(INDIANAPOLIS) -- Companies striking the right balance of taking care of employees while operating a successful organization were recognized tonight at the Indiana Roof Ballroom by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The group unveiled rankings for the 70 companies from throughout the state that made the 2011 Best Places to Work in Indiana list (which was released February 22). The awards dinner was presented by Comcast.

Two Central Indiana companies walked away with top honors. E-gineering, a technology consulting firm on the northeast side of Indianapolis that began operations in 2000, garnered first place in the small to medium-sized employer category. Among large employers it was the Microsoft Corporation, whose local office has delivered business consulting on software and technology solutions for more than 20 years. Both companies are new to the top spot; for E-gineering, this is the first year participating in the program.

Five companies -- Ash Brokerage (Fort Wayne), Columbus Regional Hospital, Edward Jones (statewide), Katz, Sapper & Miller (Indianapolis) and KPMG (Indianapolis) -- have made the Best Places to Work list all six years of the program's existence.

The top companies in the state are determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. Winners were selected from two categories: small to medium-sized companies of between 15 and 249 U.S. employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 250 or more employees nationwide. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 15 full-time employees are in Indiana.

The Best Companies Group, which handled the selection process, oversees similar programs in 21 other states.

"E-gineering and Microsoft embody what strong workplaces should look like - they are rooted in respect, teamwork and good communication, and, where possible, promote professional growth," states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. "All the organizations honored tonight are exemplary employers that foster a positive and productive work environment."

More information about the Best Places to Work companies is available via a special section of the May/June issue of the Indiana Chamber's BizVoice® magazine, a statewide publication released tonight and accessible online at www.bizvoicemagazine.com.

At the dinner, representatives from all designated companies were presented with Best Place to Work awards of excellence.

All companies that participated in the 2011 Best Places to Work program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. In turn, this report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs. For more information on the Indiana Chamber's Best Places to Work program, go to www.bestplacestoworkIN.com. You can sign up to be notified by e-mail when application details for the seventh annual competition are announced this summer.

In addition to Comcast, Best Places to Work in Indiana is sponsored by: Energy Systems Group, LLC; Horseshoe Casino Hammond; Mussett Nicholas + Associates, Inc.; Networks Financial Institute; Purdue University; Trilogy Health Services; FedEx; Indiana Wesleyan University - School of Business and Leadership; Jackson Lewis LLP; Matrix Integration, LLC; Roche Diagnostics Corporation; and Smithville Communications, Inc.

The full list of the 2011 Best Places to Work in Indiana companies by ranking:

Small to Medium-sized Companies (15-249 employees)
Rank / Company / Location                                                                          
1 E-gineering, LLC / Indianapolis
2 Lawson-Fisher Associates P.C. / South Bend
3 CONTACT by design / Bloomington
4 Scale Computing / Indianapolis
5 Indesign, LLC / Indianapolis
6 BlueSky Technology Partners / Noblesville
7 Bingham McHale LLP / Indianapolis
8 HardingPoorman Group, Inc. / Indianapolis
9 Purdue Federal Credit Union / West Lafayette
10 Somerset CPAs / Indianapolis
11 Energy Systems Group / Newburgh
12 Delivra / Indianapolis
13 Hollingsworth & Zivitz, P.C. / Carmel
14 FirstPerson / Indianapolis
15 Schmidt Associates / Indianapolis
16 Software Engineering Professionals (SEP) / Carmel
17 National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) / Indianapolis
18 United Consulting / Indianapolis
19 Krieg DeVault LLP / Indianapolis
20 Katz, Sapper & Miller / Indianapolis
21 Fusion Alliance, Inc. / Indianapolis
22 Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union / Indianapolis
23 Indiana Organ Procurement Organization / Indianapolis
24 Matrix Integration, LLC / Jasper
25 J.C. Hart Company, Inc. / Carmel
26 Apex Benefits Group, Inc. / Indianapolis
27 Hospice of the Wabash Valley and Visiting Nurse Association / Terre Haute
28 Private Fleet Backhaul / Anderson
29 MJ Insurance, Inc. / Indianapolis
30 Bose McKinney & Evans LLP / Indianapolis
31 VMS, Inc. / Indianapolis
32 Cardno JFNew / Walkerton
33 United Way of Central Indiana / Indianapolis
34 Communications Products, Inc. / Indianapolis
       
Large Companies (250 or more employees)
Rank / Company / Location           
1 Microsoft Corporation / Indianapolis
2 Edward Jones / Statewide
3 Centier Bank / Merrillville
4 Interactive Intelligence, Inc. / Indianapolis
5 ExactTarget / Indianapolis
6 St. Joseph Hospital / Kokomo
7 Aerotek / Indianapolis
8 WestPoint Financial Group / Indianapolis
9 Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company / Fort Wayne
10 Cassidy Turley / Indianapolis
11 The Capital Group Companies, Inc. / Carmel
12 Blue & Co., LLC / Carmel
13 Ogletree Deakins Law Firm / Indianapolis
14 Shiel Sexton Company, Inc. / Indianapolis
15 WOW! Internet~Cable~Phone / Evansville
16 Hilliard Lyons / Evansville
17 Hall, Render, Killian, Heath and Lyman, P.C. / Indianapolis
18 Hendricks Regional Health / Danville
19 Neace Lukens / Indianapolis
20 Ash Brokerage Corporation / Fort Wayne
21 RW Armstrong / Indianapolis
22 Clifton Gunderson LLP / Indianapolis
23 Medtronic / Warsaw
24 Union Hospital, Inc. / Terre Haute
25 Pepper Construction Company of Indiana, LLC / Indianapolis
26 KPMG LLP / Indianapolis
27 RCI / Carmel
28 Healthcare Therapy Services, Inc. / Greenwood
29 Trilogy Health Services, LLC / Noblesville
30 American Structurepoint, Inc. / Indianapolis
31 Hancock Regional Hospital / Greenfield
32 Good Samaritan Hospital / Vincennes
33 Columbus Regional Hospital / Columbus
34 Monarch Beverage / Indianapolis
35 Turner Construction Company of Indiana, LLC / Indianapolis
36 Horseshoe Casino / Hammond
 
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The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has been the state's largest broad-based business advocacy organization for over 85 years. The nearly 5,000 member companies employ 800,000 Hoosier workers.