SHRM Reveals the 50 Best Small and Medium Employers to Work for in America

NEW ORLEANS, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Great Place to Work Institute, Inc. (GPTWI) today announced the nation's top 25 small and top 25 medium-sized companies to work for in America. The winners and their rankings were revealed in New Orleans at SHRM's 61st Annual Conference and Exposition, the largest gathering of HR professionals in the world.

Taking the top spot in each category this year are two Wisconsin-based companies: Badger Mining Corporation in the small category, and for a second year in a row, Ultimate Software in the medium-sized.

The annual rankings of the "50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America" are conducted by GPTWI, and are the most comprehensive and authoritative ratings of employee satisfaction and workplace culture. This is the sixth year SHRM and GPTWI have collaborated on the list.

"Top companies know how critically important it is to have a culture that empowers and motivates employees, particularly in this tough economy," said SHRM President and CEO Laurence O'Neil. "Knowing how to align and engage your employees is an essential part of keeping productivity high and your organization open for business. That's why these winners deserve our applause, now more than ever."

"Companies who are part of the process learn a lot about themselves and a whole community has developed over the years," said Dr. Michael Burchell, GPTWI's Vice President of Global Business Development. "The more an organization can leverage the talent of its people and tap into the potential of its culture, the more successful and efficient it will be."

The 50 winners range in size from 50 to 999 workers, with "small" companies employing 50-250 and "medium" companies employing 251-999 workers. This year, more than 550 companies participated in the selection process, which includes a 57-question survey sent to each organization's workforce and a separate questionnaire for management. GPTWI also reviews annual reports, employee handbooks and other materials.

Employee-survey responses counted for two-thirds of each company's score. The remaining one-third came from GPTWI's evaluation of the company in five areas: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

Full coverage of today's award ceremony in New Orleans is available online at www.shrm.org. A list of the winning companies can be viewed at www.greatplacetowork.com. Articles about the winning organizations are available in the July issue of HR Magazine, SHRM's flagship publication; in the June issue of Fortune Small Business; and on CNNMoney.com.

A complete list of winners follows:

    Top 25 Small Winners

    COMPANY NAME                    INDUSTRY                CITY         ST.

    1.  Badger Mining Corporation   Mining and Quarrying    Berlin       WI
    2.  Dixon Schwabl Advertising   Advertising & Marketing Victor       NY
    3.  SnagAJob.com                Professional Services   Glen Allen   VA
    4.  Heinfeld, Meech & Co.       Financial Services &    Tucson       AZ
                                     Insurance
    5.  McMurry                     Advertising & Marketing Phoenix      AZ
    6.  Johnson & Johnson, Inc.     Financial Services &    Charleston   SC
                                     Insurance
    7.  AutomationDirect.com        Industrial Services     Cumming      GA
    8.  Root Learning               Professional Services   Sylvania     OH
    9.  Professional Placement      Professional Services   Jacksonville FL
         Resources                                           Beach
    10. DAXKO                       Information Technology  Birmingham   AL
    11. Studer Group                Professional Services   Gulf Breeze  FL
                                     -- Consulting
    12. Navigator Management        Information Technology  Columbus     OH
         Partners
    13. ENGEO Incorporated          Professional Services   San Ramon    CA
    14. Seventh Generation          Manufacturing &         Burlington   VT
                                     Production
    15. Moody, Famiglietti &        Professional Services   Tewksbury    MA
         Andronico
    16. MAYA Design                 Professional Services   Pittsburgh   PA
    17. TerpSys                     Information Technology  Rockville    MD
    18. Landrum Human Resource      Professional Services   Pensacola    FL
         Companies
    19. InsureMe                    Financial Services &    Englewood    CO
                                     Insurance
    20. Clark Nuber                 Professional Services   Bellevue     WA
    21. Paramount Staffing          Professional Services   Northbrook   IL
    22. Kahler Slater               Professional Services   Milwaukee    WI
    23. Bridge Worldwide            Advertising & Marketing Cincinnati   OH
    24. McDonough Bolyard Peck      Professional Services   Fairfax      VA
    25. RedBrick Health             Health Care             Minneapolis  MN


    Top 25 Medium Winners

    COMPANY NAME                    INDUSTRY                CITY         ST.

    1.  Ultimate Software           Information Technology  Weston       FL
    2.  ACUITY                      Financial Services &    Sheboygan    WI
                                     Insurance
    3.  Holder Construction         Construction & Real     Atlanta      GA
         Company                     Estate
    4.  Integrity Applications      Professional Services   Chantilly    VA
         Incorporated
    5.  SAGE PRODUCTS, INC.         Health Care             CARY         IL
    6.  Development Dimensions      Professional Services   Pittsburgh   PA
         International
    7.  Freese and Nichols, Inc.    Professional Services   Fort Worth   TX
    8.  Hoar Construction, LLC      Construction & Real     Birmingham   AL
                                     Estate
    9.  The Integer Group           Advertising & Marketing Lakewood     CO
    10. 4imprint, Inc.              Advertising & Marketing Oshkosh      WI
    11. Triage Consulting Group     Professional Services   San          CA
                                                             Francisco
    12. EILEEN FISHER               Retail                  Irvington    NY
    13. AMX                         Electronics             Richardson   TX
    14. Bowen Engineering           Construction & Real     Fishers      IN
         Corporation                 Estate
    15. Hilcorp Energy Company      Manufacturing &         Houston      TX
                                     Production
    16. Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner &    Professional Services   Denver       CO
         Hottman PC
    17. Robins & Morton             Advertising & Marketing Birmingham   AL
    18. City Bank                   Financial Services &    Lubbock      TX
                                     Insurance
    19. Advanced Financial          Financial Services &    Newport      RI
         Services, Inc.              Insurance
    20. Pinnacol Assurance          Financial Services &    Denver       CO
                                     Insurance
    21. Nevada Federal Credit       Financial Services &    Las Vegas    NV
         Union                       Insurance
    22. Noblis                      Professional Services   Falls        VA
                                                             Church
    23. Rothstein Kass              Professional Services   Roseland     NJ
    24. Parkway Properties, Inc.    Construction & Real     Jackson      MS
                                     Estate
    25. Minitab Inc.                Information Technology  State        PA
                                                             College

About the Society for Human Resource Management

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

About Great Place to Work Institute, Inc.

The Great Place to Work Institute, Inc. is an international research and consulting firm dedicated to building great workplaces. The Institute uses its employee survey and assessment process to select the companies appearing on the annual "Society for Human Resource Management 50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America" list and "FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For" list. In addition to its global headquarters in San Francisco, it has 29 affiliates in countries throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.