Does he have any professional experience in the fitness industry?
10 seconds of online research tells me that the county has nearly 20% of people living below the poverty line. So go into it knowing that a gym membership is a luxury item. 5 more seconds of research tells me that there are about a dozen gyms within a 30-40 minute drive, including a CrossFit box. So, there’s plenty of competition.
Definitely check the thread USMC posted (side note - if Jake starts posting on the forum again, that’d be very cool). This is also a more recent thread where @pookie79 got advice about opening a gym.
I’d try contacting federations that hold local meets and get their input.
Trainers aren’t “required”, but they’re definitely a potential source of income and clients. The trade-off is that you’re getting into the issue of everything from staffing, taxes, and insurance, to inter-personal drama and client poaching (trainers taking gym members and training them elsewhere).
Basically a must-have, otherwise you’re opening yourself to a host of potential problems.