LEE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Southern Base of the Research Triangle Region NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Ê STATE, LOCAL DIGNITARIES HELP ARDEN CELEBRATE 10 SAFE YEARS AT WORK SANFORD -- A long list of state and local dignitaries filed into Arden late yesterday morning to help employees celebrate 10 years without an industrial accident resulting lost time on the job. About 150 people marked the occasion with a luncheon and awards presentation for Arden's Sanford Food Service and Institutional Division on Broadway Road. Long tables were arranged in space cleared on the plant floor, and white balloons touting the 10-year safety award dotted the scene. North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry, who came from Raleigh for the luncheon, said a decade of safe work a major accomplishment for any company. Last year, for example, the Department of Labor recognized only 105 companies statewide for completing 1 million work hours without an accident resulting in lost time. While calculations have not yet been made for Arden, Berry figures Arden's total probably approaches 2 million work hours already. Guests attending the luncheon got an understated snapshot of what Arden managed to achieve when they entered the Sanford plant. Passing by a set of offices and onto the plant floor, visitors were greeted with a small, simple sign with green and blue ink on white cardboard. "We have proudly worked 3,650 days without a lost time accident," it read. "Previous record, 420 days. Safety is no accident." Ironically, the commercially-produced sign provided just three digits for each numerical display. To show how many days they had worked without a lost time accident, Arden employees had to print the thousands digit on paper and tape it to the sign. After Berry made her presentation, State Rep. John Sauls, R-Sanford, congratulated sea of employees, all wearing white shirts commemorating the occasion, and read a proclamation from the North Carolina House of Representatives honoring Arden. Congratulations also were offered by Sanford Mayor Winston Hester, Broadway Mayor Harold Harrington, and Herb Hincks, chairman of the Lee County Board of Commissioners. Arden officials -- owner Bob Sachs, chief financial officer John Connell and vice president of Sanford operations Al Smith -- then took the microphone to express their thanks and close the program. Sachs credited everyone working together for the decade of safe work. "What this means is that all we preach about safety is a source of pride. It's heard and put into practice," he said as guests and employees lined up for a barbecue lunch. "It takes the company to support the people and the people to support the company," he said. "It's a two-way street." Based in Southfield, Mich., Arden Companies is a leading supplier of outdoor and household consumer products, and is the largest manufacturer of outdoor furniture replacement cushions and umbrellas in the United States. The company operates two facilities in Sanford, across from each other on Broadway Road, with others in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Amarillo, Texas; Fort Wayne Ind.; and Kendallville, Ind. For more information: http://www.ardencompanies.com NOTE TO EDITORS: Some photos are available of this event, including Commissioner Cherie Berry at the podium. Contact Chip Pate, 919-542-5298, or news@lcedc.com. --------------- ECONOMIC BRIEFS STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER CHERIE BERRY said today a safety awards banquet will be held in Sanford this spring, one of about 30 scheduled each year throughout the Tar Heel State. Companies eligible for safety awards should file applications with the Department of Labor. Last year, 1,800 safety awards of some type were presented throughout the state. For information: http://www.nclabor.com/osha/consult/safaward.htm AN ONLINE "DIRECTORY OF LEE COUNTY OFFICIALS" is now available from the Lee County Economic Development Corp. It includes contact information, biographies and photos (when available) for mayors, managers, commissioners and councilmen serving Lee County, Sanford and Broadway. Also, entries for the county's state and federal legislators, along with a list of school board members. Entries will be expanded and updated as new information is received. The directory is accessible from the media relations page (http://www.lcedc.com/media/) or directly at http://www.lcedc.com/media/officials/bioindex.htm) The Lee County Economic Development Corp. is a nonprofit organization established to attract industry, enhance job opportunities and promote sound planning across Lee County. Funding is provided by the county, as well as the City of Sanford and Town of Broadway, the county's two municipalities. --30-- Media Contacts: Bob Heuts, Director Jane Haber, Administrative Assistant 919-774-8439 (phone) 919-775-5410 (fax) info@lcedc.com (e-mail) Media Web: http://www.lcedc.com/media/ This release: http://www.lcedc.com/media/releases/nr021104.txt