Nautilus equipment plant to be expanded

A strength and cardio product company will spend $2 million to expand a Nautilus manufacturing plant in Grayson County, creating 250 jobs.

Core Health & Fitness LLC has purchased the former Med-Fit facility in the Town of Independence, which had been manufacturing Nautilus equipment. Core Health & Fitness, which manufactures StairMaster machines, indoor cycling bikes, and Star Trac strength and cardio equipment, will manufacture both Nautilus equipment and its strength training product lines that are currently being manufactured in China.

“We are excited to be able to acquire the Nautilus commercial licensing rights and to be able to manufacture world-renowned strength products in Independence, Virginia,” Dustin Grosz, Core Health & Fitness president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The skilled workforce has consistently built some of the best, if not the best, strength fitness equipment in the world. This campus will become our major, worldwide strength manufacturing hub.”

Nautilus equipment has been manufactured at the plant in Independence for 34 years. Med-Fit had gone through two rounds of layoffs affecting 100 employees, according to the Galax Gazette. Normal production at the plant stopped in April, but some former Med-Fit workers were called back to work last week, the newspaper reported.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $350,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Grayson with the investment. The Virginia Tobacco Commission approved a $1 million grant for the project.