US franchise Anytime Fitness is the first gym group to join China’s growing franchise community, traditionally dominated by restaurants and retail outlets.

Anytime Fitness president/co-founder Dave Mortensen will join master franchisee Maurice Levine in Shanghai next week to support the launch.

Already seven locations are open in China with 20 agreements signed. Anytime Fitness anticipates 300 to 500 gyms in China by 2020. It already has more than 3500 gyms serving nearly three million members on five continents.

“We’re in the business of building communities and helping people achieve their goals, something that transcends borders,” says Mortensen.

“Our goal is to bring fitness to the Asian community,” says Levine, who also owns the franchise rights for Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. He opened his first Anytime Fitness gym in Singapore in late 2013 and has grown the franchise across six countries and more than 150 territories.

For China, he plans a strategy designed to build a culture of fitness, including the establishment of the first Wellness University in Shanghai for personal trainers.

Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness offers supportive coaching and community events. When members join one gym, they gain access to all 3500-plus Anytime Fitness gyms worldwide, including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines.