Gage Brothers has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping its employees eat better and move more.

This is the fourth straight year that Gage Brothers has been recognized by the AHA as a fit-friendly worksite. The company attained gold-level status from 2013-2015.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum Level Fit-Friendly Worksite,” said Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley. “Advancing the health, safety and well-being of our workforce is an absolute priority; it’s a commitment that encompasses the environments in which our employees work and the communities in which they live.”

He added, “”We’re offering smart eating options, physical activities, tools, tips, and incentives, and it’s rewarding to see our employees making better, more confident decisions about their health and wellness.”

Through the Fit Friendly Worksite program, AHA recognizes employers who go above and beyond when it comes to their employees’ health. It rewards organizations for their progressive leadership and concern for their staff.

Platinum-level employers:

• Offer employees physical activity options in the workplace.
• Increase healthy eating options at the worksite.
• Promote a wellness culture in the workplace.
• Implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
• Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.

Gage Brothers supports a wellness culture in a variety of ways and employee surveys show health initiatives are making a difference. Gage Brothers’ healthy initiatives, which led to the Fit-Friendly award include:

• Gage Brothers employees who are insured through the company’s health insurance provider receive a free membership to GreatLIFE Malaska Golf & Fitness. Team members are also encouraged to combine community involvement with physical activities by participating in golf and bowling tournaments, fun runs and walks benefitting various charities.
• Employees have easy access to information on exercise and nutrition, as well as tips on how to change and keep habits. Gage Brothers offers a variety of incentives, such as corporate wellness challenges, along with free flu shots and biometric screenings, to help team members stay on track and reach their goals.
• Office employees participated in a discussion that highlighted the dangers of prolonged sitting and were encouraged to install a StretchClock break reminder on their computers.
• A corporate tobacco cessation program: five employees have completed the four-week course and remained smoke-free since the program’s establishment in late 2013. There are currently 13 employees enrolled in the program.
• Gage Brothers partnered with a local medical facility to offered free, on-site skin cancer screenings to employees.

Thanks to these initiatives and others, more Gage Brothers employees are reporting increased physical activity, less stress, and improved health.  In addition, Gage Brothers employees are, today, more knowledgeable about their own health data than ever and many who participate in company team-based challenges continue the activity for an eight-week period.

Recognition is a critical component of the Fit-Friendly Worksites program. Employers that join this program qualify for official recognition by the American Heart Association. Qualifying worksites also have the right to use the program’s annual recognition seal for internal communications and with external, recruitment-related communications.

“We are very proud to be one of only a handful of companies in Sioux Falls to be recognized as a Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association, now for the fourth consecutive year,” said Cassie Nicolai, Gage Brothers Human Resources and Safety Manager. “In the past few years, we have really tried to focus the program’s efforts on bringing education and services, such as health screenings, on-site to where the employees are working. Of course these efforts have a positive effect on the company’s bottom line but more importantly it shows our team members we are invested in them as a person.”

Gage Brothers is one of 11 organizations in the State of South Dakota to be recognized as a Fit-Friendly Worksite. Here is the complete list:

The American Heart Association Fit-Friendly Worksite program is a catalyst for positive change in America’s workforce; through helping worksites make their employees’ health and well-being a priority.

American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.

For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program and how it’s helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on the workplace, call 800-437-9710 or visit heart.org/worksitewellness.

###

Employment Opportunities

Gage Brothers is currently seeking qualified applicants to fill positions at various levels of the precast concrete engineering process.  For a current list of openings available at Gage Brothers, visit our careers page here.

About Gage Brothers 

Gage Brothers Concrete Products Incorporated (gagebrothers.com) was established in 1915 by members of the Gage family and now employs more than 250 employees in northwest Sioux Falls. Employee-owned since 2008, Gage Brothers has a proud tradition of being a leading manufacturer of innovative architectural and structural precast concrete products. Products manufactured at the Sioux Falls plant can be found throughout the upper Midwest, including projects throughout Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.  The Midwest’s premier precast concrete company registered $61 million in sales last year.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, the organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters working tirelessly to eliminate these diseases. It funds innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives. The AHA’s nationwide organization includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees.