This year 60 industry companies earned a spot on our list of the Greatest Companies To Work For. It wasn’t an easy feat for contenders but the victory was sweet.

Over the past six years this program has been one of PPB’s most popular editorial recognition programs, drawing dozens of nominations from PPAI member companies in all categories and sizes. However, this year, we turned the program upside down and used employee ratings, instead of an in-house panel, as the primary selection criteria to determine the champs.

Specifically, full-time employees at each nominated company were required to complete a confidential 12-question online survey in which they rated their company in key areas including engagement, effectiveness, leadership, ethics, pay, benefits, training and work/life balance. They also completed an open-ended question describing their workplace to a friend.

More than 100 companies were nominated in this year’s competition and more than 4,500 full-time employees were involved in the survey. A minimum percentage of completed surveys was also required from each company for qualification. When the survey closed and tallying ended, 60 companies’ scores qualified them for inclusion on the coveted list. Of those, 19 are suppliers, 39 are distributors and two are business services companies.

The size of the winning companies, categorized by numbers of employees, is diverse, ranging from five to more than 600, and company history is varied, too. The oldest company was founded in 1878; the newest is just four years old.

Overall, what these results show is that a company does not have to be large or have deep pockets to get high marks from employees. Instead, giving employees the flexibility to manage their work, operating by strong values and ethics, and showing genuine appreciation go a long, long way.

2017 PPB Greatest Companies To Work For

(In alphabetical order)

Top Micro Companies

(Fewer than 10 employees)

Ads On Magnets, LLC

Brandito

Elevate Brand Marketing

Identify Yourself

MARCO Ideas Unlimited, Inc.

Plan-It Promotions

PromoMonster, Inc.

PromoPros

Promotional Impact/Green Giftz

Red Promotions

Sock 101

Top Small Companies

(10-25 employees)

A+ Wine Designs

Brand Fuel, Inc.

Brandinc US, Inc.

Bullpen Marketing

CE Competitive Edge, LLC

commonsku

Concepts & Associates, Inc.

DistributorCentral, LLC

DRI DUCK Traders

Icon Blue, Inc.

LogoSpeed

Outstanding Branding LLC

Powerstick.com

Stowebridge Promotion Group

Tic Toc

US Flash & Technologies

Zipline

Top Midsize Companies

(26-75 employees)

Attachmentville/IRIS Ltd.

Axis Promotions

Champion Awards, Inc.

Club Colors Buyer, LLC

F&E Sportswear

Goldstar

Greater China Industries, Inc.

HandStands

Hirsch Gift, Inc.

Image Source, Inc.

I-Mark

Pacesetter Awards Co.

Pinnacle Designs

Talbot Marketing

Tangerine Promotions

Toddy Gear

Top Large Companies

(More than 75 employees)

American Solutions For Business

Ariel Premium, Inc.

BAMKO

Boundless

BrandVia Alliance, Inc.

Concord Marketing Solutions

Geiger

Indoff, Inc.

Myron Corporation

NewClients Promotional Marketing

Peerless Umbrella Co.

Picnic Time, Inc.

Pro Towels, Inc.

PromoShop, Inc.

Quality Resource Group, Inc.

Sunrise Identity