Pennsylvania-based c-store chain Sheetz has gotten the green light to build another health facility for its workers.
The Blair County Planning Commission gave a Sheetz “Shwellness Center” in Altoona, Pennsylvania, approval last week, a spokesperson for the commission confirmed. The proposal, which was posted by the county in early October, allows the company to turn a property at 5800 Sixth Ave. into a wellness center for employees.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot structure, built in 1980, is across the street from a Sheetz convenience store.
Wellness centers are one of the benefits Sheetz offers its workers, along with perks like education assistance and pet insurance. The first Shwellness center opened in 2012 in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, right next to a Sheetz Distribution Center. That site includes a quarter-mile outdoor track, exercise rooms and cardio and strength equipment, as well as a learning center and certain health screenings and treatments for acute or chronic illnesses.
Last year, Sheetz opened one of the centers in Burlington, North Carolina, according to a LinkedIn post. The post noted that employees and their spouses and dependants have access to options like exercise equipment, classes, personal training, saunas and massage therapy.
As convenience stores look to find and retail good workers, increasing the number and type of benefits is one strategy they’ve adopted. Most notably, companies like Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores and Sheetz have added education opportunities.
Sheetz did not answer questions by press time about what will be offered at the Altoona site, but the Altoona Mirror reported it is expected to offer employees routine medical appointments, physical therapy and behavior consultations.
