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O.C. Tanner is branching into a new realm of helping companies reward employees for jobs well done.
Long known for creating artistic objects for employee-recognition programs, the Salt Lake City-based company announced Tuesday the creation of a new research and development arm known as Tanner Labs.
Its focus will be on developing wearable technology, mobile apps and incentives for employee wellness programs and other events that recognize career achievement and performance.
"Tanner Labs will have the back-end support and nimbleness to develop technology and act on market trends rapidly," said Dave Petersen, president and CEO of O.C. Tanner, which designed and manufactured the medals for the 2002 Winter Olympics and rings for U.S. team members in each Games since 2000.
The first product of this "internal think tank and incubator" will be unveiled later this month at the Human Resources Management (SHRM) Conference and Expo in Orlando.
Welbe is an application that will provide administrators of corporate wellness programs with aggregate information about their organization's overall well-being, Petersen said. It combines wearable devices, mobile apps and information supplied by employees to develop data to help the individual and company meet their wellness goals.
Noting that O.C. Tanner's recognition programs have helped companies inspire employees to "invent, create and discover" for 86 years, Tanner Lab Vice President Nate Walkingshaw said the think tank "will have the same vision, but fewer constraints when it comes to acting on trends and bringing products to market."
O.C. Tanner has clients, including numerous Fortune 100 companies, in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Mike Gorrell