Bison Gear gets 'Healthiest Company in America' award
In recognition of the significant improvement achieved in overall employee health metrics, Bison Gear has received the "Healthiest Company in America" award from Interactive Health Solutions (IHS).
"Everyone talks about health care today, but more than a dozen years ago, Bison Gear began creating a corporate culture that encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own health and to take an active role in their preventative care," said Bison Gear CEO Martin Swarbrick.
The award is based on clinical evaluations of employee participants across an index that tests for indicators of heart disease, diabetes, smoking and other measures of health status that are in part controllable by an individual. When Bison constructed its headquarters and manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Ill., in 1997, the gearmotor manufacturer budgeted for a completely equipped employee fitness center. More recently, it has invested in an onsite clinician ready medical resource center. In addition, a cross-functional team of Bison "Health Ambassadors" has been formed to develop and communicate health awareness and improvement programs throughout the company.
Working with IHS, Bison hosts an annual Wellness Fair for employees and their family members that includes free diagnostic testing and counseling. "Years ago, we were fortunate to win the business of an up and coming exercise equipment company," said Ron Bullock, chairman and owner of Bison Gear. "That customer relationship, which still endures, has contributed to the health of our business. More importanly, though, it made us more aware of the benefits of proactive health management and that has been an even greater contribution to every Bison associate."
About Bison Gear & Engineering Corporation
Founded in 1960, Bison Gear & Engineering Corporation designs and manufactures fractional horsepower electric motors, gearmotors and gear reducers used in industrial and commercial OEM applications worldwide. Bison's strong engineering tradition, based on Robusticity principles, offers products with up to twice as much torque in the same package size as competitors. Bison's St. Charles, Ill., integrated production facility manufactures gearmotors and reducers in parallel shaft and right angle configurations, as well as AC and DC electric motors, for applications where dependability and long lifetimes are important.