Choosing health
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
Providing healthy options that are easily accessible — that’s the idea behind Great River Energy’s new micro mart, which provides fresh salads and nutritious snacks to plant employees.
The micro mart, located in what was previously a mail room, was installed this fall at Coal Creek Station as part of an effort by the company’s wellness committee to promote healthy eating. Generation Support Coordinator Angie Hegre, who serves as co-chair of the Coal Creek Station wellness committee, said the micro mart provides a plethora of options to employees and visitors alike.
“It has sandwiches, cheese sticks, milk, fruit trays, hummus, salads, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, just a bunch of options,” Hegre said. “It offers so many things that are better for you than just chips and candy.
Hegre said the micro mart, which uses an electronic self-checkout station and security cameras to monitor purchases, was installed Sept. 14 after the wellness committee paid a visit to a functioning micro mart in the area.
“We went over there, checked it out, saw how the whole process worked, how the security works, all those things, and then brought it back to this group,” Hegre said.
Hegre said after approaching Coal Creek leadership and other groups throughout the company, the feedback was in favor of the micro mart. GRE hired PepsiCo, which already operated the plant’s vending machines, to evaluate the available space and plan for the new feature.
