New initiatives aimed at improving productivity and expertise
May 22, 2014 – Moncton, NB – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Smartpods is undertaking two initiatives aimed at reducing production costs and gaining greater knowledge, thanks to investments by the Government of Canada. The Smartpods office environment technology is designed to improve employee health and wellness, increase productivity and lower health related costs.
Robert Goguen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), joined Smartpods officials today to make the announcement.
The funding will assist the company with the development, manufacturing and distribution of Smartpods, a proactive dynamic workstation designed to allow normally sedentary office workers to perform their tasks in an unobtrusive active environment. The company has also hired an individual with extensive office furniture industry experience to launch its innovative product, and develop a reseller network. Smartpods also expects to gain greater information and intelligence on the effects dynamic workstations. Smartpods continues to be a pioneer in the development of the importance of dynamic movement in the workplace.
The Government of Canada is investing $170,900 in these two projects, through ACOA’s Business Development Program.
Quick Facts:
• Léon DesRoches, President - Smartpods, is also the owner of Sparx Wellness Institute (a multi-disciplinary health and wellness Institute) located in Dieppe. Mr. DesRoches holds two Bachelor’s degrees: one in Kinesiology from Université de Moncton and the other in Physiotherapy from Dalhousie University.
• The Mayo Clinic website indicates that “researchers have linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.”
Quotes:
“Our Government is pleased to invest in innovative companies like Smartpods that are working to improve the health of our Canadian workforce. Funding announced today will help Smartpods develop their revolutionary workstation design and secure the expertise necessary to effectively bring their product to market.”
- Robert Goguen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick and Minister of State (ACOA)
“Smartpods appreciates the support of the Government of Canada in their financial assistance in order to help push our product forward in becoming one of the leaders in innovative office furniture that improves the Health and Wellness of thousands of employees. These investments will propel our company in the forefront of innovative office technologies but more importantly completely change the way people are currently working in the office setting. The interest that Smartpods has received in the past few months from the US and CAN has been remarkable. It is for this reason that we will also be using these funds in order to expand our market in the US in the upcoming year. This is an exciting time for our company and we will continue to be the leader for innovative technology in the office environment in order to continue to improve Health and Wellness, increase productivity as well as improving the overall workplace environment for all our users.”
- Léon DesRoches, President - Smartpods
Associated Links
• www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca
• www.actionplan.gc.ca
• www.smartpods.ca
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sitting/AN02082
Contacts
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Paul CJ LeBlanc
Senior Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-452-3310
Léon DesRoches
President
Smartpods
506-878-0799
Marc Melanson
Senior Sales Consultant
Smartpods
506-588-0208
