PPB June 2016

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WHAT EMPLOYEES SAY ABOUT CATALYST |
“We have a uniquely positive and energetic
office environment,” says nine-year employee
Shelley Strickland, one of 14 employees who
nominated the company for PPB’s honor.
“Catalyst also has an amazing leader who sets
the vision and creates an atmosphere where
we all share in the passion for being the best
part of someone’s day—every day!”
Her co-worker, five-year employee and
nominator Rachel Huntsberger, says, “It’s
such a collaborative and comfortable environ-
ment. Everyone who works here really has a
passion for the projects that we work on and
we are all rooting for each other to be suc-
cessful.” Another nominator, Jo Jarvis, says
she loves working there because there is room
in the company for her to grow, and she likes
the flexible work schedule and the Catalyst
5% program that allows her to keep up with
life outside of work. “We’re allowed to use
five percent of work hours to do anything
that helps us creatively. For many that means
getting in some exercise; lots of people
choose to take academic courses. It’s com-
pletely up to us how to use our time.”
New employee and nominator Sophie
Miller explains why she calls the people and
culture at Catalyst “amazing.”
“I had a project pop up one morning—my
client needed a very specific item that was
incredibly hard to find,” she says. “And it had to
be personalized and delivered three days later.
[My coworkers] could tell I was struggling and
they all stepped in to help me. They put down
whatever they were doing to help me find this
specific item and finish the project. The client
was incredibly happy—and so was I.”
HOW IT DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF AS AN EMPLOYER |
Late last year, employees in the Seattle and
Dallas offices formed the Catalyst Cares
committee with a goal to contribute more
JUNE 2016 • PPB • 27
GREATEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 2016
THE EXTRAS THAT COUNT | Alliance
recently installed an 80- by 40-
foot American flag on a flagpole
that stands 130 feet tall just off
the main thoroughfare in Hot
Springs, Arkansas. The flag is
illuminated at night by 2,000-
watt halogen bulbs. At the top
of the flagpole is a gold ball that
each employee signed at a cere-
mony when the flag was raised.
“It was moving for all of us,”
says Risner. “This flag has
inspired the community and is
Alliance’s way of showing how
proud we are to be working and
living in this great country and
community.”
annual employee survey to iden-
tify workplace improvements.
Each year, 95 percent of
employees say their favorite
thing about working at Alliance
is the people. “That’s a statistic
we are all incredibly proud of,”
he adds.
Top Executive
Tom Havens, Founder
and CEO
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Company Type
Distributor
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Location
Headquarters in Seattle;
offices in Dallas, Minneapolis,
New York and Hong Kong
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Website
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Year Founded
1999
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Total Employees
41
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Company Motto
“Be the best part of some-
one’s day, every day.”
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Perks
10 percent 401(k) match;
healthcare benefits; Friday
afternoon break with food
and drinks; three months’
maternity and paternity
leave; quarterly barbecues,
happy hours and other
engaging team activities;
annual Most Valuable Team
Player award and Team Sales
Achievement award—winners
get a four-day, three-night
trip to a sunny destination;
three-day annual offsite “fam-
ily reunion” team event to
reconnect, collaborate and
even volunteer as a group