Wednesday, May 3, 2017 JW Marriott Grand Rapids, MI Sponsored by: The Criteria and Award Selection Process The Best and Brightest Companies To Work For ® awards competition provides the business community with the opportunity to gain recognition, showcase their best practices and demonstrate why each of them would be an ideal place for employees to work. This process is audited and designed by the Illinois Institute of Technology’s market research division and surveys are scored by Inquisium – a market research firm out of Virginia. The criteria is determined annually based on market conditions and trends and applied throughout the country. To ensure that the selection of winners is pure and unbiased, our judges have no interaction with the administration of the event. The process is three-fold: 1. Companies are nominated. Those identified as potentials are contacted and asked to complete a Company Survey. 2. Employee rosters are requested. 3. Employer survey data and employee surveys are then scored, weighted and ranked. After which, the top 15% of scored companies are scrutinized further to determine the overall winners. Defined Roles of the Advisory Board The Best & Brightest Advisory Board gives advice to the Associations on all marketing and production that occur during the planning of the program. The Advisory Board has a dual role: an internal role to assist in and advise on the developments of the program, and an external role to liaise their respective organizations and the community. Kimberly Benac, BeeneGarter LLP Mike Novakoski, Elzinga + Volkers Construction Services Ulli Bowen, Macatawa Bank Sara Parmeter, Trivalent Group, Inc. Cindy Brown, Hello West Michigan David Pezzato, Baudville Tom Brown, Fifth Third Bank Becky Ploeg, Comfort Research Henry Capogna, iHeart Media West Michigan David Smith, The Employers’ Association Jennifer Kluge, Best & Brightest Companies To Work For Carole Valade, Grand Rapids Business Journal Lorie Munson, Microsoft Dave Veneklase, Davenport University 2 • WEST MICHIGAN’S 101 BEST & BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR ® Awards Luncheon Announcer Juliet Dragos, WZZM 13 News Juliet joined WZZM 13 News as weeknight anchor in April of 1991. In addition to anchoring the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, Juliet is also the station spokesperson for WZZM 13’s “Friends for Life”" campaign, which encourages monthly breast self-exams for early detection of breast cancer. She launched the “Friends for Life” campaign in 1997 and has served as emcee and honorary co-chair of “Race for the Cure” for over 15 years. In 2013, Juliet was nominated for an Emmy Award from the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences for her work as a news anchor. She’s also received the “Professionalism Award” from American Women in Radio and Television, the “Local Hero Award” from Grand Rapids Komen for the Cure, the “Outstanding Media Award” twice from Special Olympics Michigan and was recently presented with an award from the “Brain Injury Association of Michigan” for her many years of volunteer work in helping to bring about awareness of patients and families affected by brain injuries. Awards Luncheon Announcer Steve Kelly, NewsRadio WOOD 1300 and 106.9 FM Steve Kelly is the morning show co-host and sports director of West Michigan’s Morning News on News Radio WOOD 1300. He’s been in West Michigan since 1996, also doing morning shows on Star 105.7 and 104.5 WSNX. Steve has been married to his wife, Sandy, for over 20 years and has two beautiful daughters, Caitlin and Madison, all of whom have him wrapped around their fingers! He is a 1987 graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Telecommunications and minors in English and Psychology. Steve’s interests include long distance running, golf and the great outdoors. BETTER BUSINESS . RICHER LIVES . STRONGER COMMUNITIES . • 3 The Criteria for Selection of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For ® in West Michigan are as follows: Communication and Shared Vision The effective exchange of information from senior leaders to employees and the extent to which employees are given a platform to communicate opinions, ideas, issues and concerns. Community Initiatives Extent to which the organization is committed to improving the local community while providing the encouragement and time for employees to participate in a meaningful way. Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions The competitiveness of compensation and benefits relative to comparable organizations as well as the ability to provide unique, creative and customized solutions to employees. Diversity and Inclusion Extent to which an organization is open and inclusive to people of differing human qualities, promotes a tolerant work environment, and considers multiculturalism to be a competitive advantage. Employee Achievement and Recognition Extent to which an organization recognizes and rewards individual employee achievements and outstanding performance by individuals, teams and as an organization. Employee Education and Development Extent to which an organization encourages, supports and creates a learning environment with the focus on career development. Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention Extent to which employees are meaningfully and personally connected to their work and their company that drives retention. As well as the extent to which a company understands and adapts to the individual needs of their employees by looking at the employee as a whole, not just the work environment. Recruitment, Selection and Orientation The extent to which employees are recruited using multiple methods and systematic process to select the best fit for culture and performance while ensuring a quality on-boarding orientation experience. Strategic Company Performance The extent to which the human resources team collaborates to drive company performance with c-suite executives in a proactive and meaningful way. Work-Life Balance Extent to which the organization and its management recognize the need for personal balance as an employee by implementing programs to accommodate such needs. The Best of the Best Small Business The Best of the Best Medium Business The Best of the Best Large Business 4 • WEST MICHIGAN’S 101 BEST & BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR ® Thanks To All Our Sponsors Without their support, this event would not be possible. National Premier: Premier: Gold: Silver: Program Supporters: Table Sponsors: Crowe Horwath LLP • GNS America, Co. • Feyen Zylstra • Lake Michigan Credit Union Metro Health | University of Michigan Health • Mill Steel Company • Sun Title Agency LLC • Terryberry 6 • WEST MICHIGAN’S 101 BEST & BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR ® West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies To Work For ® 2017 Winners 4Front Credit Union Buist Electric www.4frontcu.com buistelectric.com a.j. Veneklasen, Inc. Butterball Farms, Inc. www.ajvinc.com butterballfarms.com Acoustics By Design, Inc. C-4 Analytics www.acousticsbydesign.com c-4analytics.com Adventure Credit Union Charter Capital Partners www.adventurecu.org www.chartercapitalpartners.com Advia Credit Union Clark Retirement Community www.adviacu.org www.clarkretirment.org Aerotek Midwest Comcast www.aerotek.com www.comcast.com Air Lift Company Comfort Research www.airliftcompany.com comfortresearch.com Allied Business Services CompleteSource, Inc. www.abscollect.com www.completesource.com American Axle & Manufacturing Configura, Inc. www.aam.com www.configura.com Andy J. Egan Company Consumers Credit Union www.andyegan.com www.consumerscu.org Applied Imaging Crowe Horwath LLP www.appliedimaging.com www.crowehorwath.com Arbor Financial Credit Union Crown Motors www.arborfcu.org www.crownmotors1.com Baker Holtz, CPAs and Advisors Dan Vos Construction Company, Inc. www.bshcpa.com www.danvosconstruction.com Barnes & Thornburg LLP DFCU Financial www.btlaw.com www.dfcufinancial.com Baudville Brands DK Security www.baudville.com www.dksecurity.com BDO USA, LLP Dominion Systems www.bdo.com www.dominionsystems.com Beene Garter LLP Easter Seals Michigan www.beenegarter.com www.easterseals.com/michigan Bell’s Brewery Inc. Elzinga & Volkers Construction Professionals bellsbeer.com www.elzinga-volkers.com Belwith Products, LLC EQI, Ltd. bewith.com eqiltd.com Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance Agency, Inc. Experis bhsins.com www.experisjobs.us BizStream Express Employment Professionals www.bizstream.com www.expresspros.com Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Feyen Zylstra www.bcbsm.com feyenzylstra.com Broadmoor Motor Sales FireKeepers Casino Hotel www.broadmoormotors.com www.firekeeperscasino.com 8 • WEST MICHIGAN’S 101 BEST & BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR ® West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies To Work For ® 2017 Winners Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering, Inc. Innovative Client Connections www.fveng.com www.innovativeclientconnections.com Flexco InsITe Business Solutions LLC www.flexco.com trustedinsite.com Flexfab Interphase Interiors Inc. www.flexfab.com www.interphaseinc.com Flow-Rite Controls ITS Partners www.flow-rite.com www.itsdelivers.com FormulaFolio Investments Kalamazoo Community Foundation formulafolios.com www.kalfound.org Fusion IT, LLC Kent Companies, Inc. fusion-it.net www.kentcompanies.com GNS America, Co. Koops Inc. gnsauto.com koops.com Grand Rapids Label Company KSS Enterprises www.grlabel.com www.kssenterpises.com Grand Rapids Metrology Lake Michigan Credit Union www.grmetrology.com www.lmcu.org Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Lakewood Construction www.grandriverasepticmfg.com www.lakewoodinc.com Great