Fitness Foundry forging stronger community in De Pere

Rich Palzewic

Staff

June 1, 2026

DE PERE – The Fitness Foundry is preparing to bring a new workout option to De Pere’s east side.

With more than 19,000 vehicles traveling past the location each day, Owner Tyson Eggers said the gym is positioned to meet a growing need for fitness space in the area. 

Expected to open in June, Eggers said Fitness Foundry’s location at 1109 Honey Court, Suite E, brings a much-needed workout facility to the area near Cycling Brews and Black Honey Hashery. 

“The area has long been without a dedicated 24/7 fitness center,” he said. “In the past, I believe there was a Snap Fitness on Swan Road, but I think that closed in 2014 or 2015. Ever since then, no one has decided to come onto this side of the Fox River and open a 24/7 gym.”

Eggers said the steady flow of vehicles along Highway 32/57 each day makes the site “free advertising.”

“Those two reasons – a lack of a 24/7 gym on the east side and the daily traffic – were the main drivers in me picking this location,” he said. “You’d have to go back across the river to (811) Main Avenue for the Anytime Fitness, or by the Menards, where a Next Level Fitness 24/7 is located (1301 Lawrence Drive).”

Fortunately, Eggers said the building housing Fitness Foundry was “pretty much an empty shell,” so much of the renovation work has been cosmetic.

“About 90% of the gym will be rubber mat flooring, with two sections of turf to give people an area to stretch or do other activities they might not want to do in the main gym area,” he said.

Eggers said the space will have a mix of strength and cardio machines, with a bit more space dedicated to strength.

Though personal training will be available, he said Fitness Foundry will not initially offer fitness classes.

“We’ll see how things evolve, but that’s how it will start,” he said.

Though he expects there will “certainly be rush-hour traffic” at times, Eggers said the benefit of a 24/7 gym is that members can spread out their workouts throughout the day and night.

“I don’t think you’ll walk in here and be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, there are so many people in here, and I can’t get anything done,’” he said. “You’ll have people who have to get to the gym before or after work, but with it being available 24 hours, people can go whenever is most convenient for them.”

Eggers said members will access the gym through an app that essentially serves as a digital keycard.

“I will also have physical keycards available, but most people will just use their digital card on their cell phones,” he said.

A fitness background

When he moved to the area in 2013, Eggers said he was a member of Snap Fitness – which at the time, was the gym that is now Next Level Fitness on Lawrence Drive.

Striking up a good friendship with the then-owner, Eggers said the two have been working on finding a good location for another gym “for years.”

“He’s no longer the owner, but he’s my go-through guy,” he said. “He’s got all the contacts in the industry for equipment, etc. He has helped a lot, and without him, this venture would be a lot tougher.”

Between reluctant lenders and expensive liability insurance, Eggers said opening a gym can be difficult for many aspiring owners.

“There are a lot of logistical things to opening a gym and getting figured out,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fitness guy myself and had a knack for fitness. I’ve had a vision to build a gym the way I wanted to – have all the right equipment I would like and that other people would also find useful. The gym community itself is fun to be a part of.”

Eggers said he plans to take customer feedback into account when members request new equipment or changes, noting that adaptation is essential in business. 

“I think the biggest downfall of most gyms is that they don’t evolve with what people want,” he said. “They put equipment in, leave it there and kind of forget about it. You’ll obviously find some traditional equipment at Fitness Foundry, but there will also be some pieces in here that are not familiar to this area.”

When you break it down, Eggers said business is not too complicated – “accept feedback and give people what they want.”

“It might be a tougher time to cut your teeth as a business owner right now, but at the end of the day, people are willing to pay for memberships and things to improve their health,” he said. “They’ll show up if you do it right – that’s all people want. They want to know you care about them and you’re willing to give them what they’re paying for. If you can meet those two demands, business is not complicated. Listen to your people, right?”