Best Companies to Work for in Colorado ’09

Page 10

4
Best Company winner
Blu SKY Restoration Contractors Inc.
www.goblusky.com

Founded: 2004
Location: Centennial
CEO: Terry Shadwick
2008 revenue: Not disclosed
Colorado workers: 55

In a nutshell: Blu SKY provides property restoration and reconstruction services in the Rocky Mountain region. The company delivers immediate response and restoration services for fire and water-damaged structures for the commercial and residential markets. It also offers capital improvement and restoration services in the multifamily/condominium market.
What’s special: Career progression charts for each department define positions and what it takes to achieve the next level. The company also has internship programs with Colorado State University and the University
of Colorado.
Perks: All employees are given a company cell phone that includes e-mail, Internet and text messaging. Blu SKY employees also can work remotely through the company’s virtual private network. The company provides laptop computers to all senior management, sales estimators and project managers.

2008 rank: No. 13

5
Best Company winner
Memolink Inc.
www.memolinkinc.com

Founded: 1994
Location: Denver
CEO: David Asseoff
2008 revenue: $34.8 million
Colorado workers: 53

In a nutshell: Memolink operates online reward programs with more than 1,000 shopping partners that allow consumers to earn points through completing surveys or sampling products. The points can be exchanged for cash or gift certificates or donated to a charitable organization. The company also operates CPA Storm, a business-to-business affiliate network that acts as an intermediary for advertiser offers and helps companies succeed in the online space. Memolink’s PayBuyPartner connects social media sites and developers with Fortune 500 companies.
What’s special: Two kitchens at the company’s Denver headquarters are stocked with free snacks such as chips, pretzels, apple sauce, granola bars, ice cream and soda. The company also buys lunch for employees every Friday and breakfast bagels a few times a month.
Values: The company promotes core values that include trust, respect, pride, integrity and hard work.

2008 rank: No. 6

6
Best Company winner
Evolve
www.evolveprograms.com

Founded: 2002
Location: Englewood
CEO: Joel Wochner
2008 revenue: $10 million
Colorado workers: 32

In a nutshell: Evolve designs and produces customized uniforms and fulfills merchandising for such corporations as Qwest, DIRECTV
and Chipotle.
What’s special: Evolve provides up to eight hours each quarter to employees who volunteer in nonprofit groups that support missions tied to the company’s goals and strategy, such as environmentally or socially focused groups.
Perks: Earth Day is a paid holiday for any employee participating in a company sanctioned Earth Day activity.
Values: Diverse committees discuss ideas for employee recognition, health and wellness and volunteering opportunities and/or activities; ways to improve company profitability; and improving safety.

New to list

7
Best Company winner Moneytree Inc.
www.moneytreeinc.com

Founded: 1983
Location: Company headquarters are in Seattle
CEO: Dennis Bassford
2008 revenue: Not disclosed
Colorado workers: 77

In a nutshell: Privately held Moneytree provides check cashing, payday loan and other retail finance services. The company also offers pre-paid debit cards, wire transfer services, money orders, and phone and gift cards.
What’s special: Moneytree supports many organizations that benefit youth, families and financial literacy.
Perks: Medical insurance is fully paid by the company for full- and part-time employees. It offers reduced-cost medical, dental and vision insurance for dependents.
Values: The company encourages participation in professional organizations and pays for membership and travel to meetings and conferences. It reimburses employees for taking classes to maintain their licenses and certification.

2008 rank: No. 4

8
Best Company winner
Return Path Inc.
www.returnpath.net

Founded: 1999
Location: Broomfield; headquartered in New York
CEO: Matt Blumberg
2008 revenue: $20.3 million
Colorado workers: 97

In a nutshell: Return Path provides an on-demand software application to monitor and certify e-mail programs for such clients as eBay, The New York Times and Facebook to help ensure their messages reach recipients. Internet service providers like Hotmail and Yahoo use the company’s data services to create more accurate e-mail filtering algorithms.
Perks: Every new employee receives a stock option grant based on the size and scope of his or her role. These options vest over a four-year period. Extraordinary grants are awarded on an annual basis to high-performing and high-potential employees.
Values: Return Path supports individual efforts to give back to the community. Every employee is eligible to receive up to five days per year of paid time off per year to perform community service work.

New to list

9
Best Company winner
Odell Brewing Co.
www.odellbrewing.com

Founded: 1989
Location: Fort Collins
CEO: Wynne Odell
2008 revenue: Not disclosed
Colorado workers: 44

In a nutshell: Odell Brewing Co. makes a variety of craft beers, including 90 Shilling and East Street Wheat, that it distributes to restaurants and liquor stores in its Fort Collins base and statewide as well as to seven central and mountain states outside Colorado.
What’s special: At “Odell U,” workers can learn about a particular program or department at the brewery through classes conducted by their co-workers.
Perks: Every employee has the opportunity to brew beer on the company’s pilot system, which is about one-tenth the size of Odell’s commercial system. In addition to traditional benefits, Odell supplies a weekly beer allotment to each employee.
Values: Founder and CEO Wynne Odell conducts a 10-hour, five-part class for all new workers within a year of employment that focuses on financial aspects of the company.

New to list

10
Best Company winner
Administaff Inc.
www.administaff.com

Founded: 1986
Location: Broomfield and Denver; headquartered in Kingwood, Texas
CEO: Paul J. Sarvadi
2008 revenue: $1.7 billion for the nation
Colorado workers: 33

In a nutshell: Administaff is a full-service human resources department for thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States, providing its clients administrative relief, the benefits of a big company, reduced liability and a systematic way to improve productivity.
What’s special: The company’s fitness effort includes the “Admini-Winner” program, which offers a $1,000 bonus to the employee participant who loses the highest percentage of body fat over a designated period of time.
Values: Administaff provides employees with four hours of paid volunteer time per month to invest in local communities. Its Volunteering Pays Program provides grants of $500 per year to charitable organizations where employees volunteer at least 50 hours of their time. The company has an organized volunteer program in each of the 24 markets in which it does business.

2008 rank: No. 21

11
Best Company winner
Rothstein Kass
www.rkco.com

Founded: 1959
Location: Denver. Headquarters is in Roseland, N.J.
CEO: Steven Kass and Howard Altman
2008 revenue: $168.8 million for nation
Colorado workers: 25

In a nutshell: Rothstein Kass is a public accounting firm with diverse commercial- services offerings and an extensive financial-services expertise. In addition to audit and tax, the firm provides strategic business counseling, insurance and risk management consulting and family office services.
What’s special: Customized schedules arranged with management and human resources allow employees to compress their 37.5 hour week into fewer than five days. A summer program allows employees to leave at 3 p.m. on Fridays. Employees can also choose to work a seasonal schedule, putting in more hours during “busy season,” and taking time off during quieter times.
Perks: An employee referral program offers bonuses of $500 to $10,000. In 2008, 19 percent of new hires were hired through employee referrals.

2008 rank: No. 22

12
Best Company winner
Aztek Networks Inc.
www.azteknetworks.com

Founded: 1982
Location: Boulder
CEO: Steven M. Bruny
2008 revenue: Did not disclose
Colorado workers: 36

In a nutshell: Aztek Networks builds and supports switch consolidation and network migration solutions for telecommunications carriers, such as Qwest, AT&T and Verizon. The company’s products help ensure public safety by  maintaining local calling capabilities and access to emergency 911 services in the event of an accidental cut to network service lines or natural disaster.
What’s special: Aztek provides on-site showers and lockers, and a company bicycle and helmet that employees may check out. The company is located next to numerous Boulder bike paths, and workers walk, run, bike, rollerblade and/or hike together throughout the day. The company provides free coffee and tea as well as 25-cent sodas from a machine it subsidizes.
Values: An education-leave benefit offers up to 40 hours per year to employees for such volunteer activities as tutoring, teaching a class or judging science fairs.

2008 rank: No. 25

13
Best Company winner
R.A. Nelson & Associates Inc.
www.ranelson.com

Founded: 1976
Location: Avon
CEO: Chupa Nelson
2008 revenue: $136 million
Colorado workers: 68

In a nutshell: R.A. Nelson specializes in building mountain resort communities, including luxury ski-in/ski out condos, custom homes, recreational facilities, affordable local housing and community structures.
What’s special: A massage therapist offers 15-minute chair massages in the main office every Friday, a practice the company has supported for 16 years. To promote fitness, the company sponsors a ski, softball and basketball team each year. Employee-initiated programs include lunch-time snowshoes, hikes, golf outings and skiing.
Perks: R.A. Nelson’s corporate office stocks its refrigerator with complimentary bottled water, juices, soda and energy drinks. Strategically placed “scooby snack” bowls are filled daily with chocolate goodies, and birthdays are celebrated monthly with a company-wide pizza party. The company also schedules frequent lunch meetings during which it picks up the cost of food.

New to list

14
Best Company winner
SAFEbuilt Inc.
www.safebuilt.com

Founded: 1992
Location: Loveland
CEO: Mike McCurdie
2008 revenue: $10 million
Colorado workers: 32

In a nutshell: SAFEbuilt provides third-party building department services to towns, cities, counties and state agencies. Since 1992, SAFEbuilt has provided full-service building department programs, building code plan reviews, complete project support and building code inspections. Since 1992, the company has grown to 55 employees serving 95 clients from 16 offices in five states
What’s special: A bimonthly newsletter about SAFEbuilt business is sent to the homes of all employees and is designed to engage their families as well. The newsletter acknowledges new employees, new employee certifications or promotions and employee anniversaries.
Perks: Because 70 percent of employees are out in the field, SAFEbuilt provides company vehicles and credit cards for expenses to most employees and allows employees to drive the vehicles home. It provides all employees cell phones for business use and gives each one a $100 logo clothing allowance to be spent at Lands’ End E Store.

New to list

15
Best Company winner
Sterling-Rice Group
www.srg.com

Founded: 1984
Location: Boulder
CEO: Rick Sterling
2008 revenue: $16.4 million
Colorado workers: 98

In a nutshell: Sterling-Rick Group is a brand strategy and marketing communications firm that has worked with such national clients as Taco Bell, Domino’s Pizza, Guinness, Horizon Organic and Frontier Airlines. The company’s work has helped its clients generate more than $10 billion worth of business over the past five years.
What’s special: Twice monthly, the company schedules all-hands meetings, one with breakfast, one with lunch. Twice a year, it conducts half-day or full-day meetings offsite for all employees. During the meetings, Sterling-Rice discusses how the business is doing, highlights new wins and ongoing projects and recognizes new hires, promotions and retirements.
Perks: The Wellness Program Encouragement & Motivation Team focuses on providing a fun environment, including pancake breakfasts, Halloween parties, game nights and wine-tasting parties.
Values: Often, company activities are designed to create opportunities to give back to the community.

New to list

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