Staff Report

CLEMSON -- Those who work and study at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville will be working from a position of physical strength as well as economic and academic strength, thanks to a $500,000 investment by Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

A life fitness center located in CU-ICAR’s Innovation Place will bear the St. Francis name. In addition, St. Francis will provide health education information and programs to promote wellness at the CU-ICAR location.

Clemson University President James F. Barker announced the St. Francis gift and thanked the health system for its commitment to good health and fitness. Barker also welcomed the institution to the CU-ICAR neighborhood. St. Francis has plans to build a facility on the Millennium Campus adjacent to CU-ICAR.

"CU-ICAR is all about systems integration but not only integrating the systems of the automobile but integrating the various aspects of the human experience in order to compete successfully, whether it’s working, learning or maintaining a strong and healthy body," Barker said. “Our friends and colleagues at St. Francis recognize and practice the integration of health and fitness into this community, and we are very grateful that they are investing in the people of CU-ICAR.”

Barker was joined for the announcement by Valinda Rutledge, CEO of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. She emphasized the organization’s commitment to community health and the reason for Bon Secours St. Francisb  s involvement in CU-ICAR.

"This campus reflects a new way of looking at the automotive industry and a new way of looking at community," she said. "We understand that one goal is to provide opportunities for university and industry partners to interact on an informal, individual basis. In addition to the individual benefit of personal health and fitness we plan to promote here, we are very pleased to provide a life fitness center where that kind of interaction can occur."

Rutledge revealed the name of the center in a brief video presentation.

"We wanted the name to reflect physical energy and vitality and also to have a connection to the automotive industry, since that is CU-ICAR’s focus," she said.

Membership in the Life Fitness Center is available to all CU-ICAR partners and their employees as well as Clemson University faculty, staff and students located on the CU-ICAR campus, including representatives from BMW, Timken, SAE International and others that may join the CU-ICAR team.