Meier Supply Co. is encouraging company-wide fitness with the Meier Supply eight-week Biggest Loser Competition.

The competition is voluntary and is being presented through a partnership with Live Fit Training of Vestal, N.Y. It rewards individual employees and teams for their accomplishments through weekly weight loss challenges and includes a grand prize at the end of the competition for the winning team and the individual.

The competition, which began July 18 and ends Sept. 13, has 14 teams and 45 individuals signed on to participate. In addition to Meier Supply Co. employees, teams can include a spouse or child over the age of 18.

“Meier Supply is known for its teamwork and for having a competitive ‘always be the best’ spirit, so the style of this program seemed like a perfect fit for us,” said Frank Meier Jr., president and CEO of Meier Supply Co.

All participants will have access to online personal training from Live Fit Training to assist them in reaching their fitness goals. To level the playing field for all participants, regardless of weight loss goals, and to preserve the confidentiality of participants, challenges will be based on weight loss percentages, not pounds lost. Prizes include monetary awards as well as incentives such as extra vacation days and hotel stays.

“Clearly, lifestyle choices play a major role in an individual’s health,” said Meier, “But the impact doesn’t end with that individual. It affects all of us in one way or another.”

Meier cited the increasing number of companies offering some form of wellness benefit and went on to say that healthy employees can mean a healthier bottom line for any company.

“We want to offer our employees all the tools at our disposal to assist them in adopting a healthy lifestyle,” he said.