Vought Employees Rack Up 65,870 Miles During Four-Week Walking Program

DALLAS, MAY 11, 2009 – Employees of Vought Aircraft Industries walked 65,870 miles in their second companywide walking challenge, nearly as much as the first one that lasted twice as long.

The four-week walking program, called Steps to a New You, took place in February. Vought issued 2,031 pedometers in late January for employees to track their progress. Nearly 900 employees completed the entire four-week walking program. During the first week, participants logged an average of 8,114 steps. By the fourth week, that number rose to 9,470 steps.

The distance Vought employees walked in February is enough to circle the globe 2.7 times or walk between New York City and Los Angeles 22 times.

Each of the Vought sites held weekly drawings from employees who submitted weekly walking tally sheets. The prizes included fitness-related items such as water bottles and sports apparel.

“Walking programs are a great way for people to start making exercise a part of their daily lives,” said Wellness Director Kevin Meiners.  “We have a lot of great programs to come.  We recently kicked off a month-long program focused on planning and tracking healthy habits. The other 2009 programs will cover heart health and eating balanced meals and snacks.  We emphasize that whatever your wellness goal is, we can help you achieve it.”

Vought kicked-off its LiveWell@Vought wellness program in June 2007 by hosting health fairs for active employees and their immediate families. Wellness participants continue to receive a free, confidential health screening each year. Annual health assessments are an integral part of the wellness program, as are ongoing challenges and educational seminars.

The company hired Cooper Aerobics Center’s consulting division, Cooper Ventures, and Alere (formerly Matria) Healthcare to develop and manage its LiveWell@Vought wellness program. A Cooper wellness coordinator is located onsite at most Vought sites to assist in the design and execution of the wellness program.

About Vought

Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com) is one of the world's largest independent suppliers of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, the company designs and manufactures major airframe structures such as wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has annual sales of approximately $1.8 billion and about 6,600 employees in nine U.S. locations.