PPB July 2021

Among the industry’s best workplaces, employee happiness has become the gold standard. by Tina Berres Filipski W hat do the best workplaces have in common? Over the past nine years that PPB has been conducting its top-workplaces competition, priorities have shifted somewhat. The common thread among great workplaces in 2021 is a company culture that truly cares about the well-being and happiness of its employees—and that often comes frommaking employees feel valued. The comments from company employees in this year’s competition speak volumes: Friday afternoon drink carts and branded swag are welcomed, but what most ultimately want from their employers is to be heard and appreciated. They want to matter. As clichéd as it may sound, they also want their work to have meaning and to be a part of something that genuinely makes a difference. It’s not always easy to get that right, especially given the unprecedented challenges of the past year, but many of the companies that excel in this pursuit won inclusion on this year’s roster of the PPB Greatest Companies To Work For. The annual competition is open to all PPAI member companies with at least five full-time employees. The multi-step process includes sending a 15-question survey to each full-time employee at the nominated companies asking them to rate the company in five key areas: benefits, resources, culture, leadership and direction. This year’s top-rated companies, determined solely by employee scores, earned a coveted place among the top 52 of the greatest companies to work for in the promotional products industry. THE GREATEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR (In alphabetical order by size) Top Micro Companies (Five to nine employees) 1338Tryon Identify Yourself North Georgia Promotions PEGG Products LLC PromoCorner Reno Typography Ward Promotional Marketing Solutions, Inc. Top Small Companies (10-25 employees) Blink Marketing, Inc. Blue Dog Merch BrightStores ChicoBag Company Cooley Group, Inc. Creative Promotional Marketing Agency CST Worldwide Evans Manufacturing, Inc. Footprint Promotions Gator Garb Apparel & Specialty Image Masters KTI Networks/KTI Promo Show Your Logo, Inc. SOCK101 Specialty Incentives Stowebridge Promotion Group, Inc. Walker-Clay, Inc. Top Midsize Companies (26-75 employees) AIA Corporation AnyPromo.com Brand Blvd. Brand Fuel, Inc. Brand Makers City Paper Company Concord Marketing Solutions Creative Solutions Crystal D Facilisgroup Foxtrot Marketing Group ICoStore Powerstick.com ProTowels The Chest Toddy Gear TPS Promotions & Incentives Top Large Companies (More than 75 employees) American Solutions for Business BAMKO Barker Specialty Company Cap America, Inc. ePromos Promotional Products Geiger Gemline GO2 Partners Indoff, Inc. Overture LLC Sweda Company, Inc. Online Exclusive: Company Leaders Talk About What Works Q: Over the past year, what extra actions have you taken to strengthen your company’s culture and keep employees engaged, motivated and happy at work? Click on this story at www.pubs.ppai.org to read responses from these companies’ leaders. Greatest Companies To Work For | FEATURE | JULY 2021 | 23