Aspen Equipment Recognized for Making Health a Priority
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August 10, 2012—Hennepin County has recognized Aspen Equipment Company, Bloomington, Minn., for promoting worksite wellness at an award ceremony in June.
For the fourth year in a row, recognition was given to Aspen Equipment for being an employer who makes employee health a priority. Aspen Equipment’s creative and effective wellness policies and programs that encourage healthy lifestyle choices were also commended.
According to Sharon Hengel, HR director at Aspen Equipment, “We are tying wellness and workplace safety together, realizing that they are interrelated. Our 100 employees contribute to the culture of Aspen Equipment where we actively promote safety and well-being through fitness challenges, healthy food choices and events such as Aspen’s spring Health Fair.”
She added that the first three years of the program, the foundational aspects of our wellness program were set up, including biometric screenings, health assessments, health coaching and wellness challenges. “This past year, we focused on enhancing our hiring process,” Hengel said.
Aspen Equipment also enlisted the help of an occupational medicine provider to work with a physical therapist to observe and measure physical requirements of our labor workforce and look for opportunities for improvement.
Company President Steve Sill’s full support has allowed Aspen Equipment to create a wellness infrastructure and environment which inspire employees’ healthy choices. According to Sill, “We value our employees. They are our greatest asset so it makes sense to offer them healthy lifestyle programs that promote longevity and reduce stress. The results have been positive, all the way down to the bottom line, where reduced health care costs for our employees and the company have been realized in premium contribution credits. In fact, while many companies are cutting back on employee benefits, these savings help Aspen Equipment add more programs and provide a comprehensive benefit package for employees who average 13 years of employment.”
