PRO Group Policies Highlighted By Work & Family Research Network

Denver, Colorado (March 22, 2006) - Boston College's Sloan Work & Family Research Network is featuring PRO Group and the company's School Leave Policy as one of 15 featured case studies on workplace flexibility.

The Centennial, Colorado-based PRO Group is a merchandising and marketing company in the home improvement industry. The company's School Leave Policy supplements its flex hours program and allows employees paid time off work for volunteer activities in the community.

Author Ken Giglio, who selected the case studies, says, "I really was looking to get a mixture of companies - large and small, different industries, all over the country, public and private. PRO Group is doing some things that really work for the company and its employees." Giglio added, "Flexibility, I have found, is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, and companies need to figure out what works best for them. PRO Group, I believe, has done that."

Some of the other companies featured include AFLAC, Cisco Systems, RSM McGladrey, Texas Instruments and Xerox. The case studies are being offered as a resource for news reporters, academics and work-life professionals.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants to advance science, technology and the quality of American life. Through its Workplace, Work Force and Working Families program, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation plays a vital role in developing work-family scholarship and in supporting effective workplaces that meet the needs of working parents and older workers. For more information visit the Sloan Work and Family Research Network at http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/

PRO Group, Inc. is a multi-divisional, international merchandising and marketing organization with corporate headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Its operating units include PRO Hardware, GardenMaster, FARM MART and GOLDEN-LINK. The Company's purchasing power exceeds $3 billion through its 39 Member Distributors.

For More Information Contact:
Ruth Furman, Publicist
702-255-8288
ruth@ruthfurman.com
 
Steve Synnott, President & Chief Operating Officer
303-792-3000
steve.synnott@pro-group.com