ASHWAUBENON — Twelve northeast Wisconsin businesses, spanning a range of industries, earned recognition this week as employers of choice from those who know best: their employees.
The Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2024 program spotlighted a dozen small, medium and large companies whose employee survey responses singled them out for recognition.
Top Workplaces expanded into Northeast Wisconsin this year through a partnership between Energage and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. On Wednesday afternoon, representatives from the selected companies gathered at The Terrace at Marina Circlein Ashwaubenon to celebrate an honor they said stands apart from most workplace recognition because it is based entirely on employee feedback.
John McHugh, vice president of external relations for Kwik Trip Inc., said the La Crosse-based convenience store operator considers Top Workplaces “one of the best programs” to measure the company's progress because the data comes entirely from its workers at a time when people have the ability to choose where they work.
Appleton Post-Crescent editor Taima Kern agreed.
“Believing in your company's mission is integral to bringing your best self to work,” he said. “It's reassuring to know that workers in this area have options when it comes to finding a workplace that can leave them satisfied.”
Top Workplaces also presented 16 specialty awards to companies during Wednesday's event. The awards included three leadership awards to Andrew Harmening, CEO of Connected BankSondra Norder, CEO of Services of Elder St. Pauland Terry Albrecht, its CEO Binder & Packaging Supply. Packer Fastener received three of the 16 awards while St. Paul Elder Services and UFS LLC each received two awards.
Top Workplaces serves as 'a distinctive mark of excellence'
Energage and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin launched Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces at a time when companies continue to struggle to find and retain skilled workers. The Seventh Federal Reserve District, which includes northeastern Wisconsin, found that high-skill manufacturing jobs, and particularly low-skill small business jobs, remain in high demand, according to the May 2024 Beige book summary of economic activity.
Nationwide employment hit a record high of 3,048,000 in May, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The region's major metro areas, including Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh-Neenah and Sheboygan all have unemployment rates below the state rate of 2.9 percent.
The Top Workplaces designation can help a business stand out to job seekers and give company leaders a point of pride.
“Being honored with a Top Workplaces award is a hallmark of excellence, setting companies apart in a recognizable way,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “Top workplaces embody the highest standards, and this award, rooted in authentic employee feedback, is a point of tremendous pride for the company's leaders.”
Packer Fastener wanted to test its people-centric culture
Albrecht started Packer Fastener & Supply in 1998 with 10 employees and one location. Now, it runs three companies, employs about 200 people and just moved its headquarters into a new space five times the size of its last base of operations. It's probably easier to find than the giant hex nut up front.
From the beginning, Albrecht has always emphasized the company's workplace culture and its “extravagance,” the company's term for the keys to success. So when Top Workplaces took notice, she jumped at the chance to experience the company culture, her desire to be an employer of choice.
“We liked that this was a third party reaching out to our team members and surveying and interviewing them about the organization,” Albrecht said, calling it an unbiased counter. “Try to create an environment that everyone enjoys coming to every day. A nod from the team like this reinforces that we're doing the right things.”
The St. Kaukauna-based Paul Elder Services wanted to make sure it lived its mission and values
The St. Paul Elder Services has over the past two years shifted the way it provides senior services from a person-centered model of care to one that puts residents and those who work with them closer to being responsible for decisions that affect their daily lives.
Top Workplaces gave St. Paul Elder Services a chance to see how the transition was going, see how they compare and “brag,” Norder said. Not only did Norder win a leadership award, but the St. Paul also won the Doers Award for getting things done effectively and efficiently.
“It's what I think resonates with our staff right now. They really see that we're making such an effort to bring the people who should be making the decisions about day-to-day life and workflow into those decision-making conversations,” he said. Norder.
How were Northeast Wisconsin's top workplaces determined?
Energage, in partnership with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin media in the region, invited 576 companies with more than 35 employees located in an 18-county area to participate in Top Workplaces 2024. There was no cost to participate.
Eligible counties are: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marquette, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Sheboygan, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
Energage selected 26 companies for research and asked employees to fill out a short survey that covered 24 different workplace factors, including benefits, direction, leadership and appreciation. A total of 10,198 employees completed surveys, nearly 59% of respondents.
Energage used aggregated employee feedback to rate each business. Companies with scores higher than national benchmarks earn Top Workplaces designation. They are divided into small, medium and large categories based on the number of employees.
In the first year, 12 businesses earned recognition as Top Workplaces in Northeast Wisconsin.
And the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces honorees are …
For a more detailed look at each honoree, watch for extensive coverage in the July 14 print editions of USA TODAY NETWORK's Northeast Wisconsin newspapers.
Large500+ employees
- Connected Bank
- Kwik Trip Inc.
- Van Horn Automotive Group
Medium size150-499 employees
- Goodwill NCW
- RGL Logistics
- Saleytics
- Services of Elder St. Paul
Smallless than 150 employees
- Fox World Travel
- I-CAR
- Binder & Packaging Supply
- Total Energy Systems
- UFS LLC
Special awards recognize leadership, meaning, communication and work-life flexibility
Energage also presented 16 special awards to the 12 honorees of this year's Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces in areas such as leadership, management, direction, communication, work-life flexibility, training and sustainability.
Recipients were selected based on employee responses to specific survey questions. For example, responses to “I trust the leader of this company” were used to identify the small, medium, and large recipients of the previously mentioned Leadership Awards.
Here are the special award winners for 2024:
- Assessment: Fox World Travel
- Benefits: UFS LLC
- Clued-In Senior Management: Goodwill NCW
- Contact: Total Energy Systems
- Direction: Kwik Trip Inc.
- Doers: Services of the Elders of St. Paul
- Leadership: Andrew Harmening, Managing Director of Associated Bank, Norder in St. Paul Elder Services, Albrecht at Packer Fastener & Supply
- Directors: Goodwill NCW
- NEW IDEAS: Total Energy Systems
- Meaning: I-CAR
- Social responsibility: Fixing & Supply Packer
- Education: Van Horn Automotive Group
- Work-life flexibility: Fixing & Supply Packer
- values: UFS LLC
Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.
