Client Success
     Hammer Packaging Corp.
     JML Optical Industries, Inc.
     Southco, Inc.

Hammer Packaging Corporation

Hammer Packaging, a Rochester, New York, packaging printer, is the largest maker of cut and stack labels in the United States. Top customers include Nestlé's Poland Spring water, Coca-Cola's Minute Maid juices, PepsiCo's Tropicana, and Cadbury-Schweppes' Snapple and Mott's beverages

Herman J. Meyering, the great-grandfather of the current President and CEO, Jim Hammer, founded it in 1912 as the Genesee Valley Lithographic Company. Hammer runs a three-shift operation, 6 or 7 days a week. It uses the latest technology, including printing machines costing up to $5 million and maintains an ISO 9001:2001 Registered Quality System. All told, Hammer employs 265 people in the Rochester area, including the 92,000-square-foot facility in Henrietta opened in 1999.

Seven years ago, Hammer hired the Community Nursing Center, predecessor of Health Checkpoint, to conduct on-site nurse wellness counseling. After performing an organizational health assessment, the CNC began spending 15 hours each month at the four Hammer facilities. Eva Bellis, director of Health Checkpoint, and Julie Kuss, Project Nurse, typically visit each facility for two to three hours, and the employees sign up for an appointment that might last five minutes or an hour, depending on the situation. Alice Curry, Director of Human Resources sets the times and posts them for the employees to see. Eva Bellis says that Hammer is a very family-oriented company. If one member of a family is hired, others join when they hear what a great place it is to work. She feels like a member of the family and everyone treats her that way. Eva and Julie liken their work to providing a personal, caring on-site employee assistance plan, helping with problems that include management of diabetes and weight loss, monitoring blood pressure, and assisting with depression and alcohol problems. They give advice and guidance, point people to health care and community resources, and connect directly with the employees’ physicians and therapists.

Hammer Packaging believes in the work of Health Checkpoint because it sees better health in its employees. Managing hypertension is one strong focus, and Eva Bellis recounts several success stories, in which her team brought dangerously high blood pressure under control by constant monitoring and collaboration with the employee’s physician. As Eva points out, “Our clients may see their doctor rarely, and often only when they are sick. We are available regularly, in the workplace, at no cost to the employee, so they are much more likely to see us.” Overweight exacerbates hypertension and type II diabetes; the team works with employees to achieve and maintain a healthy target weight through improved nutrition and increased physical activity. Monitoring weight is important, but so is encouragement and education.

Hammer Packaging recently received the Best Workplace in the Americas 2006 designation for its exemplary human resources practices. The award, presented by the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) recognizes individuals and companies for outstanding accomplishments in the graphic communications industry. Hammer Packaging has earned the distinction in four of the six years it has existed. A panel of highly respected human resource professionals judge applicants on eight criteria, including Health and Wellness Programs.

JML Optical Industries, Inc.

Joseph M. Lobozzo II founded JML Optical Industries in 1972 to design, manufacture, and distribute precision optical components and systems. It serves domestic and international original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers, in the commercial and government sectors, with high quality optics in prototype to high volume quantities.
The Community Nursing Center, predecessor of Health Checkpoint, piloted a Telehealth Monitoring Kiosk at JML, to monitor the blood pressure and weight of employees remotely. In the four years since, the role of Health Checkpoint has grown to include screening employees with Health Risk Appraisals, and 1-to-1 Nurse Wellness Coaching. About fifty of JML’s 100 employees participate in the company-paid program. Mr. Lobozzo says that he is happy to pay for employees because they are committed to, and serious about, the program.

Eva Bellis, Director of Health Checkpoint, reports excellent results in helping employees to manage hypertension, diabetes, weight, physical fitness, and other conditions.

Southco, Inc.

Founded in 1899 as a specialty pipe manufacturer for the burgeoning Pennsylvania oil industry, Southco, Inc. began manufacturing specialty fastener and latches in 1945. In 1955, it acquired the Lion Fastener Company in Honeoye Falls, New York. Southco’s products include locks, latches, captive fasteners, hinges, and handles, for industries that include marine, automotive, HVAC, medical equipment, network, telecommunications, and computers.

Southco has had the Community Nursing Center give its employees flu immunizations for several years, but this year Health Checkpoint held a Health Fair at the Honeoye Falls plant. Eva Bellis, director of Health Checkpoint, says that the day was a great success. Eva and Rebecca Locke, project nurse, met with 120 employees in a grueling ten-hour day. The company erected a large tent to house the Health Fair and take advantage of the balmy fall weather, but it rained torrentially all day. Despite the adverse conditions, they screened every employee for blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol, bone density, body mass, and body fat, giving them wellness counseling and health education materials. Eva and Rebecca presented the company with an aggregate report and recommendations to improve the health of the employees. Southco has asked Health Checkpoint to repeat the Health Fair in 2007.