Members in the News • VBSR in the News

VBM Announces Best Places to Work in Vermont AIRS Human Capital Solutions and King Arthur Flour are named number one in their categories

by Vermont Business Magazine on Nov 30th, 2006

NOTE: Businesses highlighed in bold are VBSR Members

The award program is the first of its kind offered statewide in Vermont, and is modeled after Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.

Burlington, VT November 30, 2006

Vermont Business Magazine (VBM) announced tonight that AIRS Human Capital Solutions and King Arthur Flour Company are the top ranking companies in the Best Places to Work in Vermont competition. AIRS Human Capital Solutions takes home the first place ranking in the small to medium sized business category (15 to 99 employees). King Arthur Flour Company is listed as the number one best place to work in Vermont in the large sized business category (100 and over employees).

This initiative was designed to:

Identify and recognize Vermont s best employers who strive to create and build better workplaces for their employees;
develop definitive information to help existing companies in Vermont retain their workforce;
and promote Vermont best employment opportunities to attract new workers.

Over 25 businesses applied to be considered for the competition, but only 14 were named as one of Vermont's best places to work. Ranking companies were evaluated and chosen by the Best Companies Group, an independent company managing Best Places to Work programs in many states around the country.

The Best Companies Group, assisted by ModernThink, LLC, conducted an assessment of participating companies that was a two-part process designed to gather detailed data about each company. In part one, the employer completes a questionnaire and in part two, employees of the
company complete an employee survey.

The survey data was then combined to enable the experts at ModernThink, LLC to determine the strengths and opportunities of the participating companies. The companies were then ranked based on this data. ModernThink, LLC also created Assessment Findings Reports that are returned to each participating company. General comparisons of a company's data to the rest of the field are also included. The information companies received will be almost as valuable as finding themselves on the final list.

To be eligible for consideration, companies must have met the following criteria:

Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business
Be a publicly or privately held business
Have a facility in the state of Vermont
Have a minimum of 15 employees in the state of Vermont

VBM partnered with The Vermont State Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management, Vermont Department of Economic Development, and Vermont Department of Labor to present the award. Listings of the finalists from both the small to medium-sized and large-sized companies, arranged in ranking order is included.

2006 Small to Medium Sized Companies (15 to 99)