Alex Lee Rolls Out Worksite Wellness Program
Alex Lee Inc., parent company of supermarket chain Lowes Foods and wholesaler Merchants Distributors LLC, has introduced a worksite wellness program that aims to improve employees’ health and fitness. The program is available to Alex Lee, Lowes and Merchants Distributors associates.
The company’s employees can now personalize their fitness goals by choosing from a range of exercise classes at local studios that best fit their needs and schedules. The employer-sponsored classes are provided via digital platform Peerfit.
“Our employees are the cornerstone of our company, and we want to promote their health and well-being,” said Robert Vipperman, SVP of human resources and innovation at Hickory, N.C.-based Alex Lee. “This customized program is designed to increase participation – and enjoyment – in wellness activities. At Alex Lee, we want to unleash the full energy and talents of our employees, and we think Peerfit supports this goal.”
The program is rolling out to 3,000 full-time employees in Hickory, Wilmington and Winston-Salem, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., before expanding companywide by the end of the year.
“Active employees are happier, healthier and more productive,” noted Edward J. Buckley III, CEO of Tampa, Fla.-based Peerfit, who has a doctorate in digital health, adding that the program would “help one of the Carolinas’ largest private employers develop a culture of fitness for their employees by providing an easy way to participate in Alex Lee’s workplace wellness program with their co-workers, friends and families.”
Peerfit’s interactive social dashboard enables users to connect with their social networks as well as the program’s existing community of fitness fans for motivation and accountability. Employees can also invite family and friends to join them in local exercise classes.
Besides Peerfit, Alex Lee offers such on-site wellness benefits as health coaches, massages and year-round fitness challenges, along with Aetna health insurance.
Family-owned and –operated Alex Lee employs about 10,000 people. Lowes Foods consists of nearly 100 full-service grocery stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, in addition to Just Save food stores in North Carolina.