1-800 CONTACTS Wins Utah's Most Prestigious Award for Workplace Excellence -- Work/Life Award: Utah's Best Places to Work -- for the Fifth Consecutive Year; Nearly 200 Companies Competed for the Honor

1-800 CONTACTS Wins Utah's Most Prestigious Award for Workplace Excellence -- Work/Life Award: Utah's Best Places to Work -- for the Fifth Consecutive Year; Nearly 200 Companies Competed for the Honor

		1-800 contacts logo. (PRNewsFoto) LOS ANGELES, CA USA

DRAPER, Utah, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, 1- 800 CONTACTS, the world's largest contact lens store(TM), has received Utah's most prestigious award for work place excellence, the Work/Life Award: Best Places to Work. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040107/LACONTACTSLOGO) One hundred and eighty eight companies competed for the honor -- the largest number of nominations ever received, according to the Department of Workforce Services. Twenty one winners were announced in three size categories: large, medium and micro companies. Gov. Jon Huntsman joined the award winners at a formal luncheon ceremony July 16 in Salt Lake City. In winning the award, Max Neves, Vice President of Human Resources, said the recognition "is a high honor that reflects our uncompromising commitment to treating our associates as partners and colleagues. Creating an exemplary work life environment has been a top priority at 1-800 CONTACTS since the company was founded in 1995." In the past few years, 1-800 CONTACTS has introduced a number of associate-friendly policies including such things as a "work-at-home" option that allows associates to work from home; and an Associate Outreach Fund which provides emergency, limited, one-time, non-recurring financial assistance to associates experiencing a unique financial crisis. In addition, 1-800 CONTACTS associates enjoy flexible work schedules as well as an award winning cafeteria and 5,000 square foot gym and wellness center staffed with four personal trainers and equipped with the latest exercise machines, free weights, electronic games, showers, and personal TV's with TiVo. Background on 1-800 CONTACTS 1-800 CONTACTS, based in Draper, Utah, is the world's largest contact lens store. The company stocks almost 10 million contact lenses and delivers over 150,000 every day directly to customers. 1-800 CONTACTS has delivered over sixteen million orders to more than five million customers since the company was created in 1995. Through its easy-to-remember, toll-free telephone number "1-800 CONTACTS" (1-800-266-8288) and its Internet Web site, http://www.1800contacts.com, the company sells all of the most popular brands of contact lenses including Acuvue Oasys, Acuvue Advance, and Focus DAILIES. High volume, cost-efficient operations enable 1-800 CONTACTS to offer products at competitive prices while delivering a high level of customer service.