Best Places to Work Rankings

In a repeat performance, investment giant Edward Jones and Schmidt Associates, a full-service architectural firm in downtown Indianapolis, took top honors tonight in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s third annual “Best Places to Work in Indiana” program. This marks the third time Edward Jones – with 356 branch offices in the state – has finished number one among the large employers, while Schmidt Associates has garnered first place both times its entered the small to medium-sized employer category.

The Indiana Chamber announced rankings for all 66 companies that made the Best Places to Work in Indiana list at an awards dinner at the Indiana Roof Ballroom attended by 800 Hoosier businesspeople. Names of companies on the list had been released February 25. The 2008 program was presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The honorees were determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys, with winners selected in two categories: small to medium-sized companies of between 25 and 249 employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 250 or more employees. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Indiana.

The Best Companies Group has overseen similar programs in 18 other states. ModernThink, LLC, a workplace excellence consulting firm, handled the selection process. The basis for this initiative is Fortune magazine’s noted “100 Best Places to Work for” list.

“Three factors stand out as to why Edward Jones and Schmidt Associates top the list,” states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “Both are devout in their philosophy and make sure employees are onboard with it. They are also modern in their culture through open communication, making time for fun and encouraging teamwork. And, they foster opportunities for their employees to grow as professionals.”

All companies making the list, Brinegar emphasizes, understand how important it is for the success of a business to make employees feel valued. “Each should be very proud of the positive environment they have created.”

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. In addition to the BizVoice® magazine feature, honorees were also recognized through the statewide media resources of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick. Other program partners are the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Indiana State SHRM Council and the Indiana Youth Institute.

All companies that participated in the 2008 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 fourth annual competition are announced this summer.

Companies ranked in all three years of the Best Places to Work in Indiana program: Ash Brokerage Corporation (Fort Wayne), Bowen Engineering Corporation (Fishers), Columbus Regional Hospital, Cripe Architects + Engineers (Indianapolis), Crowe Chizek and Company LLC (Indianapolis), Duke Realty (Indianapolis), Edward Jones (statewide), Emmis Communications (Indianapolis), Fort Wayne Metals, G & S Research (Indianapolis), Goshen Health System, Katz, Sapper & Miller (Indianapolis), KPMG LLP (Indianapolis), Morales Group (Indianapolis), Safety Management Group (Indianapolis), Somerset CPAs (Indianapolis), Sommer Barnard (Indianapolis), T2 Systems (Indianapolis) and VMS (Indianapolis).

Program sponsors for 2008, in addition to Anthem, are Baker & Daniels, Ball State University, First Merchants Corporation, French Lick Resort Casino, Hill-Rom, Professional Staff Management, Roche Diagnostics, Simon Property Group and FedEx.

The full list of the 2008 Best Places to Work in Indiana companies by ranking:

Small to Medium-sized Companies (25-249 employees)

1. Schmidt Associates - Indianapolis

2. ANGEL Learning, Inc. - Indianapolis

3. VMS - Indianapolis

4. TLS.NET, Inc. - Columbus

5. Gregory & Appel Insurance - Indianapolis

6. Sommer Barnard PC* - Indianapolis

7. The Heavyweights, Inc. - Indianapolis

8. Bowen Engineering Corporation - Fishers

9. Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau - Hammond

10. The Estridge Companies - Carmel

11. WestPoint Financial Group - Indianapolis

12. Bamberger, Foreman, Oswald and Hahn, LLP - Evansville

13. Katz, Sapper & Miller - Indianapolis

14. Morales Group, Inc - Indianapolis

15. Network Solutions, Inc. - Granger

16. Cripe Architects + Engineers - Indianapolis

17.eTapestry - Greenfield

18. Somerset CPAs - Indianapolis

19. Employment Plus - Bloomington

20. Jackson Systems, LLC - Indianapolis

21. Ash Brokerage Corporation - Fort Wayne

22. Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, PC - Indianapolis

23. Safety Management Group - Indianapolis

24. RW Armstrong - Indianapolis

25. Heartland Community Bank - Franklin

26. Matrix Integration, LLC - Jasper

27. AIT Laboratories - Indianapolis

28. United Consulting - Indianapolis

29. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company - Fort Wayne

30. Elwood Staffing - Columbus

31. Double-Take Software - Indianapolis

32. Keystone Group, LLC - Indianapolis

33. Krieg DeVault LLP - Indianapolis

34. Indiana Organ Procurement Organization - Indianapolis

35. ExactTarget, Inc. - Indianapolis

36. KPMG LLP - Indianapolis

37. Colliers Turley Martin Tucker - Indianapolis

38. T2 Systems, Inc. - Indianapolis

39. Fusion Alliance - Indianapolis

40. Aprimo, Inc. - Indianapolis

40. G & S Research, Inc. - Indianapolis

* New name of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP as of May 1

 

Large Companies (250 or more employees)

1. Edward Jones - Statewide

2. The Capital Group Companies, Inc. - Indianapolis

3. Shiel Sexton Company, Inc. - Indianapolis

4. Columbus Regional Hospital - Columbus

5. Centier Bank - Crown Point

6. Interactive Intelligence, Inc. - Indianapolis

7. Ernst & Young, LLP - Indianapolis

8. Clark Memorial Hospital - Jeffersonville

9. BSA LifeStructures - Indianapolis

10. St. Joseph Hospital - Kokomo

11. Duke Realty Corporation - Indianapolis

12. Bingham McHale LLP - Indianapolis

13. Fort Wayne Metals Research - Fort Wayne

14. Crowe Chizek and Company LLC - Indianapolis

15. Baker & Daniels LLP - Indianapolis

16. Goshen Health System - Goshen

17. Emmis Communications - Indianapolis

18. Indiana Business College - Indianapolis

19. Clarian West Medical Center - Avon

20. Bose McKinney & Evans LLP - Indianapolis

21. La Porte Regional Health System - LaPorte

22. FORUM Credit Union - Indianapolis

23. Monarch Beverage Company, Inc. - Indianapolis

24. Cintas - Carmel

25. Angie's List - Indianapolis