California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness Honors Bentley Prince Street with 2010 Fit Business Award

LOS ANGELES, CA, November 12, 2010 (Press-News.org) Los Angeles-based commercial carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street (www.bentleyprincestreet.com) was once again honored as one of California's healthiest employers by the state of California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness. Receiving the highest Gold medal award for its unique innovations for a healthy workplace and clear commitment to employee wellness, Bentley Prince Street was recognized for exemplifying the best practices of fostering unique wellness programs that meet individual workplace needs. The 2010 California Fit Business Awards ceremony was held at the Disneyland Hotel on November 4th.

"By having full-scale, individualized health, nutrition and fitness programs available for our associates here at work, we're making it a little easier for them to have a healthy balance," said Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street. "Our associates are the foundation for our success and by providing health and wellness education, we are not only improving the health of our associates, we are building a stronger company."

"From school nutrition to workplace fitness programs, the legislature is working hard to implement policies that can create healthier environments for Californians," said Wellness Task Force member, Assemblyman Ed Hernandez. "Will power alone doesn't work for most of us. We need our institutions to support and encourage healthy lifestyles as well."

Bentley Prince Street's programs are designed to provide the education, tools and training to help improve its associates' quality of life, health and well being, extending far beyond typical employee benefits. A core element of this commitment is a Health and Wellness program offered to all associates, free of charge, in conjunction with Catherine Rudat's Wellness Corporation. Bentley Prince Street associates engage in walking groups, morning yoga and special competitions throughout the year. In addition to improving the health and wellness of associates, many take what they learn from the complimentary programs and share it with families and communities. Bentley Prince Street continues to see a significant decrease in the number of paid sick days.

Examples of Bentley Prince Street's program include:

- Every Bentley Prince Street associate can have a personal nutrition, fitness and wellness plan developed based on individual needs, with tailored exercise, nutrition, weight loss and training programs.

- More than 70% of associates use Bentley Prince Street's on-site 3,000 square foot, fully staffed state-of-the-art gym and workout facility for exercise, weight training and specialty classes.

- Daily morning flexibility/stretch session for all associates, with a near 100% participation rate and 40% of associates participate in the company's daily "walking club."

- Regular "Lunch and Learn" workshops featuring guest speakers on topics such as nutrition, fitness, women and hormones, money management and stress management, with more than 50% associate participation.

- 70% of associates participate in "The Survival of the Fittest" physical activity competitions including walking, gym attendance, yoga and sports, with gift certificates for the winners.

The ceremony followed a day of mini-conference workshops (sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Club One, Health Advocate, Pfizer, Wells Fargo Insurance Services and Bentley Prince Street), which included panel presentations, speakers, round table sessions, and a cooking demonstration by a Disney chef.

The California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness is a public and private collaboration of educators, healthcare advocates, health providers and legislators, who create programs and promote policies that improve health and fitness while lowering rates of obesity and diabetes in schools and workplaces. More award winners can be found at www.WellnessTaskForce.org.

Media Inquiries:
Angela Moore
Starfish P.R.,
310-429-8868
angela@starfish-pr.com

About Bentley Prince Street
Defining style, color, quality and service for 30 years, Bentley Prince Street manufactures and markets award-winning broadloom and carpet tile products for commercial interiors across the globe. Bentley Prince Street is committed to sustainable commerce and innovations to integrate style and function with environmental practices through its Mission Zero goal of eliminating any negative impact it has on the environment by the year 2020. With the industry's most comprehensive vertical carpet manufacturing facility, the company maintains third-party certification to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System and the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System. Based in Los Angeles County, California, Bentley Prince Street is a subsidiary of Interface, Inc., a global provider of floor coverings. For more information, please visit www.bentleyprincestreet.com and http://bpscarpet.blogspot.com.