btone FITNESS Starts Manufacturing Their Own Reformers, Designed and Built in New England Where the Company Was Founded

btone FITNESS, the fast-growing boutique fitness brand known for its “Slow Movements, Fast Results”® approach, is taking its innovation to the next level with the debut of its first-ever, in-house reformer — called the btFORMER — manufactured for and by btone FITNESS. After years of operating on third-party machines, btone has brought its signature equipment design fully in-house, collaborating with Stream + Bleck Product Development to build their custom reformer from strategy to design to fabrication. This evolution comes at a pivotal moment for btone FITNESS as the brand continues its rapid expansion, with more than 50 studios slated to open across the United States within the next year, alongside recent openings in Orlando, North Raleigh, and Boston.

“Our new machine wasn’t built for the industry—it was made exclusively for btone FITNESS,” says Founder and CEO Jody Merrill. “Every feature was intentionally designed around our method, our members, and every body that walks through our studio doors. It’s sleek, powerful, and built to perform—just like our workouts, it delivers. The Stream + Bleck team brought our vision to life with exceptional creativity and engineering expertise, creating a product that we believe will set a new standard for boutique fitness in New England and beyond. We’re thrilled to unveil the next evolution of the btone experience: our new btFORMER.”

No detail was overlooked in the new design of these reformers. Over the past year, btone FITNESS and Stream + Bleck Product Development have been refining every aspect of the equipment with the member experience in mind, elevating materials for enhanced cleanliness, improving stability for safer movement, increasing traction for greater control, and expanding modification options to support every body type and fitness level. Built for durability and long-term performance, the new machine enhances every shake, every hold, and every step of the client’s fitness journey.

By designing its own reformer, btone FITNESS joins a select group of boutique fitness brands investing in proprietary equipment to protect and elevate their method. Manufactured in New England (North Chelmsford, Massachusetts) using talented local expertise, the new reformer reinforces btone’s commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and the overall brand experience. In-house production allows btone to maintain complete quality control, accelerate innovation and franchising, and thoughtfully scale the client experience nationwide. Beginning this month (June 2026), the new btFORMER will be introduced across both new and existing studios, with Chelmsford, Braintree, and Brighton, Massachusetts serving as the first btone locations to install the machines.

Purpose-built to enhance btone’s signature core-focused, resistance-based workouts, the btFORMER elevates the training experience to an entirely new level. James Bleck, President of Stream + Bleck Product Development, shares what’s new about the reformers: “The btFORMER includes numerous client-focused improvements, including enhanced stability, improved grip surfaces, ergonomic adjustments, quieter operation, expanded modification options, and design features that simplify studio maintenance and installation. This is a game changer for the btone FITNESS brand.”

*Click here to view these improvements.

Bleck adds, “This was an exciting opportunity to apply our design and engineering capabilities to enhance the overall btone experience. Jody and her team were visionary clients, providing us with great input on what needed to be improved. Working collaboratively, our designers and engineers developed a refined, high-performance product that seamlessly combines form and function. This is one of our first “design to  manufacturing to installation projects” and it was important to us and btone that we got it right while also carrying the label, ’Made in the USA.’ 90% of the reformer is produced in New England, with components sourced and manufactured in Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We’re excited to continue growing our presence in the health and fitness industry, which nicely complements our established expertise in medical devices and industrial product development.”

btone FITNESS clients are already buzzing about these new machines as well, several sharing:

“I love how ‘grippy’ the new machine feels! I’m much more stable on the textured surface which gives me the confidence to go deeper into each movement.”

“The new springs give me even more options for resistance so I can dial it up or down, faster and smoother, making transitions between movements even easier.”

“I’m not sure how it’s possible, but it makes the workout feel that much harder and more effective!”

“This is one of the most exciting milestones in our brand’s history,” Merrill concludes. “It’s especially meaningful as we celebrate more than 15 years in business and prepare to have over 50 new studios open in the coming year. This launch represents far more than a new product or piece of equipment—it’s a reflection of our mission. Through intentional design and functional movement, we’ve created something that works for every body while strengthening the supportive, connected community that defines the btone experience and legacy. It’s a commitment not only to the workout itself, but to our members who make it so special.”