Case Study

June 9, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

We are a South Florida broker-dealer that has always taken pride in enhancing our employees’ lives and improving their wellbeing.

In 2002, we encountered the worst kind of sticker shock: a 20% rise in the company’s health insurance premiums (the U.S. average increase was 10.2%). At that time, we decided to take radical steps to launch a workplace wellness program that would address the physical and emotional health of about 100 employees.

Take The Magic Step’s own Uta Pippig and marathon and nutrition coach Dieter Hogen were brought in during that period in 2002, and over the next years they helped to transform AVM into a health and wellness pioneer.

AVM installed a state-of-the-art fitness facility available to all employees. Uta and Dieter then delivered essential nutrition and motivation tools. Thanks to their guidance, our kitchen now boasts an abundance of fruit and nutritious choices where we used to have sugary snacks and cereals.

With their personal one-on-one exercise and nutrition coaching—and electronic newsletters on health, wellness and exercise—Take The Magic Step has helped to bring dramatic and lasting changes that affect our bottom line health costs and boost our employee productivity. Other benefits include higher morale and less absenteeism.

Since 2002, our premiums have decreased each year by multiple percentage points—well below the national average. This translates to a savings of over $2,600 per employee, which totals over a quarter of a million dollars per year.

Sincerely,

Julie McCaffrey
Director of Human Relations
AVM L.P.