Carbon Performance grows from one Tennessee gym into a four-location wellness club

Carbon Performance has expanded from a 4,000-square-foot Franklin, Tennessee, gym into a four-location fitness and recovery brand across three states. The company says its growth reflects demand for premium gyms that combine strength training, recovery, coaching and community under one membership.

Why it matters: - Carbon Performance is betting that gym members want more than weights and treadmills. The company’s model blends training, recovery and wellness services into one membership. - The expansion shows how premium fitness brands are competing on experience, not just equipment. - The brand’s growth also reflects a broader shift toward longevity-focused health and whole-body wellness.

What happened: - Brent Laffey and Victoria Laffey opened the first Carbon gym in 2020 in Franklin, Tennessee. - The original concept started as Carbon Culture in a 4,000-square-foot space. - Carbon Culture acquired the nearby 32,000-square-foot Franklin Athletic Club in November 2022 and became Carbon Performance. - Carbon added 2,000 new members within six months of the Franklin Athletic Club acquisition. - Carbon partnered with private equity firm Maxim Partners in 2023. - Carbon opened a second location in Nashville’s The Nations neighborhood in 2024. - Carbon Performance Atlanta opened in 2025. - Carbon Performance Charlotte, the brand’s third and largest location, held its grand opening on July 20, 2026.

The details: - Brent Laffey said he built Carbon because he could not find a Nashville-area gym that matched his standards for serious training, advanced recovery and a higher-end experience. - Carbon’s original vision paired a hardcore lifting environment with luxury-level service. - Each Carbon club includes specialty strength equipment, advanced recovery amenities, expert staff and an inclusive training culture. - The brand says the clubs welcome elite athletes, bodybuilders, women and beginners. - Carbon Nations includes a barbershop and self-defense classes. - Carbon Charlotte includes a 2,000-square-foot women’s-only training area and a reformer Pilates studio. - Jerrad Tausz, CEO of Carbon Performance, said the company tailors each club to local market demand while keeping a consistent brand standard. - Carbon currently operates in Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and Charlotte, North Carolina. - Carbon describes its model as performance-driven, science-informed and built around strength training, recovery and nutrition coaching. - The company says its approach integrates elite equipment, structured personal training, nutrition coaching and advanced recovery infrastructure. - A full overview of the brand is available on Carbon Performance’s website.

Between the lines: - Carbon is positioning itself against bigger name competitors by offering a more community-driven and specialized alternative. - The private equity backing likely gives the company the capital and operating support needed to scale without losing its boutique identity. - The mix of standardized branding and local add-ons suggests Carbon is trying to grow like a chain while still feeling like a neighborhood club.

What's next: - Carbon plans to open Carbon Performance Salt Lake City by the end of 2026. - The Salt Lake City club will be the company’s first location outside the Southeast. - Laffey said the company hopes to reach 10 gyms in seven or eight states within five years. - Carbon says additional markets are also planned beyond Salt Lake City.

The bottom line: - Carbon Performance is trying to prove that premium fitness can be built around wellness, recovery and culture, not just square footage and machines.