Every year for the past five years PPB has recognized some of the best companies to work for based on nominations from the employees themselves. What makes some companies get it so right when others are sputtering into a nosedive on employee engagement? After having written about the honorees in this competition for all these years, it appears to come down to two things: creating a company culture where people want to give their best and help one another, and cultivating a positive workplace environment that’s ripe with opportunities and fulfillment so employees want to come to work—even on Mondays. The key behind both of those is leaders who genuinely care about how employees feel when they leave at the end of the day. Do they feel satisfied, valued, challenged, engaged, motivated?
Of course, no company is infallible, but when it comes to creating a positive place to work, this year’s eight honorees definitely have reason to celebrate. And so do their employees.
A sampling of employees, who hold responsibilities from management to the factory floor, band together in celebrating the company’s selection as a top workplace.
Top Executive
Bonnie Spencer Swayze, President
Company Type
Supplier
Location
Headquarters in Hot Springs, Arkansas; stocking warehouse in Salinas Valley, California
Website
www.adbands.com
Year Founded
1923
Total Employees 180
Company Motto
“Personalized Promotions and Packaging—Always the Smart Solution”
Perks
Healthcare and insurance benefits
401(k) plan
Company paid holidays
Vacation time
Lunches, picnics and parties for employees
WHAT EMPLOYEES SAY ABOUT ALLIANCE RUBBER COMPANY: At Alliance Rubber Company, which participates in the promotional products industry as Ad Bands (UPIC: ALLI0001), team members are the company’s most valuable asset, says nominator Jason Risner. “We work together to provide innovative, quality products at competitive prices and we support what we sell with exceptional customer service.” He adds that Alliance provides opportunities for empowerment and self-improvement in a safe working environment and also treats its vendors well to ensure mutually beneficial relationships.
Alliance is a privately owned company, and one of the few in the industry in which women own a majority of the stock, Risner points out. “American manufacturing can be a brutal industry with competitors from overseas offering lower prices,” he says. “To combat this, Alliance has remained committed to offering higher-quality products paired with excellent customer service.” Ninety-four percent of its sales are generated from American-made products, he adds.
Risner says the management team at Alliance also goes above and beyond to make employees feel appreciated. For example, to commemorate the company’s recent 93rd birthday, all employees were invited to a celebratory luncheon to hear a special address from former Arkansas Razorback Football Coach Houston Nutt.
HOW IT DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF AS AN EMPLOYER: “At Alliance, employees are more than just workers,” says Risner. “We feel like a part of the team. We work together to come up with new, innovative ideas for the rubber band industry, and we actually enjoy working with each other. Alliance hires individuals with a strong work ethic who take pride in the work they do.” The employee turnover rate at Alliance last year was less than five percent, while the national average is 11 to 15 percent depending on the industry and region. Risner says a key source of company pride is that more than two-thirds of employees have been with the company for more than five years. Another thing that makes him proud of his company is its average hourly wage. “We staff members work hard every day, making the best rubber band products in the world, so Alliance wants to make sure we and our families are taken care of.”
Alliance has a unique corporate culture in that it values its employees and customers before profits, according to Risner, who has been with the supplier for six years. “Many companies show keen interest in quarterly earnings and view their people as headcount, but not Alliance. The leaders here believe in nurturing and training team members, and 95 percent of the managers have been promoted from entry-level positions.”
The supplier conducts an annual employee survey to identify workplace improvements. Each year, 95 percent of employees say their favorite thing about working at Alliance is the people. “That’s a statistic we are all incredibly proud of,” he adds.
THE EXTRAS THAT COUNT
Alliance recently installed an 80- by 40-foot American flag on a flagpole that stands 130 feet tall just off the main thoroughfare in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The flag is illuminated at night by 2,000-watt halogen bulbs. At the top of the flagpole is a gold ball that each employee signed at a ceremony when the flag was raised. “It was moving for all of us,” says Risner. “This flag has inspired the community and is Alliance’s way of showing how proud we are to be working and living in this great country and community.”
