Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Beth Mulhern, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

NIKE, Inc. was born on the dreams of Phil Knight, a competitive runner for the University of Oregon, and his coach, Bill Bowerman. Back in the mid-1950’s, long before the famous Nike “Swoosh” came along, Coach Bowerman wanted better running shoes for his track team than were available on the market, and Phil Knight, who graduated and earned his MBA, had a vision of marketing the best running shoes in the world in a brand new way in the US. They shared their visions and Blue Ribbon Sports, later to become NIKE, Inc., came to be, and now includes the wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cole Haan, Converse Inc., Hurley International LLC, NIKE Golf, and Umbro Ltd.

Nike, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, was an $18.6 billion dollar company at the end of 2008, and has plans to grow to $23 billion in revenue by the end of fiscal 2011. The company employs over 30,000 people across six continents, in more than 160 countries around the globe. They directly or indirectly employ nearly one million people through their suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers. Their mission statement, “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete”, has at its core the belief of its co-founder, Bill Bowerman that “if you have a body, you are an athlete.” They state their corporate goal like this:
Our goal is to carry on his legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders.

It’s refreshing that a multi-billion dollar corporation features a strong policy on environmental responsibility, especially in regards to climate change.  They summarize it clearly:

Nike sees corporate responsibility as an integral part of how we can use the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people, and the scale of our business to create meaningful change.
Nike, Inc. also takes great pride in an innovative and inspirational corporate culture, which embraces diversity, imagination and creativity.   For example, Nike has a very innovative marketing strategy, utilizing digital media aggressively to promote the brand.  They encourage their employees to think outside the box and “push out the edges of what can be.” Their record speaks for itself, as the company has been named three years running to Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For, and for the last two years was also named to Business Week’s Top 100 Best Places To Launch A Career lists. Further, The Ethisphere Institute named Nike as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2009.

To look for jobs with Nike, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

SAS Institute is one of the largest software companies in the world. SAS has sustained excellence in product development and customer support since 1976 and has focused on their primary mission-delivering superior software and enhancing customer relationships. SAS products are used by over 45,000 customers worldwide and by 92 of the top 100 companies on the 2009 Fortune Global 500 list.

SAS Institute’s employee focused philosophy is if you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company, they will make a difference to the company. The heart of SAS is that satisfied employees create satisfied customers. The SAS president is quoted saying, “We’ve worked hard to create a corporate culture that is based on trust between our employees and the company.”.SAS employees work in an environment that fosters and encourages the integration of the company’s business objectives with their personal needs.

SAS is committed to being a contributing corporate citizen. Since 1976, SAS has been dedicated to academics and has been supporting educational causes. Education is one of SAS’s passion and mission. SAS provides many education opportunities for their employees. To look for jobs with SAS Institute, join GreatPlaceJobs.

SAS Institute in the news:

On June 15, 2009, SAS was ranked as one of the top employers in information technology by Computerworld magazine. The magazines annual “Best Places to Work in IT” featured 100 working environments for technology professionals. Categories include benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention. More than 27,000 IT workers were surveyed. SAS was ranked 19 in this year’s survey out of 100.

On May 28, 2009, SAS developed a product called SAS for Mobile Interaction which was named Communication Solutions Product of the Year by TMC Group. SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services. SAS for Mobile Interaction combines capabilities from SAS Digital Marketing and SAS Marketing Automation to improve customer intimacy via mobile devices. The Product of the Year Award exemplifies the best this industry has to offer. With hundreds of applications this year, the judging process was difficult. SAS demonstrates a commitment to quality and continued development of the communications industry.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

Arnold & Porter LLP is an international law firm that practices in more than 25 areas of law. The Arnold & Porter law firm conducts business on six continents world wide. Their extensive experience in practicing law allows them to work across the world. Their commitment to their clients, values and communities makes Arnold & Porter one of the most sought out international law firms.

This is how they describe their workplace:

Our working environment is spirited, open, welcoming, and fast-paced. Our firm is a collection of independent, diverse personalities who share a common devotion to first-class legal work. We value individuality. We encourage our lawyers to be themselves. All attorneys, regardless of experience level, are encouraged to participate fully in the work of the firm and to express their views on client issues and firm matters.

Arnold & Porter offers legal resources to represent all of their clients’ interests and is proud to hold true to their core values. They maintain a diverse workplace, a mutually respectful working environment and a strong commitment to detail. In this vein, they Arnold & Porter offers pro bono legal counsel to clients who cannot afford their services.

To look for jobs with Arnold & Porter, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

QuikTrip is a convenience store found in nine states that offers guaranteed gasoline and a truck fleet diesel fueling program. QuikTrip has been listed on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to work for since 2003. QuikTrip’s mission statement

The mission statement of QuikTrip exemplifies a commitment to quality: “To be the best gasoline, convenience and food retailer in the eyes of our customers, our competitors and our employees.”

QuikTrip takes great pride in their store employees by offering great career salaries, flexible job schedules and great job benefits. QuikTrip hopes to advance their employees in all aspects of their careers. QuikTrip has five core values:

1. Be the best.
2. Focus long term.
3. Do what’s right for QuikTrip.
4. Never be satisfied.
5. Do the right thing.

Applying these five core values encourages employees to not only be the best representatives of the company, but also to grow in the corporate world. QuikTrip has many opportunity for employment. There are two types of full-time assistant manager positions. Part-time employees include clerks that assist in the operation of the store during peak sales periods. There are also several hundred personnel in non-store employment positions throughout the company.

QuikTrip also offers student employment opportunities.  Students are placed as assistants working the night schedule and as part-time clerks. The students are then eligible for $4,400 a year worth of tuition in addition to their career salaries. To look for jobs with QuikTrip, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

SC Johnson & Son, is known for their many products but also because it is a family company. Some products that are associated with SC Johnson & Son are Shout, Windex, Mr. Muscle, Ziploc, Edge, Glade, Brise, Raid, OFF!, Baygon, Autan, Pledge and Scrubbing Bubbles. SC Johnson has withstood the test of time through five generations of family leadership. Being around for over a hundred years has not hindered the company; it has caused the company to grow into one of the largest corporations in the world.

Over 12,000 global employees are employed through the SC Johnson Company and are in more then 70 countries around the world. SC Johnson demands the best for families everywhere, which is why the SC Johnson Company adheres to a set of core values. The three core values the SC Johnson Company adheres to are the following:

1.    Innovation and Quality
2.    Steadfast Commitment to Workplace Excellence
3.    Environmental and Community Leadership

SC Johnson earned a spot on the “Best Companies to Work For” list partly because of their employees and the effective leadership found throughout the company. SC Johnson leads the business world in cutting-edge practices that attract the best people from all over the world. The recruitment process and summer internships allow them to identify with the top undergraduates, MBA and Ph.D. and candidates each year to fill entry- and higher-level jobs. Entry- and higher-level jobs gain rapid exposure to all aspects of the business.

SC Johnson offers training programs, including the Johnson Learning Institute. These programs offer skill development opportunity to help career development.  SC Johnson is prepared to meet the challenges of a complex and changing business environment, helping employees succeed both on and off the job.

SC Johnson is looking for entry and higher-level employers. If you are interested in a job with SC Johnson or any other company, then visit GreatPlaceJobs.

SC Johnson in the news:
On March 19, 2009, SC Johnson announces a cure for the everyday terror, window washing avoidance syndrome (WWAS). Window Washing Avoidance Syndrome is where homeowners avoid cleaning their outdoor windows. Experts at SC Johnson have developed a cure for WWAS, the new Windex Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool!

On March 17, 2009, Wal-Mart named SC Johnson China the Supplier of the Year in the Non-Food Division. SC Johnson China was recognized for its dedicated professional sales team, category leadership that drove competing category growth by more than 12 percent, support for Wal-Mart’s sustainability plan and an improved consumer shopping experience.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

JM Family Enterprises is the leading provider of quality products and services in the automobile industry. For 40 years JM Family Enterprises has been offering dynamic work environment, world-class benefits, and a culture of growth and giving. JM Family Enterprise has been dedicated to providing the best service possible to our clients and partners. This has gotten JM Family Enterprise national recognition in each of their businesses. The following facts make JM Family a national recognized company:

1. It is the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas and Scions.

2. It is a diversified financial services company.

3.  It is one of the largest providers of finance and insurance products in the industry.

4. It is the world’s largest volume Lexus dealership.

JM Family Enterprise is a diversified automotive corporation whose principal business focus on vehicle distribution and processing, finance and warranty services, insurance activities, retail sales, marketing and consulting and dealer technology products and services.

The JM Family refers to their business as one large family. JM Family helps their associates by creating the work/life program. The work/life program was created to provide a full spectrum of services and resources that help associates balance their busy careers and personal lives. Along with the work/life program, JM Family built their company on the philosophy that their associates are the most important asset to the company. 

To look for jobs with the JM Family Enterprise, join GreatPlaceJobs.

JM Family Enterprise in the news:

On March 16, 2009, http://tinyurl.com/chvujo , JM Lexus becomes first Lexus dealership to receive women certified seal. JM Lexus, the largest volume Lexus dealership in the world for the past 17 years, recently became the first Women Certified Lexus dealership. It was also awarded the Women Certified Seal for outstanding sales and customer service practices.

We have written about the fact that award-winning employers, because of their happy and engaged workforce, tend to outperform their competitors, both in good times and in bad, and research shows that great workplaces are less likely to lay employees off.  Here’s more proof why job seekers should be focusing their efforts on top-ranked employers such as those featured in GreatPlaceJobs.

NuStar Energy, one of the nation’s largest asphalt refiners and an award-winning great workplace, announced that each of its employees would receive a bonus equivalent to at least two week’s pay after the company reported record revenues and profits in 2008.  NuStar’s CEO also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its long standing no-layoff policy.

Curt Anastasio, NuStar’s CEO, said, “We’re very proud to reward our employees with this well-deserved bonus in a year that has been plagued by economic turmoil.  At NuStar, if any of us get a bonus, all of us get a bonus.  It’s just like our no-layoff policy. We have never had a layoff and never will because we firmly believe that it is our people who not only contribute to our success, but get the company through difficult times.

“Our employees know that if they work hard they will always have a good job. This is a sacred trust first…and it is not only the cornerstone of our company’s employee-first culture, but also of our success.”

NuStar achieved revenues of $4.8 billion in 2008 despite the economic crisis, more than 225% higher than in 2007.  The company earned record profits of $225 million last year, an increase of over 1.5 times the amount earned in 2007.

Source: Savannah Morning News

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Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.
By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

W.L. Gore & Associates was founded in 1958 by Bill and Vieve Gore. W.L. Gore was founded to find opportunities for fluorocarbon polymers and polytetrafluoroethylene. W.L. Gore has over 45 different locations found all over the world. Their products provide innovated solutions in next generation electronics, medical products and high performance fabrics. W.L. Gore created next generation cable assemblies and components for the electronics industry, set the standard for outerwear comfort and protection and solved difficult industrial problems with innovative materials and technology.

They take their reputation very seriously, which is why W.L. Gore continues to deliver new products and better solutions to the marketplace. W.L. Gore employs approximately 8,000 associates all over world. W.L. Gore relies on their employees for creative ideas in science, engineering, sales and marketing.

W.L. Gore & Associates has received many awards over the last year. Fortune Magazine has included W.L. Gore on the list of “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” every time since the list was published. W.L. Gore has also been named one of the best workplaces in the UK, Germany, France and Italy for several years in a row. To look for jobs with W.L. Gore & Associates, join GreatPlaceJobs.

W.L. Gore & Associates in the news:
On February 13, 2009, W.L. Gore announced that they were placed on Fast Company Magazine’s “Fast 50″ list. This list identifies the world’s most innovative companies. Gore was ranked number 30. Companies placed on this highly distinguished list must exemplify success and strength of character as well as have strong finances.

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.
By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

The Container Store was founded in 1978 by Kip Tindell, Garrett Boone and John Mullen. The Container Store offers an exceptional and electric mix of products devoted to helping people simplify their lives. The Container Stores are found coast to coast and showcase over 10,000 innovative products to help customers save space and time. You can enter any store and always find someone in a blue apron that is ready to help solve any storage problem.

At the Container Store, customers receive unparalleled service along with fresh ideas and very interactive shopping experience.  The Container Store was founded based on the fundamental set of business values, centered around deliberate merchandising, superior customer service and constant employee input.

The founders of the Container Store are committed to their employees and their principled way of doing business.  To look for jobs with the Container Store, join GreatPlaceJobs.

The Boston Consulting Group is listed on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”  The Boston Consulting Group was founded in 1963 by Bruce D. Henderson with the expectation that the company would consult for banks. Over the years, BCG has been adapting their company to best serve their clients. BCG has grown from one office with two consultants in Boston to an international company with thousands of job opportunities.

The Boston Consulting Group is a company that partners with their clients to deliver customized solutions that resolve their most significant issues and create lasting competitive advantage. BCG looks beyond standard solutions to develop new insights, mobilize organizations, drive tangible results and to make companies more capable.

BCG prides their company on their values:

1.    Integrity
2.    Respect for the Individual
3.    Diversity
4.    Clients Come First
5.    The Strategic Perspective
6.    Value Delivered
7.    Partnership
8.    Expanding the Art of the Possible
9.    Social Impact

The BCG is looking to employ people of all personalities and people who desire to better themselves and others. BCG helps many companies all over the world succeed in the most challenging issues to date.

The BCG focuses on how to best utilize their employees:
1.    The project team works in collaboration with the client.
2.    The client impact team helps find competitive advantage for their clients and put them in the position to succeed.

BCG offers amazing flexibility. They devise work schedule options  to help meet each individual employee’s needs. At BCG, you not only teach and help companies but there is a strong focus on employee learning in a diverse and information rich environment.

If you would like to find jobs with the Boston Consulting Group and other award-winning employers, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Boston Consulting Group in the news:

USA Today reported that London Olympic organizers have signed BCG to advise them on ticketing and merchandising for the 2012 Games.