AIT named ‘Fit-Friendly Company’ by American Heart Association

AIT has been recognized as a Gold Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association and is among numerous, well-known companies from across the nation to be part of this initiative.

Designed to be a catalyst for positive change in American business, the Start! Fit-Friendly Program recognizes employers who champion the health of their employees by creating physical activity programs within the workplace. To be named as a Gold Level member, AIT had to meet the following criteria:

• Offer employees physical activity support
• Provide/increase healthy eating options at the worksite
• Promote a wellness culture
• Implement at least nine criteria as outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and culture

Some of the specific initiatives AIT has implemented that fulfilled the above parameters include:

• Implementing walking challenges
• Posting wellness information on the break room bulletin boards
• Encouraging employees to use stairs instead of elevators
• Offering healthy snacks in the vending machines
• Paying for gym memberships
• Offering health risk assessments twice a year
• Much more!

“Obtaining Fit-Friendly status through the American Heart Association is a great honor for AIT,” said Jenny Burke, wellness and benefits manager. “This is a very prestigious award, and we feel proud to join the elite list of companies who share in this status. We hope to further our partnership with the American Heart Association and will strive to continue to earn recognition for our wellness activities. This award signifies dedication to AIT’s greatest investment – the employees.”

AIT plans to apply for Platinum Level status for 2011, which means meeting the above criteria with an added parameter of demonstrating measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.

 To learn more about the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program, visit www.startwalkingnow.org/.

About AIT Laboratories:
AIT Laboratories, headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., is an independent reference laboratory that is a premiere testing and research institution recognized nationwide for superior customer service and quality in testing. AIT specializes in compliance monitoring, forensics, clinical, and pharmaceutical testing. AIT has been named one of the "Best Places to Work in Indiana" by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce for the third consecutive year. AIT has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top 5,000 fastest-growing, private companies in the nation for three consecutive years. In 2009, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce named AIT as the "Small Business of The Year." Learn more about AIT Laboratories at www.AITLabs.com and AIT Bioscience at www.AITBioscience.com.