Top Workplaces, a company must have more than 50 employees in Minnesota. Over 1,200 companies were invited to participate. Rankings were composite scores calculated purely on the basis of employee responses.

About Anytime Fitness

Founded in 2002, Anytime Fitness is now the fastest-growing fitness club franchise in the world with more than 1,600 clubs worldwide and one million members. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient and affordable fitness options in friendly, well-maintained facilities that feature top-quality exercise equipment. Clubs are open in 49 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan. For more information, visit www.anytimefitness.com.

SOURCE Anytime Fitness