This Company Takes Wellness Seriously and Life Fitness Helped With Their Mission

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is a rapidly growing company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company is not only successful when it comes to business, but also in terms of employee health.

When the pandemic forced the company’s more than 8,000 employees to work from home, CEO Steve Jacobson decided Fairway should do something to keep them active while away from the office. So, Fairway offered to pick up the cost of one of six pieces of Life Fitness cardio equipment for employees who have been with the company at least one year (sales roles received a $2,000 allowance for their purchase). Those interested in the Wellness Equipment Program choose from a C1 upright bike, RS3 recumbent bike, IC5 indoor cycle, T5 treadmill, Row GX trainer or an Arc Trainer. Bill’s Fitness Store, a fitness equipment dealer in Madison, fulfills the orders, which are compiled quarterly.

“Steve Jacobson is very health conscious and helps drive wellness into the Fairway culture. He truly cares about our employees and their total well-being,” said Nancy Stobbe, Fairway’s Wellness Program Manager. “That resonates with our employees.”

Added Bill Bull, owner of Bill’s Fitness Store: “I set up the corporate fitness center at Fairway for their employees as well as sold the owner an Arc Trainer. They started to think about doing this and contacted me to see how we could make it happen. I created a website for their company for their employees to put their orders in. Fairway is a great company and really cares about their employees. I love working with them.”

The response to the offer has been amazing. As of late September, orders for nearly 3,000 cardio pieces had been placed. That’s more than 1/3 of the workforce at Fairway.

I received the recumbent bike today. It is beautiful. I want to thank Fairway so much for this unforgettable, thoughtful gift. It will be used daily for many years. Exercise is so important right now, to help our bodies stay healthy and fight the pandemic. Fairway really does care! I feel very blessed to be a part of this wonderful team.” - Peggy P.

“I have a feeling we’ll be (offering the program) into next year as well,” explained Stobbe. “We’re getting a lot of feedback from new hires, and have now rolled out a promotion and program for newer employees hired through the end of the year to receive the wellness equipment. People who have come on board recently saw it and think, ‘Wow! They really care about their employees.’”

Employee wellness is nothing new to Fairway. The company has on-site gyms at its office locations in Madison and Texas, complete with fitness directors, personal trainers and group classes. During the pandemic, Fairway has offered live and on-demand classes featuring its personal trainers and a partnership with Wellbeats.

“If your employees aren’t well emotionally, mentally and physically they won’t be nearly as happy or productive,” said Stobbe. “Our recruiting team is sharing all of the wellness benefits that we offer our employees. It’s a competitive market right now in the mortgage industry. We are blessed to have a CEO and Executive Team who put wellness at the forefront for our employees and our company culture.”

We both are definitely in need of some exercise, and this will eliminate at least some of the excuses we use for not getting any fitness time in. Having been in the mortgage industry for most of our adult lives, we have worked for many others who have not valued their employees as Fairway has.” - Tom and Jennifer D.