Rankings Announced for State’s 'Best Places to Work' at Indiana Chamber Awards Dinner

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 5, 2009) – Companies setting the standard with their workplace practices were honored this evening before a record crowd at the Indiana Roof Ballroom as the Indiana Chamber unveiled rankings for the 70 companies from throughout the state that made the 2009 Best Places to Work in Indiana list (which was released March 2).

Performance Services, a design-build engineering and construction firm, topped the small to medium-sized employer category while construction management company Shiel Sexton grabbed first place among large employers. For both Indianapolis-based businesses, this marked the first time in the top spot.

The 2009 Best Places to Work in Indiana program was presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and in partnership with Ready Indiana. It honors the top companies in the state, as determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. Winners were selected from two categories: small to medium-sized companies of between 25 and 249 employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 250 or more employees. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Indiana.

The Best Companies Group, which handled the selection process, oversees similar programs in 19 other states.

“Each company on this list understands how important it is for the success of a business to have a culture that respects and values employees,” states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “These businesses demonstrated that in a variety of ways – from fostering open communication and teamwork to providing training opportunities and more unique job benefits.”

More information about the Best Places to Work companies is available via a special section of the May/June issue of the Indiana Chamber’s BizVoice® magazine, a statewide publication released tonight and accessible online at www.bizvoicemagazine.com.

At the dinner, representatives from all designated companies were presented with Best Place to Work awards of excellence. In addition to the BizVoice® magazine feature, honorees were also recognized through the statewide media resources of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick. Other program partners are the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Youth Institute.

All companies that participated in the 2009 Best Places to Work program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. In turn, this report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs. For more information on the Indiana Chamber’s Best Places to Work program, go to www.bestplacestoworkIN.com. Companies can sign up to be notified by e-mail when application details for the fifth annual competition are announced this summer.

Companies ranked in all four years of the Best Places to Work in Indiana program: Ash Brokerage Corporation (Fort Wayne); Bowen Engineering Corporation (Indianapolis); Columbus Regional Hospital; Crowe Horwath (Indianapolis); Edward Jones (multiple locations); Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation; Goshen Health System; Katz, Sapper & Miller (Indianapolis); KPMG LLP (Indianapolis); Safety Management Group (Indianapolis); and VMS (Indianapolis).

Program sponsors for 2009, in addition to Anthem and Ready Indiana, are Ball State University, Crowe Horwath, Horseshoe Casino, Image Air Charter, M & I Bank, Mussett Nicholas & Associates, Nucor Steel, Roche Diagnostics, Saint Clair Press, Tilson HR and Trilogy Health Services, LLC.

The full list of the 2009 Best Places to Work in Indiana companies by ranking:

Small to Medium-sized Companies (25-249 employees)
1 - Performance Services, Inc., Indianapolis
2 - Gregory & Appel Insurance, Indianapolis
3 - The Heavyweights, Inc., Indianapolis
4 - ANGEL Learning, Inc., Indianapolis
5 - Turner Construction Company of Indiana, LLC, Indianapolis
6 - WestPoint Financial Group, Indianapolis
7 - United Consulting, Indianapolis
8 - Krieg DeVault LLP, Indianapolis
9 - AIT Laboratories, Indianapolis
10 - Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Fort Wayne
11 - Schmidt Associates, Indianapolis
12 - eTapestry, Greenfield
13 - Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman PC, Indianapolis
14 - Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Indianapolis
15 - Harding Poorman Group, Inc., Indianapolis
16 - KPMG LLP, Indianapolis
17 - The Estridge Companies, Carmel
18 - RW Armstrong & Associates, Inc., Indianapolis
19 - Hosparus Inc., New Albany
20 - Ash Brokerage Corporation, Fort Wayne
21 - Fusion Alliance, Inc., Indianapolis
22 - Employment Plus, Bloomington
23 - Cannon IV, Indianapolis
24 - Bamberger, Foreman, Oswald and Hahn, LLP, Evansville
25 - MJ Insurance, Inc., Indianapolis
26 - Design Collaborative, Inc., Fort Wayne
27 - Jackson Systems, LLC, Indianapolis
28 - Pepper Construction Company of Indiana, LLC, Indianapolis
29 - Milestone Contractors, LP, Multiple locations
30 - J.C. Hart Co., Inc., Carmel
31 - Double-Take Software, Indianapolis
32 - Midwest Mole, Inc., Indianapolis
33 - Mussett, Nicholas & Associates, Inc., Indianapolis
34 - Blue & Co., LLC, Carmel
35 - Safety Management Group, Indianapolis
36 - First Harrison Bank, Corydon
37 - VMS, Indianapolis
38 - Matrix Integration, LLC, Jasper
39 - Public Safety Medical, Indianapolis
40 - August Mack Environmental, Inc., Indianapolis

Large Companies (250 or more employees)
1 - Shiel Sexton Company, Inc,. Indianapolis
2 - Edward Jones, Multiple locations
3 - The Capital Group Companies, Inc., Indianapolis
4 - Centier Bank, Merrillville
5 - St. Joseph Hospital, Kokomo
6 - Bowen Engineering Corporation, Indianapolis
7 - ExactTarget, Indianapolis
8 - Ernst & Young, LLP, Indianapolis
9 - Katz, Sapper & Miller, Indianapolis
10 - Goshen Health System, Goshen
11 - M&I Bank, Indianapolis
12 - Interactive Intelligence, Inc., Indianapolis
13 - BSA LifeStructures, Indianapolis
14 - Hancock Regional Hospital, Greenfield
15 - Trilogy Health Services, Multiple locations
16 - Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation, Fort Wayne
17 - American Structurepoint, Inc,. Indianapolis
18 - Bingham McHale LLP, Indianapolis
19 - Columbus Regional Hospital, Columbus
20 - Union Hospital Health Group, Terre Haute
21 - Good Samaritan Hospital, Vincennes
22 - Monarch Beverage Company Inc., Indianapolis
23 - Group RCI, Carmel
24 - Ice Miller LLP, Indianapolis
25 - Crowe Horwath LLP, Indianapolis
26 - Schneck Medical Center, Seymour
27 - Harrison College (formerly Indiana Business College), Indianapolis
28 - Clark Memorial Hospital, Jeffersonville
29 - 1st Source Bank, South Bend
30 - Mike's Carwash, Inc., Indianapolis