If you’re a fan of the best in all-natural organic trail mix, chances are you’re already familiar with Aurora Products in Orange, Connecticut. That’s just one item made on-site by their team of 245 employees who help keep Aurora Product’s reputation for quality strong and secure. The company, an A.I.M. Mutual policyholder, takes an active role in its workers’ compensation insurance partnership, building safety awareness into its culture. Here Greg Blackwell, ASP, Risk Control Manager, discusses what sets Aurora Products apart, both as a manufacturer and an employer.

Quality from the Beginning

Aurora Products is a light industrial manufacturing facility that packages only the highest quality and freshest all-natural and organic dried fruits, nuts, trail mixes, grains, salad toppings, and granolas. Established in 1998, Aurora Products is a leader in offering only the best top-quality products to stores throughout the nation.

Aurora makes its own trail mixes, roasts and seasons its own nuts, and packages products in a variety of sizes. All items are genuinely all natural, and our products contain no preservatives, artificial colors, or additives.

Aurora strives to maintain its superior status for Safe Quality Foods (SQF) and is awarded SQF Quality and Food Safety Certification on an annual basis. This certification assures that all our products provide consumers with food that is safe to buy and eat.

Innovation and Progress

For differing varieties of consumers, Aurora offers specific lines of products, including kosher and organic. Aurora also prides itself in having all-natural goods that are pasteurized, roasted, baked, and packed right here on our premises.

Thanks to appealing packaging and unique variety, people can enjoy a snack in any number of ways: family tubs, stowaway containers, car jars you can place in a cupholder, resealable pouches to carry along, even football-shaped tubs during the NFL season, to name a few. Our quality is second to none, and our facility is meticulously kept, consistently scoring above a 93 percent on our SQF audits for the past 10 years, which we proudly maintain at level 3. The result is a local, fresh, high-quality product that always meets standards.

Workplace Safety and Return-to-Work

The primary safety concerns at our workplace are repetitive motion disorders; sprains and strains; and slips, trips, and falls. To prevent these injuries, A.I.M. Mutual has provided a rigorous program on stretching that our employees incorporate at multiple times throughout their shift. A.I.M. Mutual has also provided recommendations on slip resistant mats and shoes for our sanitation department, ergonomic adjustable tables, and a substantial amount of guidance on spill containment and cleanup. The company spurs continuous improvement in our safety programs and practices with safety audits, toolbox talk templates, and coaching.

In the event of an injury, we closely monitor the claim process for many reasons. We need to ensure the employee is able to work without discomfort to avoid further aggravation of injuries. We also understand a number of factors can affect the outcome of a claim’s compensability.

Aurora assists in the return-to-work process by providing sustainable alternative job tasks based on job restrictions, checking in on employees on temporary total disability, and acting as a liaison between A.I.M. Mutual and the injured employee. Aurora always strives to make reasonable accommodations for all employees, provided they can remain seated and utilize at least one of their hands.

As a carrier, A.I.M. Mutual has helped Aurora in a myriad of ways. Their regional service team—Karen Orton, Chris King, and Dottie Tatoian—is very responsive. The A.I.M. Vantage wellness program offers a system of surveys to determine the biggest concern about workplace injuries for employees. For injury prevention, Chris works closely with us on everything from ergonomics to training and safety protocols.

On the claim side, Dottie brings years of expertise and advice for handling claim scenarios, and she actively provides an additional point of contact for us in the overall claim management process. In addition, she is available for in-person engagement with us and our injured employees, which goes above and beyond what was experienced with our previous carrier. Communication as a whole is one of the key differentiating factors as to why A.I.M. Mutual is a highly competent carrier for Aurora

 

Share This Article