Best Places to Work in San Antonio

Transcription

BEST PLACES TO WORK
www.sanantoniobusinessjournal.com
E
very company wants to be considered one of San
Antonio’s best places to work, as employers recognize that the success of their business is greatly enhanced when their employees look forward to their hours
on the job. The San Antonio Business Journal presents
its second annual Best Places to Work program as a way
of identifying companies that truly fit the bill as great
places to work.
The Business Journal did not subjectively choose the
33 companies that are being honored. Companies listed
in this special section were evaluated in a rigorous, statistics-based program.
Nomination process
To solicit companies that might qualify as best places
to work, the Business Journal published notices in its
print publication and on its Web site.
More than 80 companies responded.
The 33 top companies were broken out into three categories based on the number of employees: San Antonio-area based companies with 1-50 employees (small);
51-150 employees (medium); and 151 or more (large).
cess. Each company had its own code that represented
the company itself. No individual passwords were used,
allowing each employee to complete the survey in anonymity.
The winners were selected based on employee measurement of 39 attributes known to drive employee
engagement. The top companies in each category
were considered the winners, yielding 33 companies
total.
The employee survey included questions, each given a value of 1 to 6 points, depending on the response
checked by the employee: “Strongly Disagree,” to
“Strongly Agree.” Questions were broken down into
10 different categories: Team effectiveness, retention
risk, alignment with goals, trust with co-workers, individual contribution, manager effectiveness, trust
Once the nominations were grouped into categories
by number of employees, the nominations were sent to
Kansas-based Quantum Market Research, and then imported into a database. Each company was sent an invitation e-mail from the database. Companies registered
with Quantum by entering the number of employees. The
registration Web site calculated a response rate needed to
qualify based on the number of employees. For example,
companies with 151 to 500 employees needed 50 percent
of employees to complete the survey to ensure the results
were statistically valid. Only those companies meeting the
response goal were considered for this listing.
Confidentiality was promised throughout this pro-
1B
in senior leaders, feeling valued, work engagement
and people practices. Questions such as “I enjoy doing my work,” “I trust and respect my immediate
supervisor” and “I know I can depend on the other
members of my team,” were all evenly weighed in
the scoring.
Doing the math
Each of the companies was given an overall score
based on the 6-point scale, with the maximum score being 6.0. The survey is comprised of 39 questions. To get
the score, all of the survey responses were added up
and divided by the total number of questions from all
surveys completed by each company.
Winning companies are listed in this special supplement with their respective size-category rank and their
overall rank. The two companies scoring the highest in
each category are profiled.
Winners luncheon
Survey process
Employee survey
SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 9, 2006
COURTESY OF OPPENHEIMER, BLEND, HARRISON & TATE INC.
Oppenheimer, Blend staffers saddle up at a cycling event to raise
funds for charity.
Each of the 33 companies were recognized with a Best
Places To Work award at a luncheon on June 7 at Oak
Hills Country Club.
We want to thank all of the companies that took the
time to participate in this Best Places to Work awards
process. Those companies that were unable to participate will have a chance to do so next year. Watch for
notices in our publication and on our Web site at www.
sanantoniobusinessjournal.com.
A special thanks goes to Platinum Sponsor, Burnett
Staffing Specialists.
We also thank Corey Farley and his staff at co-sponsor Quantum Market Research for spearheading the
project.
Finally, we express gratitude to the other co-sponsors
of this section: Clear Visions Inc., Wells Fargo, Investment Professionals Inc. and San Antonio Human Resource Management Association.
Cover design by Steve Wright
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2B
JUNE 9, 2006 SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL
BEST PLACES TO WORK
A Word From Our Sponsors . . .
offers an environment geared to personal and professional growth
as well as top employee benefits! We salute all of the 2006 winning
companies and nominees.
Having matched top employees with Texas companies for 32 years,
we know what a difference it makes to put offers on the table from
exceptional companies who care about their people. We’ve also
found that ongoing training is a major issue with individuals who
want to be major contributors. To that end, we offer a variety of
Staffing Specialists and Training Center
onsite employee development training workshops.
I am proud that my staff’s dedication to providing outstanding client
service has made Burnett the most award-winning staffing service
in Texas and earned us the Better Business Bureau’s 2006 Pinnacle
President
Award for Excellence.
The excitement generated by the prospect of being named one
We are delighted that our concept for the “Best Places to Work”
of the “Best Places to Work” continues to spread throughout San
awards birthed an event that continues to gain momentum each
Antonio. What a great accolade to be able to say that your company
year. We are proud to sponsor such a worthwhile endeavor!
Sue Burnett, CPC
We commend you for providing excellent employment
opportunities in San Antonio. At Clear Visions, Inc. we
provide full-service printing, mailing, and fulfillment
services. We are owned by Consolidated Graphics which
has 70 locations nationwide. Along with our commitment
Jim Potts
President
to quality and service, our national presence makes us
industry leaders in both capacity and capabilities. We strive
to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients, including
variable/on-demand printing and cross-media solutions.
Clear Visions, Inc. congratulates all of the companies We salute all of you and wish you continued success in
recognized as The Best Places to Work in San Antonio. the future.
Don Kendrick
Regional President
San Antonio/Hill Country
Wells Fargo was founded on the American
frontier to satisfy a fundamental need –
connecting one customer to another in one market after another
by transporting goods and services fast and securely across great
distances.
We’re still on the journey that we began in 1852, and this is our
vision: We want to satisfy all of our customers’ financial needs and
help them succeed financially. We want to be recognized as one
of America’s great companies and the premier provider of financial
services – number one, second to none.
The world is a lot more complex than it was 1852, yet connecting
still is our rallying cry. We connect with our customers in three
important ways – through our people; our commitment to quality
customer service; and our support of the communities in which we
Scott A. Barnes
President and Founder
We would like to thank each of our 200 employees across
the country for all of the passion and leadership that they
display each day— it is their commitment to our culture that
has taken us to new heights. For more than 13 years IPI has
been helping banks and financial consultants all over the
United States build successful investment businesses– but
our Texas roots have continually reminded us of the value of
live and work.
At Wells Fargo, we know without a doubt that our company’s greatest
competitive advantage is our people. Products and technology can
be copied. Prices can be beat. It’s our people who set us apart from
our competitors and who strengthen and deepen our relationships
with our customers.
Our people – nearly 1,000 in San Antonio and the Hill Country and
more than 150,000 throughout the nation – are Wells Fargo.
We strive to be advocates for our customers and we put them at the
center of everything we do and every decision we make. We want
to deliver outstanding service to our customers each and every time
they do business with Wells Fargo. We C.A.R.E. for our customers
with Commitment, Assurance, Responsiveness and Empathy.
In order for Wells Fargo to succeed, the communities we serve also
must succeed, and we can help make this happen. We provide
our communities with financial capital, often in the form of cash
contributions, and more importantly, with human capital, through
our volunteerism and the individual contributions of our team
members. In this way, our communities can share in our growth and
success. Please visit us and learn how we can help you, your family
and your business succeed financially.
good partnerships. We believe that our recognition on this
year’s Best Places to Work list is evidence of our commitment
to these partnerships, not just with our financial institutions
and financial consultants but especially with our employees
here at our home office in San Antonio. Thank you for your
hard work and for your commitment to supporting our
financial consultants and building successful investment
programs. As we continue to grow outward, we are
reminded that the most outstanding thing about Investment
Professionals is that feeling you get when you visit the home
office, that contagious passion for our work and our people.
All other things aside, it is the culture of IPI that sets us
apart from the competition. Congratulations to each of the
Best Places to Work finalists— we are honored to share this
designation with you!
1. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the United
States to receive the highest possible credit rating:
Aaa, from Moody’s Investor Service. 2003
2. Forbes says Wells Fargo is the best managed company
in banking. 2005
3. Global Finance ranked Wells Fargo as one of the
World’s 50 Safest Banks. 2004
4. Watchfire® GomezPro ranked Wells Fargo as the
#1 consumer Internet bank. 2004
5. Smart Money magazine ranked Wells Fargo as the second
best full-service investment broker in America. 2004
6. American Banker says Wells Fargo is one of America’s
top 20 mutual fund companies. 2005
7. United Way of America gave Wells Fargo all four of its
top awards for community involvement this year.
Wells Fargo is only the second company in United Way
history to win all four awards in one year. 2005
8. Barron’s magazine ranks Wells Fargo the world’s
most-respected financial services company. 2005
123.The number of years we’ve served the people of Texas.
How many reasons do you need to switch to Wells Fargo?
If you’re feeling uncertain about the changes going on at your bank, switch to a bank you can trust. Switch to
Wells Fargo. And if your old bank asks why, tell them you have your reasons. To get started, call 210-856-5000 or
visit your local Wells Fargo and talk to a banker.
© 2005 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.
4B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q THE RANKINGS
TOP SMALL COMPANIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10
11
12
Ford Engineering Inc.
Online Business Services Inc.
Wilshire Homes
Guerra DeBerry Coody
Sol Schwartz & Associates PC
Shelly Flooring Inc.
Deacon Recruiting Inc.
PBK Architects Inc.
Prestige Homes
San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Computer Solutions
Alexander Billing & Consulting Inc.
OVERALL
RANKING
ADDRESS
WEB SITE
10927 Wye Drive, Suite 104, San Antonio
3463 Magic Drive, Suite 145, San Antonio
13526 George Road, Suite 201, San Antonio
122 E. Houston St., 2nd Floor, San Antonio
7550 IH-10 W, Suite 1200, San Antonio
414 W. Rhapsody, San Antonio
12500 San Pedro, San Antonio
1020 N.E. Loop 410, Suite 600, San Antonio
4079 De Zavala Road, San Antonio
318 W. Houston St., Suite 300, San Antonio
814 Arion Parkway, Suite 101, San Antonio
6243 IH-10 W., Suite 555, San Antonio
www.fordengineering.com
www.onlinepayroll.com
www.wilshire-homes.com
www.gdc-co.com
www.ssacpa.com
www.shellyflooring.com
www.deaconrecruiting.com
www.pbkarchitects.com
www.prestigesa.com
www.sahcc.org
www.comsoltx.com
www.arconsultants.com
1
3
4
5
7
8
11
18
28
30
31
33
4401 Westgate Blvd., Suite 310, San Antonio
16414 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio
6929 Camp Bullis Road, San Antonio
711 Navarro St., Sixth Floor, San Antonio
8706 Lockway, San Antonio
16414 San Pedro Ave., Suite 150, San Antonio
911 Central Parkway N., Suite 425, San Antonio
12940 Country Parkway, San Antonio
12821 W. Golden Lane, San Antonio
www.fsgconnect.com
www.pristx.com
www.medallionhomes.com
www.carneiro.com
www.obht.com
www.padgett-cpa.com
www.bartlett-cocke.com
www.invpro.com
www.c-b.com
www.vickreynet.com
www.ams-sa.com
www.rkci.com
2
6
12
14
16
19
23
24
25
26
27
29
211 N. Loop 1604 E., Suite 130, San Antonio
9725 Datapoint Drive, Suite 100, San Antonio
400 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 300, San Antonio
700 N. St. Mary’s, Suite 700, San Antonio
555 IH-35 S., New Braunfels
20855 Stone Oak Parkway, San Antonio
9311 San Pedro Ave., Suite 600, San Antonio
1390 E. Bitters, San Antonio
5555 Northwest Parkway, San Antonio
www.drhorton.com
www.rackspace.com
www.tsaog.com
www.boozallen.com
www.rushenterprises.com
www.wamu.com
www.swbc.com
www.joeris.com
www.karta.com
9
10
13
15
17
20
21
22
32
PAGES 6B-16B
TOP MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12
Facility Solutions Group
Providence Insurance & Administrative Services
Medallion Homes
Carneiro, Chumney & Co. LC
Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & Tate Inc.
Padgett, Stratemann & Co. LLP
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
Investment Professionals Inc.
Carter & Burgess Inc.
Vickrey & Associates Inc.
B. Lowry Management Inc. dba Assoc. Mgt. Services
Raba-Kistner Consultants Inc.
PAGES 18B-23B
TOP LARGE COMPANIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
D.R. Horton America’s Builder
Rackspace Managed Hosting
The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group LLP
Booz Allen Hamilton
Rush Enterprises Inc.
Washington Mutual
Southwest Business Corp. (SWBC)
Joeris General Contractors Ltd.
Karta Technologies Inc.
PAGES 24B-28B
The face of business
has changed.
But the business of financing business hasn’t.
Small business is not so small anymore. It represents
99.7 percent of all employers and provides 75 percent
of the net new jobs to the economy. Small to medium
women- and minority-owned businesses are the
fastest growing of all. 48% percent of all privately-held
businesses in the U.S. are owned by women.
Since 1994, the Community Development Loan Fund
has funded more than $7.5 million in loans to assist 131
small businesses and non-profit organizations. Fortyseven percent of CDLF’s lending has occurred in the
past three years. CDLF’s lending, typically in tandem
with banks, has leveraged an additional $25.7 million
in financing to support total project costs exceeding $51
million dollars.
When your business is ready to grow to the next
level, call Community Development Loan Fund.
Your small business is big business to us.
CDLF | 225 W. Poplar | San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 737-0312 | (210) 738-0330 (fax) | www.cdlf.net
Hours: M-F, 8 a.m - 5 p.m.
90%
10%
A V A I L A B L E
LEASED
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Contact Leasing Office
210.582.5800
[email protected]
6B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q SMALL COMPANIES
1
Q
— No. 1 overall
Ford Engineering Inc.
Address: 10927 Wye Drive, Suite
104, San Antonio, TX 78217
Phone: 210-590-4777
Web: www.fordengineering.com
Top local executives: Regina Ford,
President/Owner; Edwin Ford, CEO
No. of full-time employees: 20
Principal products/services: Civil
engineering, surveying and consulting services throughout South Texas
Gross 2005 revenue range:
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1978
Percent female: 25%
Percent male: 75%
Percent minority: 25%
401(k)? No, Ford offers an IRA,
where it meets up to
a 3% contribution,
and employees can
contribute up to 6%
MARCELA RIOS GARY / SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL
Ford Engineering Inc. employees work in open-area, communal pods.
Ford Engineering staff has freedom to soar
BY LISA SORG
No sooner do you step in the door of
Ford Engineering Inc., than office manager Sheila Winstead at the front desk is
smiling at you.
In fact, everyone seems to smile at Ford
Engineering. A small business with just 20
employees, Ford is not only one of Texas’
top engineering firms, it is also one of San
Antonio’s best places to work. Professional,
yet relaxed — someone must have stowed
the neckties in the desk drawers — the collegial atmosphere and work ethic at Ford
have translated into a profitable, awardwinning business.
“For engineers, everything you do creWhat employees are saying:
• “There are a lot of reasons why
I love to work for Ford Engineering Inc., but one that really stands
out in my mind is the support and
“Round of Applause” that people
get for achieving personal goals
whether or not those goals directly
affect the company or not. I just
graduated with my AA and got a
huge “congratulations” from everyone in the company. It makes
me feel really good to know that
the people I work with care about
me and what is important to me.”
• “I have many reasons why Ford
Engineering is the best place to
work. I have been here since January 1997 and the past 10 years have
ates a better environment,” says CEO Ed
Ford, who with his wife and company president, Regina Ford, own and operate the
28-year-old firm. “That’s the philosophy
we have.”
A 2005 Harris Interactive poll showed
that more than 40 percent of 7,718 workers
surveyed said they were dissatisfied with
their jobs and trying to cope with burnout.
In contrast, Ford Engineering feels like a
throwback to an era in which the bonds
were stronger between company and employees.
“It is a family,” says Larry Dublin, senior
engineering manager and principal. “Everybody knows everybody.”
Twelve years ago, the company transformed a former warehouse in northeast
San Antonio into its sunny headquarters.
Upstairs, the doors to private offices are
rarely closed, and downstairs, employees,
rather than cocooned in Dilbert-like cubicles, are roaming between communal
pods, their computer screens lit with drawings and schematics. With 24-foot ceilings,
the bullpen, as it’s known, feels like an aviary.
“It’s built for communication,” says Ford.
He pauses and smiles. “We used to play
basketball in that half.”
Friends since their high school days at
See FORD, Page 8B
absolutely flown by. The main reason
I would say is the people that work
with me. The working environment
at Ford Engineering is very unique.
I do not know of any other place
that will allow you to have the
type of freedoms that we have and
“fun” that we have while still giving 110% every day to do the best
job that we can do for our clients.”
positions and allows them to perform
their duties with very little or even no
supervision. Ford Engineering trusts
their employees to do their jobs and
make great business decisions.”
• “Ford Engineering is the best place
to work because there is a friendly
family-like atmosphere in the office.”
• “I think Ford Engineering Inc. is
one of the Best Places to Work because
aside from the great atmosphere and
wonderful co-workers, Ford Engineering has qualified employees in key
• “I have spent 10 years of my
career at Ford Engineering. I had
already worked for other civil
engineering firms before applying
here. Little did I know, I had stepped
into one of the first companies in
San Antonio to fully automate the
design process, while the large
corporations were still dependent
on manual hand-drafting methods.
This pioneering spirit still thrives as
we continue to stay ahead of the
competition with state-of-the-art
technology, computers and survey
Benefits highlights:
Medical, dental and
vision plans; 48 hours
paid sick leave; 40
Edwin and
hours paid vacation
Regina Ford
with 3 weeks after 5
years; tuition scholarship program; paid leave for jury
duty; paid life insurance policy on
all employees; paid professional association dues and licensing fees
Cool perks: Christmas parties with
goodie bags including gift certificates; summer parties with raffle
prizes; rain day account for surveyors; monthly luncheon to celebrate
company news and achievements;
service recognition awards with
cash gifts; birthday celebrations
with cake and card; recognition of
personal employee achievements;
“Adopt a Computer” program,
where employees are given computers for their home use; in-house
computer training opportunities;
supplemental insurance opportunities; generous employee bonuses.
equipment. I can honestly say it really is all about liking where you work,
enjoying what you do at work and
being happy with whom you work.”
• “Ford Engineering is one of the
best places to work because of the
many opportunities that are given
while working here. I was given the
opportunity to work as a high school
intern to learn the many skills needed
in becoming a civil engineer. I was also
given the opportunity in continuing
my education while working at Ford,
through very flexible scheduling and
a tuition reimbursement plan that
was offered. Overall, this has been a
wonderful experience and I hope to
continue working with Ford Engineering through my master’s and Ph.D.”
I love my job
I love my job and my co-workers
I love my job and my co-workers, but my boss is a dweeb.
T
he more reporting features you add to your Best Places To Work
employee survey, the more you’ll learn about how your employees
truly feel about your company. Seize this opportunity to find out what
makes your workplace soar — or suffer — by taking advantage of one of
our Best Places To Work add-on reporting packages, each with an even
more revealing level of detail. You may be surprised at what you can learn.
Upgrade to Precision, Strategic or Strategic Plus Reporting
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Call 402-955-1789 for details & pricing.
8B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q SMALL COMPANIES
FORD: Engineering firm creates environment that promotes creativity among staffers
point
W
W
Peacock Military Institute, Ford and Dublin started their careers when engineers
used slide rules, not powerful computers
to calculate complex equations.
“We should get a slide rule,” jokes Dublin, “and hang it on the wall.”
And although Ford laughs when he remembers he was initially reluctant to get a
fax machine, the firm has quickly adopted
new technologies, and was the first to provide the city of San Antonio with large, full-
color, computer-assisted drawings. The
company also provides GPS services to
the community via its Web site, fordengineering.com.
Recent projects include the 154-acre
Wild Wind Subdivision in Garden Ridge in
which the roads and homes were designed
around hundreds of heritage trees, and
various engineering jobs for the San Antonio Water System and the city of Schertz.
The $4 million West Dietz Creek Channelization Project in Schertz won a 2006
click
W
W
FROM PAGE 6B
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Engineering Excellence Award. After the
flood of 1998 engulfed streets, trapped
city residents, and destroyed or damaged
more than 3,400 buildings, Ford excavated
more than 700,000 cubic yards of dirt and
rerouted roads, water and sewer mains
and electrical lines to remove 308 acres of
land from the 100-year flood plain. When
the floods returned in 2004, West Dietz
Creek remained in its banks.
The benefits of working at Ford extend
beyond the basics: salaries, bonuses,
401(k), tuition scholarships, vacation, and
health and life insurance. When the company upgrades its computers, employees
receive free older models. When an employee has to suddenly leave work to pick
up a sick child at school, no one raises an
eyebrow.
“You know everything is going to be OK,”
says Marketing Director Cassie McClung.
“You don’t have any problem here.”
There are opportunities to move up in
the company, and employees are being
groomed to take the reins when older
workers retire. It is also common for interns to earn a paid position after college.
The company also works with the Judson
Independent School District in mentoring engineers-to-be, builds playscapes for
communities, and hosts Cub Scout tours of
their workspace.
“One of the things I enjoy about working
here is working with young people,” says
Dublin, who takes young workers to job
sites and City Council meetings. “I like to
teach and develop talents in them.”
Ford Engineering’s organizational chart
resembles West Texas: flat, with a few
hills.
“We have a very relaxed chain of command,” says Dublin. “That bullpen is my
responsibility, but there is no need for structured discipline. I do right by my people and
they’ll do right by me — that’s key.”
For example, a group of engineers has
worked on a project 16 consecutive days,
with no weekends off.
“No one told them to do that,” Dublin
says. “And they’re not running late on the
project; they’re early.”
Ford’s management philosophy stems
from the belief that micro-managing employees usually backfires. Ambitious selfstarters need guidance and mentoring, but
not constant surveillance.
“The majority of people create their own
stress,” says Ford. “If you dictate, they limit themselves to that enforcement. If not,
they can run and make accomplishments.
We give them leeway.”
“They are given the freedom to take
chances and soar,” adds Regina Ford.
“They are given complete freedom to excel.”
LISA SORG is a San Antonio-based free-lance
writer.
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www.invpro.com
10B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q SMALL COMPANIES
2
Q
— No. 3 overall
Online Business
Services Inc.
Address: 3463 Magic Drive, Suite
Phone: 210-979-8844
Web: www.onlinepayroll.com
Top local executive: Joshua
Schechter, President
No. of full-time
employees: 14
Principal products/services: Payroll services
Gross 2005 revenue range: $500,000$9 million
Year founded: 1991
Joshua
Percent feSchechter
male: 57.14%
Percent male: 42.86%
Percent minority: 42.86%
401(k)? No
Benefits highlights: Two weeks
paid vacation, 75 percent of employees and employee’s family health
care is paid for along with dental
Cool perks: Certified Payroll Professional Certificate (classes, book,
andexam) is paid for by Online Business Services Inc.; half-day Fridays
(every other Friday); company holiday parties; monthly breakfasts.
TORENCE WHITE / SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL
When hiring, Online Business Services Inc. President Joshua Schechter (L) says he looks at attitude first, rather than a specific degree or training.
Online leadership celebrates its employees
BY LAURA BRAY
What employees are saying:
• “We all work together well
as a team. We get the job done,
but we also have fun. There’s a
real sense of camaraderie here.”
• “I love our half-day Fridays
because it allows us all to take
care of personal business without taking off from work.”
• “It is very apparent that the
administration not only wants
Online to be successful, but the
individuals that make up Online to be successful as well.”
• “We are all treated like
an integral part of this team;
morale is incredibly high.”
• “I enjoy coming to work,
because we all take pride
in what we do and we have
fun while we do it.”
• “I am grateful for the opportunity that OBS has to offer
as well as the knowledge that I
can gain for being a part of this
company. I also love the working
environment and the freedom
of expression that I get here.”
• “My favorite thing about
working for Online is the friendships that I have made with my
manager and co-workers.”
Employees at Online Business Systems,
a payroll processing service, enjoy a culture of family values, a team environment,
and an atmosphere that celebrates accomplishments.
Founder and president Jason Schechter runs his company based on four core
ideas: always do the right thing, focus on
the customer, examine for excellence, and
most of all, have fun.
Excellent customer service takes priority.
“We’re talking to customers all the time
and dealing directly with their money,”
says Schechter. “Everyone makes mistakes; our difference shows in how we fix
them.”
In an unforgiving business like payroll
processing, deadlines are critical.
“We focus on meeting deadlines, rather
than trying to strictly adhere to a regular
8-to-5 workday. If we get the project done
early, we go home,” he says.
The company’s Culture Committee
meets regularly to come up with fun ways
to recognize accomplishments. Rewards
include movie tickets, a free lunch with the
boss, or choosing the theme for the weekly
potluck meal. Employees receive a half-day
off every other Friday, in addition to regular vacation days (except during the busy
period at year-end).
“They have time off to take care of their
lives,” says Schechter.
Employees also meet for regular quarterly events outside work. They gather at
a lakehouse or go out to a movie or dinner.
Schechter holds a weekly meeting each
Friday to keep tabs on how his employees
are doing, both at the office and otherwise.
“We cover for each other when it’s necessary,” he says.
The company promotes from within. Implementation Specialist Heather Sanchez
started as a part-time employee in February 2003, stuffing checks as an administrative assistant, and she’s been promoted
five times.
“I received my degree in accounting last
May but decided to stay here,” Sanchez
says. “Jason gives a lot of business opportunities to his people.
When hiring, Schechter looks more for
a great spirit, rather than specific training
or a degree.
“We hire on attitude,” he says. “We can
train on everything else.”
The company recently embarked on a
team building program called “Trek to the
Top,” with a mountain-climbing theme.
Schechter kicked it off one Friday by setting up a “base camp” in the office lobby,
complete with campfire and a live goat.
During facilitated meetings, employees focused on business procedures in the areas
of culture, new hire processing and job
descriptions.
The committees continue to document
processes during ongoing weekly meetings.
According to Schechter, employees have
taken an active and enthusiastic interest in
the project.
Founded in 1993, Online Business
Systems has more than 500 clients in 44
states. Last year, it processed over $1.5
billion in payroll checks and paid over
$750 million in payroll taxes. Seventeen
employees are located in offices in San
Antonio (near the South Texas Regional
Medical Center), Minneapolis and Philadelphia. The company’s benefits package
includes health, dental and prescription
coverage (the company covers 75 percent of the cost of the employee’s family
health plan), along with a retirement plan
and two weeks’ paid time off. The company pays for employee training, including classes to obtain the Certified Payroll
Professional designation from the American Payroll Association.
Schechter takes an active role in day-today operations and stays involved with the
technology of payroll processing. Online
Business Systems runs its own software,
which gives it control over the myriad details of this complex process.
“We never have to say ‘no, we can’t do
that’ to our customers,” says Schechter.
“Our technical folks aren’t just sitting in
a back room, coding. They’re highly involved in daily operations.”
Schechter also feels strongly about
keeping the organizational chart as flat
as possible. “There are only three levels
of management,” he says. “Everyone is
no further than two levels away from the
boss. It gives people a feeling of empowerment.”
“It’s all about establishing personal relationships,” says Sanchez. “We’re all friends
who hang out together.”
LAURA BRAY is a San Antonio-based free-lance
writer and operator of Bray Communications.
BEST PLACES TO WORK
11B
Q SMALL COMPANIES
3
work every day.”
Q
— No. 4 overall
Wilshire Homes
Address: 13526 George Road,
Suite 201, San Antonio, TX 78230
Phone: 210-493-0892
Web: www.wilshire-homes.com
Top local
executive: Jim Eller,
Division Manager,
San Antonio Division
No. of full-time
employees: 50
Principal products/
services: New home
construction and sales
Jim Eller
Gross 2004 revenue range: $10 million-$74 million
Year founded: 1991
Percent female: 46%
Percent male: 54%
401(k)? Yes, company contributes
a 50% match on employee contributions of up to 6%. Employee is 100%
vested in employer match at six years.
Benefits highlights: Medical, dental,
paid vacation/paid time off; tuition
reimbursement; employee referral bonus; home purchase program
(can purchase Wilshire home at
10% off base price of home); military leave of absence pay (Wilshire
pays the difference between what
employee gets paid at work and
what the military pays if employee
were to be called to active duty)
Cool perks: Company summer picnic, company holiday
party, holiday charity drives
• “Wilshire Homes is a a great place
to work because I respect my superiors
for their honesty and integrity. They
are fine people who will do the right
thing.”
• “I absolutely love everyone I work
with and for. My job is very challenging, but I look forward to coming to
• “This place is phenomenal! From
the very top, to the newest employee,
we are all dedicated to one common
goal: to provide the very best product
that we possibly can to our end customer. I love working for a company
that always treats each customer as
if they were their only customer. My
boss is an amazing man. One is never
penalized for making mistakes, only
asked to learn from the experience. I
have grown more here in my 4.5 years
of employment than in my previous 27
years combined. You could not pry me
away with a crow bar!”
4
Q
— No. 5 overall
Guerra DeBerry Coody
Address: 122 E. Houston St., 2nd
Floor, San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: 210-223-.2772
Web: www.gdc-co.com
Top local executives and titles: Three
equal partners — Frank
Guerra, Partner
and CEO; Trish
DeBerry, Partner
and President;
Tess Coody, Partner and COO
No. of full(L-R) Trish DeBerry, Frank
time
employGuerra and Tess Coody
ees: 47
Principal
products/services: Advertising,
communications and marketing
$10 million-$74 million
Year founded: 1995
Percent female: 81%
Percent male: 19%
401(k)? GDC offers 3% of salary safe harbor match.
Benefits highlights: Company
pays for 100% of Health Insurance — basic life, accidental death
and long term disability; subsidized
onsite child care with 3-to-1 teacher
We Service and Install:
Metroplex Control Systems:
Fire Alarm
We do more than Fire Alarm Installation.
MANUFACTURERS
• EST Fire
Nurse Call Paging
• Dukane
Access Control
• Lenel
• Infographics
• Casi
• Software House
• DSX
• Identicard
CCTV
• Pelco
• Kalatel
Intercom
• AiPhone
• Zentel
• Specializing in Installation and Service of Fire Alarm, Access
Control, CCTV, Nurse Call and Paging Systems including
Retro Fits and Tenant Finishout.
• We service all major manufacturers.
• We test and inspect any fire system including: ADT, Notifier,
Simplex and Pyrotronics.
Call Today For Information on Protecting Your Valuable Assets.
210-798-2989
Metroplex
Control Systems
An ISI Detention Contracting Group, Inc. Company
child ratio; promotes onsite breast
feeding throughout the day; allows older children to come to work
with parents when school is out or
a child is sick; paid vacation; paid
maternity leave; paid parking; Christmas bonuses; telecommuting when
needed; paid personal and sick time
Cool perks: Wellness program
— Covers some gym membership
expenses, retreats, onsite yoga and
kick boxing classes, monthly book
club, brown bag lunches with guests
discussing topics such as relationships and nutrition, can accumulate
“wellness bucks” that can be re-
deemed toward gift certificates and
other prizes, onsite health testing.
Pro-bono — Company gets involved in many pro-bono projects
and encourages employees to participate. For example, employees
took days off to help the Red Cross
at KellyUSA (now known as Port San
Antonio) during the Katrina evacuations; facilitates adopting a family at
the holidays; handled PR and creative
services without pay for programs
such as Heart Gallery of San Antonio, Houston Street Fair, March of
Dimes, Susan G Komen Foundation,
San Antonio Children’s Museum,
Downtown Alliance, to name a few.
Thank you.
We salute our employees – for their tireless efforts on behalf of our
clients, and for their daily dedication to making Providence a great
place to work. We realize that our employees are our most valuable
assets, and gratefully acknowledge the contributions each of them
has made to the success of our company.
(210) 495-7595
www.pristx.com
12B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q SMALL COMPANIES
Child care festivities — Encourages
employees to participate in onsite
activities for the kids in the child care
such as birthday parties, Donuts with
Dad on Father’s Day, Muffins with
Mom on Mother’s Day, Christmas
pageant, Easter Egg Hunt, etc., child
care graduation ceremony complete
with caps and gowns and $500 savings bond for their future education
Also, monthly birthday parties;
company retreats; free tickets to
games, events and other activities.
• “To me, GDC is family. I bring
my children to the office with
me to join my extended family at
work. ... I can’t ever imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Ever.”
• “I appreciate the fact that my
entire team — department director, partners, colleagues and even
clients — appreciates me not only as
a professional, but more importantly,
as a mother of four. I have never
received anything but support when,
for example, I’ve had a sick child and
my mom duties took precedence over
my role as an account executive.”
• “What I like most about working for GDC is the company culture.
We have a team work mentality which
enables us to produce the best work
possible for our clients. Additionally,
it’s our fantastic company culture
that’s a big factor in us as an agency
being able to attract and retain the
brightest talent in the industry.”
• “I love that the GDC incorporates
family first into their culture.”
• “The partners here are parents,
too. They know that sometimes family comes first. So when you need to
focus on family they understand, and
that makes me want to work even
harder to return the favor. I love the
family atmosphere here, the knowledge that this company cares about
our community, that our partners are
honest and truly care about the needs
of our clients and the people who
work here. When people displaced by
Hurricane Katrina began arriving in
San Antonio, our partners allowed us
to volunteer on the clock. It’s so many
things like that which are supported
here that makes this more than a
job… it’s being part of a community. ”
• “I like hearing my son down the
hall while I work. I like our wellness program and that I see several
co-workers when I go to the gym.
I like that the partners will give
you time out of their day if you
need to talk with them. I like that
I laugh at least 10 times a day.”
• “I love the culture here. My
coworkers are like family, and the
partners are completely supportive
To get to the top
use the people
at the top.
of the work I do as well as all the
important things in my personal
life. My boss rocks, and I feel completely comfortable going to her
for just about anything. My son is
only steps away during the day!
What else do I need to say!?!”
• “I like the fact that we are all
treated as talented individuals within
a teamwork environment. The family first culture here at GDC can only
help to cultivate success in both our
personal and professional lives. I enjoy
the creative energy that is nurtured
within each department and as employees, we are encouraged to develop talents and skills beyond those
we ever thought ourselves capable.”
• “What I like most about working for GDC is the freedom. The
partners are wonderful at trusting the employees to do their job
and to find solutions to problems
that may arise. The respect and
trust is mutual and appreciated.”
• “What I like most about working for GDC is the way everyone
supports each other, professionally and personally, making us
truly an extended family.”
• “GDC recognizes the importance of
family, from the onsite daycare, to holiday celebrations, to the simple day-today understanding of needing to stay
home if your child is sick. That’s an unmatched benefit. Many places talk the
talk about ‘family comes first,’ but few
really walk the talk like they do here.”
5
Q
— No. 7 overall
Awarded San Antonio Business Journal’s
“Best Places to Work in San Antonio”
Awards are nice, but it is the references of our professional
candidates and the companies we work with that motivate
the Deacon team every day. After all, our resume is only
as strong as our references.
Permanent and Contract Placement in:
• Accounting & Finance
• Aviation
• Engineering
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Legal
• Management
• Medical
• Office Administration
• Sales & Marketing
One Countryside Place • 12500 San Pedro Avenue • Suite 140
San Antonio, TX 78216 • Phone: (210) 494-1000 • Fax: (210) 494-4924
www.deaconrecruiting.com
Sol Schwartz
& Associates PC
Address: 7550 IH-10
W, Suite 1200,
San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: 210-384-8000
Web address: www.
ssacpa.com
Top local executive:
Jeff Albrecht, Managing
Jeff Albrecht
Shareholder
Principal products/services: Sol
Schwartz & Associates PC is a fullservice accounting firm offering tax
consulting and compliance, audits,
reviews and compilations, business
consulting, asset protection and
personal financial planning, international tax and consulting services,
litigation support services, and cost
segregation studies to name a few
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1980
Percent female: 58%
Percent male: 42%
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Paid vacation
and personal time off; group medical
health insurance; group life insurance; long-term disability insurance;
other insurance coverages through
Section 126 plan; medical flexible
spending accounts (FSA); day care
flexible spending accounts; 401(k)
plan with firm matching contributions; paid continuing professional
education; paid dues for professional
memberships; paid dues for event
cost for practice development organizations; free covered parking
Cool perks: Newest technology,
modern office space, tax season perks
that include lunch delivered to office,
weekly catered dinners, fresh fruit,
healthy snacks and ice cream, themed
after-hours events, fresh office flowers
and stress relief professional massages, after-tax season get together,
offices closed the day after the end of
tax season, annual employee bowling
tournament, employee entertainment
event (i.e. - Retama Park, river boat
dinners, Missions Game, etc.), development of personal marketing plans,
annual marketing bonuses; bonuses
for bringing in new business, quarterly
staff meetings with special marketing training, personal development
presentations (i.e., time management,
stress management), association to
CPAmerica International, the second
largest network of CPA firms in the
world, providing staff with the highest
level of training in tax and many other
topics; participation in the Juvenile
Diabetes Annual Walk and many other
community events; internship program, monthly birthday recognition,
employee anniversary milestone gifts.
• “The culture at my office is
one of helping each other. People
are friendly and resourceful.”
• “The partners at my company are
very accessible and easy to talk to.”
• “I’ve been with Sol Schwartz
& Associates, PC for more than
15 years. That says it all!”
6
Q
— No. 8 overall
Shelly Flooring Inc.
Address: 414 W. Rhapsody, San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: 210-404-9390
Web: www.shellyflooring.com
Top local executive: Dennis Shelly,
president/owner
Principal products/services: Flooring,
to include wood, carpeting, vinyl, tile
and stone, featuring hundreds of styles
and designs from top-of-the-line manufacturers
BEST PLACES TO WORK
13B
Q SMALL COMPANIES
Year founded: 2002
Percent female: 60%
Percent male: 40%
401(k): No
Benefits highlights: Company-paid
insurance; vision plan, bonuses tied to
profit
Cool perks: Holiday celebrations,
birthday celebrations, paid lunches on
special occasions, periodic donation
of products to community and nonprofit efforts, free trips to qualifying
employees and their family members
• “This company is a great place
to work. The owner makes time for
the employees and is open to hear
what you have to say. He appreciates all that the employees do and
lets you know he is thankful.”
7
Q
— No. 11 overall
Deacon Recruiting Inc.
Address: One Countryside
Place, 12500 San Pedro Ave., Suite
Phone: 210-494-1000
Web: www.deaconrecruiting.com
Ann Bohl Deacon,
Founder/CEO
No. of full-time
employees: 21
Principal products/
services: Permanent
and contract placeAnn Deacon
ment services
Year founded: 1994
Percent female: 72%
Percent male: 28%
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Medical, dental, vision, paid vacation, earned time
off, flexible schedules, continuing
education reimbursement, internal career path for advancement
goals that you can’t get anywhere
else; earned time off, trips, gift cards,
massages and other fun things.
Clearly, the company takes care of
the people that do their job well.”
• “I really enjoy the flexibility that
we are given in order to do our job.”
• “I enjoy going to work in such a
team-oriented environment. I feel as if
Deacon is my home away from home.”
• “Deacon Recruiting offers outstanding incentives for meeting our
• “This is a great company to work
for because it allows you to utilize
your personal strengths to contribute to the company’s success.”
• “The energy in the office
and the enthusiasm everyone exhibits is truly motivational!”
• “The sky is the limit; we are in
charge of our own destiny and success. Being self managed is a great
gift DR gives to our employees.”
shops; company merchandise;
select incentive bonuses; holiday
bonuses; casino Christmas parties
with grand prizes and giveaways;
Spurs tickets/box seats for the entire
office to go as a group; open door
management policy; on-site construction barbecues/picnic lunches;
C. Aaron Peñaloza
Jewelers
9
Q
— No. 28 overall
Prestige Homes
8
Q
— No. 18 overall
PBK Architects Inc.
Address: 1020 N.E.
Loop 410, Suite 600, San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: 210-829-0123
Web: www.pbkarchitects.com
Joel E. Hernández,
AIA, REFP, Principal
No. of full-time
employees: 20
Principal products/services: Architectural services
Joel Hernández
Gross 2005
revenue range: DND
Year founded: 1999
Percent female: 20%
Percent male: 80%
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Health insurance, life insurance, long-term
disability insurance, accidental
death and dismemberment insurance, profit sharing, paid vacation, education assistance
Cool perks: Monthly social mixer,
special event parties, early release
on Fridays, Work Remotely, Team
charity donations/events, team
building events/trips, birthday recognition party and birthday off,
time off and gift certificates for
individual and team achievements
• “The Deacon team always keeps
me motivated by offering weekly,
bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly and
even yearly incentives; we are
on track to make it to Cabo!”
• “I believe PBK’s greatest asset is
our culture. PBK’s culture is one that
thrives on customer service, and our
client-centered attitude allows us to
continue growing. Our success isn’t the
result of our ability to design a school,
but rather a result of our willingness
to exceed client expectations. It is this
culture that makes PBK a very energetic and exciting place to work!”
Address: 4079 De Zavala Road,
Phone: 210-614-3811
Web address: www.prestigesa.com
Todd Booth,
President/Owner
No. of full-time
employees: 15
Principal products/
services: Custom home
design and build
Todd Booth
Gross 2005
revenue range: $10
million-$74 million
Year founded: 1959
Percent female: 34%
Percent male: 66%
401(k)?: No
Stainless Steel. Alarm.Water
Resistant to 330', $299.
O F F I C I A L
T I M E K E E P E R
Benefits highlights: Company paid health insurance
policy for each employee
Cool perks: Monthly appreciation
luncheons; team-building work-
Sunset Ridge in Alamo Heights
6430 N. New Braunfels Ave.
210.822.4044 X Mon-Sat 10-6
www.penaloza.com
A GREAT LOCATION
FOR YOUR NEW OFFICE
Member FDIC
1,118 TO 10,897 SF
AVAILABLE
• Up to 8,000 SF Available
• Easy access to
• Delicatessen
• Finish Out Negotiable
•
Downtown
Full-Time Weekend
& Evening Security
FOR LEASING &
INFORMATION
Mychel Jordan
210.735.9108
6243 IH-10 West
• Garden Office with Large Oak Trees
For Leasing Information
Contact John Vogel at 821-5323
Cell# 771-8800
[email protected]
One De Zavala Center
I-10 & One De Zavala Area
Professionally Owned & Managed By:
Tarantino Properties
Henry S. Miller Commercial
Since 1914
OUR TEAM
You make this the
Best Place to Work
in San Antonio.
OUR CLIENTS
THANK YOU.
GLOBALINSIGHT
LOCALIMPACT
Certified Public Accountants
Business Advisors
7550 IH-10, Suite 1200 San Antonio, Texas 78229 • (210) 384-8000
•
Fax: (210) 384-8011 • www.ssacpa.com
FORD ENGINEERING, INC.
10927 Wye Drive, Suite 104, San Antonio, Texas 78217
9OURSTRATEGYANDTECHNOLOGYPARTNERIN3AN!NTONIO
“Of all the accolades we could receive, being named
“Best Places to Work in San Antonio” is the one we are
most proud of. We would like to say “Thank You” to our
employees for their hard work, loyalty and dedication.”
-Ed and Regina Ford
)NANENVIRONMENTWHERETHEONLYCONSTANTISCHANGEGOVERNMENTAGENCIESANDBUSINESSESNEED
APARTNERWHOUNDERSTANDSTHATTODAYSCHALLENGESREQUIREMORETHANYESTERDAYSANSWERS
)NTEGRATINGTHEFULLRANGEOFCONSULTINGCAPABILITIES"OOZ!LLEN(AMILTONISTHEONEFIRMTHATHELPS
CLIENTSSOLVETHEIRTOUGHESTPROBLEMSWORKINGBYTHEIRSIDETOHELPTHEMACHIEVETHEIRMISSIONS
#ONTACT0AUL$OOLITTLEAT&ORINFORMATIONANDCAREEROPPORTUNITIESVISITWWWBOOZALLENCOM
Please visit our website at www.fordengineering.com
Helping Team Members Succeed
for More Than 75 Years
“Thank you to our driven and
committed staff members
who truly make a difference in
serving Hispanic Businesses
and make everyday an
enjoyable experience.”
Carneiro, Chumney & Co., L.C.
A.J. Rodriguez
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
President & CEO
40 NE Loop 410, Ste. 200 San Antonio, TX 78216-5876
210.342.8000 • fax 210.342.0866
email: [email protected]
An independent Member of the BDO Seidman Alliance
providing national and international resources
CONGRATULATIONS
To each Karta Team Member for making
Karta one of the “Best Places to Work!”
A
ssociation
anagement
ervices
M
S
The Business of People
Specializing in accounting, administrative and operational
services for Community Associates
1600 N.E. Loop 410, Ste. 202 • San Antonio, TX 78209
210-829-7202 Fax 210-829-5207
CONGRATULATIONS
To All The 2006 Winners!
From all our 2006 Sponsors
Burnett Staffing – Platinum Sponsor
Clear Visions, Inc. • Wells Fargo
Investment Professionals, Inc. • SAHRMA • Quantum
5555 Northwest Parkway • San Antonio, TX 78249 • 210-582-3000 • www.karta.com
16B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q SNAPSHOTS: ALL CATEGORIES
COURTESY OF PADGETT, STRATEMANN & CO. LLP
COURTESY OF JOERIS GENERAL CONTRACTORS
No. 22 overall Joeris General Contractors employees try out
Hoola-Hoops at its company picnic.
The No. 19 overall Padgett, Stratemann softball team.
COURTESY OF PRESTIGE HOMES
No. 9 overall Prestige Homes employees go retro.
PROUD TO BE VOTED ONE OF SAN ANTONIO’S
BEST PLACES TO WORK!
Making the right move.
CORPORATE &
SECURITIES
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
+
STRENGTH OF RESOLVE
+
TRUSTED LEGAL ADVICE
CREDITORS’ RIGHTS
& BANKRUPTCY
ESTATE PLANNING
& PROBATE
COURTESY OF RUSH ENTERPRISES
No. 17 overall Rush Enterprises’ Chairman Marvin Rush rings the opening bell at NASDAQ.
HEALTH CARE
= What you need from a law firm
and what you get from us.
LABOR &
EMPLOYMENT
LITIGATION
REAL ESTATE
TAX
COURTESY OF INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS
No. 8 overall Investment Professionals employees “roast” Senior VP Charlie Watson.
210 224 2000
www.obht.com San Antonio
COURTESY OF WILSHIRE HOMES
No. 4 overall Wilshire Homes set up a petting zoo for employees’ kids as part of its family picnic.
BEST PLACES TO WORK
17B
Q SMALL COMPANIES
community projects/drives with
company matched funds; personalized in-house quarterly newsletters
• “One of my fondest memories this past year was on Halloween when we all selected a
decade and dressed accordingly.”
• “I like reading our newsletter.
I never realized we did so much as
a team and I just love the caricature of the featured employee.”
• “The best part of working at
Prestige Homes is our ‘boss.’ Although he is the owner and president, he is easily approachable
and enjoys being a part of our
everyday affairs, whether it’s going
out to lunch or sharing stories.”
• “We respect each other’s
differences, but come together
as a team to accomplish the
company’s goals.”
10
Q
— No. 30 overall
San Antonio Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce
Address: 318 W.
Houston St., Suite 300,
78212
Phone: 210-225-0462
Web address: www.
sahcc.org
Top local executive: A.
J. Rodriguez, PresiA.J. Rodriguez
dent & CEO
No. of full-time
employees: 13
Principal products/services: Networking opportunities, leadership
development, electronic publications, online business directory
and associated memberships
with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce, Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, and the Free
Trade Alliance of San Antonio.
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1929
Percent female: 85%
Percent male: 15%
401(k)? Established in
third quarter 2006
Benefits highlights: Health
insurance, life insurance, dental, vision, paid vacation, tuition reimbursement, training,
gas and cell phone allowance,
free downtown parking
Cool perks: YMCA membership,
flex time, casual day, birthday celebrations, bonuses, free Spurs/Missions/Saints/NIOSA tickets, Christmas
and Fiesta parties, staff luncheons,
professional organization memberships, United Way and Days of Caring
involvement, overnight staff retreats,
giveaway items and internal membership contests with cool prizes such as
Southwest Airlines tickets; children
allowed to be at work in special circumstances i.e. school holidays, etc.
• “The Hispanic Chamber is a great
place to work because of the opportunities that it offers to grow
personally and professionally.”
• “I like the family-oriented atmosphere here, we’re a great
team! Everyone always pitches
in when we need help.”
• “Being able to work with a vast
variety of business and community
leaders as well as business owners
from all walks of life has given me a
greater understanding of people in
general. The work day is never the
same, and there is always a surprise waiting around the corner.”
• “At the end of the day, my
work has a positive impact on our
members and the community.”
• “There is no better reward then to
see one of our members succeed and
for them to say, ‘thank you, without
you and the Hispanic Chamber we
wouldn’t have had this opportunity.’”
• “Working with a motivated
staff and for a dedicated membership makes working for the Hispanic
Chamber with its fulfilling mission a rewarding experience.”
• “Having a boss with an
open door policy has kept a
cool work environment.”
11
Q
— No. 31 overall
Computer Solutions
Address: 814 Arion Park
way, Suite 101,
Phone: 210-369-0300
Web: www.
comsoltx.com
Top local executive: Carolyn Labatt, CEO/Owner
Carolyn Labatt
No. of full-time
employees: 46
Principal products/services: Founded
in 1978, Computer Solutions is a
leading provider of complex technology business solutions. The company
is headquartered in San Antonio
and has built its reputation by forging long-time relationships with its
customers, such as Valero Energy
Corp, Broadway Bank, Clarke American, KCI, Frost Bank and Christus
Santa Rosa. Over the years, Computer Solutions has developed strong
strategic alliances with the industry’s
top names, including Microsoft
(Certified Gold Partner), HewlettPackard (Certified Gold Partner) and
Cisco (Certified Silver Partner).
Since 1984, when Carolyn Labatt
purchased the company, Computer
Solutions has grown from $1 million to $25 million in annual revenues. Computer Solutions has
thrived despite the turbulence of
the technology industry to become
one of San Antonio’s highly regarded business success stories.
Professional Services Division
includes managed services (IT outsourcing), application development
(Microsoft server and client applications integration) and engineering
services (network infrastructure,
security and IP Communications).
The Product Procurement &
Logistics Services Division includes
hardware procurement, maintenance and support of contracts,
staging, storage and break fix.
Year founded: 1978
Percent female: 30%
Percent male: 70%
401(k)?: Yes. with matching
Benefits highlights: Dental, vision, medical coverage; cafeteria
plan; 17 days vacation/personal
time annually in second year of
employment; AFLAC supplemental insurance can be purchased
through payroll deduction
Cool perks: Family-oriented company with “open door” management policy; employee recognition
and reward program for Computer
Solutions core values and years of
service; promotions from within
the organization; company-sponsored technology training; internship program; in-house charity
drives including being a United
Way Pacesetter company; themed
quarterly meetings and catered
social mixers with raffles for prizes;
monthly catered birthday luncheons; fun celebrations and contests for events such as Halloween
and St. Patrick’s Day; Thanksgiving
luncheon; annual holiday party;
Spurs tickets; employee computer
purchase program done at cost
• “I really like working with my
manager, she is NEVER too busy to
assist me when problems arise!”
12
Q
— No. 33 overall
Alexander Billing
& Consulting Inc.
Address: 6243 I-10 W.,
Suite 555 San
Antonio, TX 78201
Phone: 210-344-9444
Web: www.arconsultants.com
Rachael Waldinger, President & General Manager
Rachael
No. of full-time
Waldinger
employees: 22
Principal products/services: Ambulance billing and consulting services
Gross 2005 revenue range: DND
Year founded: 1996
Percent female: 86%
Percent male: 14%
Percent minority: DND
401(k)? No
Benefits highlights: Company
contributes toward employee health
care coverage; medical, dental, life,
supplemental insurance policies,
paid vacation and holidays, flexible
schedules for higher education and
child care, professional development seminars for management
Cool perks: Employee appreciation luncheons, company-sponsored
holiday parties, monthly potluck luncheons, monthly birthday celebrations.
• “I like the way that our managment team is very supportive of all of
our staff, from accomplishing goals to
understanding and working with you
when life throws a curve ball at you.”
• “I would like to say that working for Alexander Billing & Consulting for almost five years is the best
experience I have ever had, due to
the owner and management who
make the effort to see how we are
doing and take interest in our job
performance. I have the greatest
co-workers because we work as a
TEAM and as much time as we spend
together it is like a second family. I
hope to work here for many more
years and I hope to keep educating myself on a daily basis.”
• My position with Computer Solutions is by far my favorite IT job I have
ever had and I am highly satisfied with
being a part of this orginization.”
• “I enjoy working for Alexander
because of the people and how everyone works as one team. Everyone
pulls the work together and not a
single person has to feel that they are
on their own to do any work and feel
swamped. Our management team and
supervisors are also understanding
when someone request their schedule
to be flexible from school, kids, being
sick, and any other personal issues.”
• “I have not worked for a better company. I love my job,
and the people around only
make it that much better.”
• “I really like that each employee
is considerate of others. What is
important to an employee is just
as important to a manager.”
• “What I love the most about
Computer Solutions is that it
is a company with vision.”
18B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES
1
Q
— No. 2 overall
Facility Solutions
Group
Address: 4401
Westgate Boulevard, Suite 310
Phone: 512-440-7985
Web address: www.
fsgconnect.com
Top local executive: Wyatt Stevenson
(Branch Manager,
American Light) & Alan
Giroux (Branch Manager, Design Electric)
No. of full-time
employees: 99 in
San Antonio, 1,083
total employees
Principal products/
services: Wholesale
lighting distribution &
electrical contracting
Facility Solutions Group puts a premium on creating an environment where employees care for one another.
People come first at Facility Solutions Group
BY MIKE W. THOMAS
One of the most anticipated events for
employees at Facility Solutions Group is
the annual coloring contest for employees’
children.
Lydia Fiedler, director of marketing and
public relations, says she gets calls about
the contest months in advance each year
from anxious parents wanting to make
sure their children get to participate.
“It’s like the Olympics around here,” she
says. “The whole corporate office judges
the contest and you want to see everyone
win.”
Facility Solutions Group is the parent
company of American Light, a wholesale
lighting distributor, and Design Electric,
an electrical contracting firm, both of
which have offices in San Antonio. The
company, which employs more than 1,000
people nationwide, has 99 employees in
San Antonio at its offices located at 11115
Iota (Design Electric) and 10615 Sentinel
(American Light).
The company got its start in San Antonio when it was founded in 1982 by Bill
Graham and Steve Byrne when they were
both in their early 20s. Graham continues
to serve as CEO of the privately owned
company while Byrne is vice president and
chief operating officer.
The company, which is celebrating 24
years in business, has offices in five states
and sells its products nationwide as well as
in Canada and Puerto Rico.
Asked what makes Facility Solutions
Group a good place to work, Fiedler, who
has been with the company for 15 years,
credits the vision of the two
founders, who she says had
a great mission, and also on
their ability to attract great
people.
“We make a point of hiring people with high energy, a good sense of humor
and a positive outlook,” she Bill Graham
says. “We also maintain a
family environment and
try to take care of one another.”
One way the company accomplishes this
is through an internal charity program
called Share the Light, where employees
can contribute a small amount from their
paycheck which is then matched by the
company. This fund is then used to help
employees who suffer grave illnesses, experience the sudden loss of a loved one or
lose their home or possessions as a result
of some tragedy.
Another reason why the company is a
popular place to work are the great benefits
that are offered including a generous vacation package. Employees get two weeks of
vacation during their first year, something
that is rare in this industry, Fiedler says.
Salaried employees get an extra week of
vacation, while hourly employees can roll
their vacations over from year to year if
they do not use them all.
Each year the entire company has a grand
Christmas party at the Hyatt Regency San
Antonio on the River Walk and more than
$20,000 in prizes are given away. Employees and their families fly in from all over
the country and they usually have around
700 people in attendance.
“It’s a great way to get to meet other
people in the company and make friends all
over,” Fiedler says. “I can travel all over the
country and never have to stay in a motel.”
Fiedler says the company strives to keep
a relaxed and fun environment for employees and it pays off in the end through better work performance.
“It’s a really cool place to work,” she says.
“We just have this attitude that our people
are more important than the stuff that we
sell and that makes all the difference.”
• “Wow, there are so many things
I like about working here. It’s not
just a job it’s an adventure. Everyone here has been supportive and
so easy to work with. Not knowing the job when you first come
in, the people here have been
patient and understanding. Having a bad day doesn’t fly because
someone will always come by
and say something to cheer you
up or make you laugh. They have
made me feel so welcome here
and part of the family, and there
is a sense of family pride when it
comes to getting work done.”
• “The freedom to express new
ideas and assist in creating goals for
the company to move to a new dimension. And seeing the ideas materialize, carried out and being imple-
Wyatt Stevenson
Alan Giroux
Gross 2005 revenue range (choose
one): $75 million-$249 million
Year founded: 1982
Percent female: 9%
Percent male: 91%
Percent minority: N/A
401(k)? Yes — match 50 cents on
the dollar on the first 5% of income
Benefits highlights: Health, dental, wellness program, paid vacation, paid apprenticeship school,
paid training, internal charity
program, debit Visa pay cards
Cool perks: Field electricians’ apprenticeship program paid for journeyman’s license; internal charity program
allows employees to contribute each
paycheck, matched by company and
helps employees who have unexpected illnesses/deaths; Christmas party
on the River Walk where employees
from all over the country come and
firm gives away $20,000 in prizes.
mented throughout the company.”
• “I enjoy the great atmosphere and my fellow employees.
I believe FSG has the most understanding and compassionate personnel as managers. This makes
FSG stand out from any other
company I’ve been employed by.
Overall, FSG is an AWESOME company to be employed with.”
• “The people you work with. Most
of the sales crew has been here 20
years. Everybody is fair game. The
laughter starts at 7:30 and continues
all day. You shake your head and
smile on the way home. Asking yourself, did that really happen to me? It’s
the culture that we embrace: ‘Work
hard, play hard and have fun.’”
• “It’s the people that make it all
worthwhile.”
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20B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
2
• “This is the best place to work
because they take an interest, not
just in the employee, but in the employee’s life and family. They care!”
Q
— No. 6 overall
Providence Insurance
& Administrative
Services
Address: 16414 San Pedro
Ave.; San Antonio, TX 78232
Phone: 210-495-7595
Web: www.pristx.com
Top local executive: Diana Craft,
President & CEO
No. of full-time
employees: 88
Principal products/
services: Claim administration services
Diana Craft
Gross 2005
revenue range:
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1996
Percent female: 83
Percent male: 17
401(k)? Providence offers a Simple
IRA Plan, with the company matching the employee’s contribution
of up to 3% of employee’s salary.
Benefits highlights: Company pays
100% of the employee’s health
insurance, dental insurance,
vision insurance; life insurance,
short term disability insurance;
long term disability insurance;
long term care insurance
Cool perks: Monthly luncheon
and party. Each month the company
selects a different theme for all employees, and honors each employee
having a birthday or service anniversary in that month. Each honored employee also receives a gift
certificate.
Providence hosts an annual summer outing where the company provides a complete meal plus games,
prizes and entertainment for every
employee and their entire family at
a venue such as Enchanted Springs
Ranch.
Honeybaked hams are given to
each employee at Thanksgiving; an
annual Christmas party, which is a
catered meal for every employee
and their guest. Includes a live band,
a dance instructor and attendance
prizes such as two Caribbean cruises,
a digital camcorder, i-Pods, DVD
players, flat screen TV, gift cards and
more. The venue for the 2006 Christmas party is the McNay Art Museum.
In addition, an annual Christmas
bonus, based on overall company
profitability and individual
job performance; high school or
college graduates are honored
annually with a cash award to the
graduating children and grandchildren of employees. Providence has
a policy of promotion from within;
tuition reimbursement for educational courses; monthly massages;
cooking classes provided in the training room by a professional chef.
because I know that my team
works really hard for our clients
— and we make a difference.”
• “This is the best place to
work because of the tremendous support I receive on a daily
basis, and the fact I am able to
learn and grow with this family-like company every day.”
TORENCE WHITE / SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL
Providence Insurance staffers such as Peggy Conklin (seated) say their boss Diana Craft (standing) continually
demonstrates a caring attitude toward them.
because I feel like I am part of a
large, caring family, in which the
owner and management truly care
about me and my well-being. I also
appreciate that when I work hard
and do good work, my effort is
noticed, praised and rewarded.”
Providence boss goes beyond expectations
BY RANDY LANKFORD
Diana Craft was just looking for a nice
little home business.
She had two teenage sons and a 3-yearold daughter with whom she wanted to
spend more time.
So 10 years ago, she quit her job in the
insurance business and started her own
company, Providence Risk and Insurance
Services.
She was so focused on her family that
she went to great lengths to give the company a name with initials that played off
her daughter’s nickname, “Pris.”
She had visions of working a few hours a
week out of her kitchen and spending time
with her children. Those visions lasted all
of two weeks.
“It was just unbelievable,” says the president and CEO of what has evolved into
Providence Insurance and Administrative
Services.”
She learned two things quickly after
starting her business.
First, that some of those previous clients,
who were now her customers, still wanted
her to personally handle their accounts.
Secondly, that her kitchen couldn’t cut the
mustard.
“In only two weeks, my little home business had outgrown my little home. It was
just too big.”
The business has continued to grow,
now serving more than 80 work-related-injury clients and 53 group health clients.
“We administer health plans. We work
hand-in-hand with employers to get sick or
injured employees through the health care
system and back on the job. We help them
progress through the system until they’re
released from care,” Craft says.
Craft continues to be amazed at the
growth of her company, growth she manages closely.
“What we do is very challenging,” she
explains. “The industry we’re in, handling
insurance claims, means that many times
we’re speaking with unhappy people, people who are sick and we sometimes have
to deliver negative news. In a situation like
that, you have to have a happy work environment. You have to like the people you
work with. Everybody here has the same
goal. We’re all focused on customer service.”
She says that providing excellent customer service was one of her goals in establising her own business.
“Because we’re dealing with sick, unhappy people, we want to make sure they have
someone to talk to,” Craft says. “And many
times, the reason there’s a positive outcome to a claim is because someone talked
to them, someone took the time to listen
to them and they didn’t have to punch a
bunch of numbers and get a recording and
go through 10 different people.”
That personal service is what Craft says
separates her company from others like it.
Providence tailors its services to its clients’
needs, providing custom coverage for every client.
“What we do for one client is going to be
just a little different than what we might do
for another,” she says.
Providence’s employees say that focus
on customer service and the company’s
integrity is one of the biggest benefits of
working there.
When asked to pick out one benefit of
working at Providence, employees keep
coming back to the company culture.
“People say it all the time, but we really
are a family,” says Peggy Conklin, vice
president and director of claims. “If I had
to come up with one way of describing it,
I’d say ‘caring’; true, genuine caring from
Diana toward the employees. Every one of
us feels that, no matter what our position
or how long we’ve been with the company.
We all feel like we’re a family. Ten years
ago we were a very small family, and even
though we’ve grown considerably since
then, we’ve been able to retain that family
feeling and that caring.”
Fred Bergman, director of marketing
and sales, agrees.
“We have 88 employees now. No one
ever expected this company to get to that
size. But even as we grow, Diana is careful to manage that growth,” he says. “I’ve
seen her turn away business because we
didn’t have the staff to deliver the kind of
service she expects. She’s only going to allow slow, careful, managed growth. We’re
not going to get bigger just for the sake of
getting bigger.”
Bergman adds that in addition to a generous bonus program, annual company
picnics, a simple IRA retirement plan and
an elaborate holiday party, Providence also
gives back to the community.
“The employees select five charity organizations every year and those are the
ones we focus on,” he says. “We have a
fund drive or a toy drive or come up with
some way of supporting the five organizations we choose. We do that every year.
That’s the kind of people we have here.
That’s the kind of family this is. We’re a
lot bigger than we ever thought we would
be, but we’re still a small company. A small
company assumes the personality and the
attitude of the person who’s on top. It’s a
good place to work because Diana makes
it that way.”
Of the 88 employees at Providence, 30
have been with the company more than
five years, a low turnover rate in the insurance industry.
“That loyalty comes from the top down,”
explains Conklin. “It’s another example of
the company being a reflection of its leadership.”
“I think about those 88 employees, those
88 families every night when I go home,”
says Craft. “My son works here. My dad
is the CFO. My aunt works in accounting.
Peggy might as well be my sister. The decisions made here are going to affect those
families. I have an awesome management
team and excellent supervisors. I don’t run
this company in a vacuum. We’re all in this
together.”
RANDY LANKFORD is a San Antonio-based
free lance writer.
BEST PLACES TO WORK
21B
3
Q
— No. 12 overall
Medallion Homes
Address: 6929 Camp
Bullis Road,
Phone: 210-494-2555
Web: www.medallionhomes.com
William M. Worth,
president and chief
William M.
executive officer
Worth
Principal products/services: Residential
new construction homebuilder. Medallion Homes has been honored on both
the national and local levels for offering one of the most energy-efficient
homes on the market. It has received the
prestigious Energy Value Housing Award
“Builder of the Year” as awarded by the
National Association of Homebuilders’
Research Center and the Department of
Energy. It also has won a number of local
Summit Awards sponsored by the Greater San Antonio Builders Association.
Year founded: 1995
Percent female: N/A
Percent male: N/A
401(k)? Yes, with company match
Benefits highlights: Pays for medical insurance of the employee (about
$300 per month); dental and vision
plan, tax-free medical expense account, child care; two weeks’ vacation
until five years, then three weeks
4
Q
— No. 14 overall
Carneiro,
Chumney & Co. LC
• ”The company works as a team to
solve problems and work through situations. Everyone’s opinion counts.”
Address: 40 N.E. Loop
410, Suite 200,
Phone: 210-342-8000
Web: www.
carneiro.com
Robert M. McAdams,
Bob McAdams
Managing Partner
No. of full-time
employees: 51
Principal products/services: CPA
firm offering comprehensive professional services in accounting,
tax and management consulting
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1929
Percent female: 64%
Percent male: 36%
401(k)? Yes
• “Time and time again, I’ve seen
my company go to unbelievable
lengths to help employees who have
suffered personal hardships.”
Benefits highlights: Pay 100% of
employees premium on health insurance plan, life insurance and long-term
disability; two weeks vacation after
Cool perks: Company functions
such as an annual Family Fun Day
and many impromptu gatherings
for achieving goals and breaking
records; Spurs tickets given to employees on a regular basis; three
weeks vacation after five years;
recognition of employees for years of
service with plaques and bonuses.
• “This is the best company I’ve ever
worked for!! It really feels like a family;
everyone takes care of each other. I
can’t imagine working anywhere else. “
first year, an extra day of vacation
each year between five to 10 years to
reach three weeks of vacation; and
after 20 years four weeks vacation;
forty-eight hours of sick time each
year, accumulative to 6 months; tuition
reimbursement, professional license
fees paid; continuing education fees
paid, including travel when necessary;
nine holidays observed each year; flexible work schedules for professionals.
Cool perks: Catered dinners for
three weeks of tax season; mid year
party each year such as casino parties, costume parties, murder mysteries, dinner barge cruise on Lake
Travis; Christmas party; massages
during tax season, cookies and ice
cream sundaes for special days.
• “CC & Co goes beyond the nomal
employer-employee relationship. We
have a real team and family atmosphere that makes me feel valued as a
person. Our clients, too, are top notch
people to work with and I feel we
really help them be successful, which
adds to my feeling of personal value.”
• “The firm is always looking for new, innovative ways to
reward its team members. They
understand that family is important and should come first.”
Strong Roots.
Strong Employees.
Strong Commitment.
Since 1968.
OfÀces Statewide
www.rkci.com
22B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
5
Q
— No. 16 overall
Oppenheimer, Blend,
Harrison & Tate Inc.
Address: 711 Navarro
St., Sixth Floor, San
Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: 210-224-2000
Web: www.obht.com
Bruce M. Mitchell, Chief
Bruce M.
Executive Officer
Mitchell
No. of full-time
employees: 64
Principal products/services: Legal
services that include corporate and
securities, creditors’ rights & bankruptcy, estate planning & probate, health
care, labor & employment, litigation,
property exchange, real estate and tax
Year founded: 1969
Percent female: 62
Percent male: 38
Percent minority: 37
401(k)?: Yes, with matching and
the firm also contributes 3% of
employee’s compensation to the plan
Benefits highlights: Two weeks
paid vacation available immediately, three weeks of vacation after
five years of employment; 10 paid
sick/personal days; firm-paid employee parking downtown; firmpaid health insurance for employees
and the firm pays up to 50% of
dependent health insurance; paid
life insurance; tuition reimbursement; firm-paid long-term disability insurance; cafeteria plan;
direct deposit; paid continuing
education; paid membership dues
Cool perks: Holiday, summer employee parties; “camaraderie” luncheons; cash bonuses on employee
anniversaries; Halloween costume
contest; monthly birthday parties;
employee gifts; in-house charitable
drives; in-house computer training center; teams for charitable
events; free coffee and soft drinks;
morning and afternoon breaks.
• “Our firm is a wonderful place with
wonderful people who make coming to work a pleasure, not a task.”
• “Having worked at other companies,
I genuinely can say our firm is one of
the best places to work. I work with a
great group of people who care about
one another. This statement may sound
corny, but it is true. In good times or
bad, we are there for each other.”
• “I work with superb attorneys
and dedicated staff members. We
not only work together, but we
truly care and support one another.
It’s the difference between an OK
company and a great company!”
6
Q
— No. 19 overall
Padgett, Stratemann
& Co. LLP
Ray E. Berend
Address: 100 N.E. Loop
410, Suite 1100,
Phone: 210-828-6281
Web: www.
padgett-cpa.com
Top local executive: Ray E. Berend,
Managing Partner
No. of full-time
employees: 114
Principal products/services: Padgett
Stratemann & Co. (PS&Co.) offers San
Antonio and businesses across Texas
comprehensive and professional accounting services, audit services and
tax services. PS&Co. goes beyond financial statements and tax compliance
to be a one-stop resource center for
its clients’ businesses. It does this by
providing additional services such as
retirement consulting and design, human resource consulting, strategic and
succession planning, valuation, estate
planning, personal financial planning
and international services. As a member of RSM McGladrey, PS&Co. has a
valuable network of resources available for clients and team members.
Year founded: 1944
Percent female: 60%
Percent male: 40%
401(k)?: Yes
Benefits highlights: Flexible,
modified work schedules, education assistance; comprehensive benefit package including health
benefits, tuition reimbursement,
40(k), Cafeteria Plan, Employer-sponsored 529 College Savings Plan
Cool perks: Boot camp training
for new hires; technical training for
all team members; Success Through
People — a comprehensive performance and evaluation program
allowing each team member to be involved in their own personal growth
and development on a yearly basis;
Personal Balance Program; extensive recognition program; monthly
roundtable meetings; recognitions,
and firm development; new team
member welcome lunch; community
involvement; ice cream socials, massages, mixers; annual holiday party;
sports teams; firm financial indicators
shared with team to provide clear
understanding of firm goals; internship program; theme days; lunch and
a movie; Texas Hold ’Em Tournament
• “The client and co-worker relationships and the friends and the
diversity of learning experiences.”
• “The people. You truly feel that you
are more than just a number. A person
can work at any place in the world and
make all of the money in the world,
but what makes you happy in the end
is being part of a family and enjoying
the company of your coworkers.”
• “I came to Padgett after working
for 10 years with one of the big five
national accounting firms. I was pleased
to know that the level of challenging
work was not different than what I had
experienced when working on large
public companies for the national firm.”
7
Q
— No. 23 overall
Bartlett Cocke
General Contractors
Address: 8706
Lockway, San Antonio,
TX 78217
Phone: 210-655-1031
Web: www.
bartlett-cocke.com
Top local executive: Duane Pozza,
President/CEO
Duane Pozza
No. of full-time
employees: 100
Principal products/services: General contracting
Year founded: 1959
Percent female: 16%
Percent male: 84%
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Medical,
dental, vision, life, LTD, paid sick
time, paid vacation up to four
weeks per year, tuition reimbursement, health club membership reimbursement, stock ownership
Cool perks: Monthly birthday breakfast celebration, quarterly company
parties, annual picnic, Christmas party, softball team, CTRC Race for the
Cure, AIA Sand Castle Building Contest, AIA CanStruction (supports San
Antonio Food Bank), casual Fridays
• “I am proud to work for Bartlett
Cocke because they truly care about me.
The people are fun to be with. I like the
support we get at the jobsites. I love my
job! Duane Pozza is more than just a
title or figure head. With his open door
policy, I know I can go straight to the top
with any questions, concerns. With benefits like these, why work anywhere else?”
• “The company I work for believes in and supports all employees;
honesty and integrity are valued
attributes by which it operates.”
• “BCGC Rocks!”
• “This is an awesome company to work for. I would highly
recommend working here.”
8
Q
— No. 24 overall
Investment
Professionals Inc.
Address: 16414
San Pedro Ave., Suite 150
Phone: 210-308-8800
Web: www.invpro.com
Top local executive: Scott A. Barnes,
President & Founder
Scott A. Barnes
No. of full time
employees: 76 local; 205 nationwide
Principal products/services:
Investment broker dealer
$10 million - $74 million
Year founded: 1992
Percent female: 40%
Percent male: 60%
401(k)?: Yes
Benefits highlights: Medical, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability, flex
spending (child-care reimbursement and medical reimbursement),
paid vacation and sick leave
Cool perks: Sales-based incentives for all support staff; contest
and performance bonuses, trips (Las
Vegas, Cancun, New York, cruises and
Southwest Airline tickets), employee
recognition programs, professional
development programs, quality
control incentives, team-building
programs, National Sales Conference Awards and Recognition; the
company also selects a nonprofit
organization each year to support.
Last year it was the ALS Foundation.
The company’s private and live auction collected over $20,000 for ALS.
BEST PLACES TO WORK
23B
• “Caring, thoughtful, kind, considerate, hard charging, dedicated,
passionate about what we are committed to do. That is the team that
has been assembled here at IPI. We
have a tremendous working environment that fosters productivity and
makes it a joy to come in every day!”
• “One of the reasons I love working here is because anything is
possible. It’s unlike any place out
there. Never a dull moment.”
• “Not often do you get to work
with people that are all pulling in
the same direction. The camaraderie
here makes it fun to come to work
every day. It’s always about doing what’s right for people. I believe in this company so much that
I moved my wife and four children
400 miles from their lifelong home
to be a part of the home office.”
• “The word passion is overused
these days. But, it is truly the only
word that describes the contagious
enthusiasm and unwavering commitment displayed by every employee on every day. It is amazing
what can happen when you place
good people in a supportive environment and turn them loose.”
• “Who says you can’t make a living at something you love doing?”
• “We get to come to work each
day and help build something truly
special. Couple that with the fact we
get to do it alongside the best group
of folks in the world and you have
a combination that is unrivaled.”
9
Q
— No. 25 overall
Carter & Burgess Inc.
S. Brad Davis
Address: 911 Central
Parkway N., Suite 425
Phone: 210-494-0088
Web: www.c-b.com
S. Brad Davis, P.E., VP
& Managing Principal of S.A. office
No. of full time
employees: 85
Principal products & services: Full
architectural, engineering, landscape, programming and construction management services
Year founded: 1939
Percent female: N/A
Percent male: N/A
401(k): N/A
• “I have been given the opportunity to advance in my career and feel that i am trusted
to make important decisions. “
• “The best place I’ve worked in
my 27-year career. One of the strongest, most honest, management
groups I’ve ever worked with.”
10
Q
toy/gift drive for the Oasis Mission;
random taco or donut Fridays; special
awards for milestone years of service
• “God has blessed me so much with
this family-owned business. I’ve never
met such a loving and giving family.
This is a great company to work for.”
— No. 26 overall
Vickrey &
Associates Inc.
Brenda Vickrey
Johnson
Address: 12940
Country Parkway,
Phone: 210-349-3271
Web: www.vickreynet.com
Top local executive: Brenda Vickrey
Johnson, President
No. of full time
employees: 80
Principal products & services: Vickrey &
Associates Inc. (V&A) provides expertise
in engineering and surveying services
with special emphasis on land and development planning; feasibility studies,
utility design, commercial, industrial,
residential subdivision and multi-family
developments; storm drainage design;
site grading; water and sewer systems;
waste treatment plant design; railroad
line design; municipal and public works
engineering; highway and transportation; airport improvements; project
management; and environmental
studies. V&A is a locally owned and
operated woman-owned business.
V&A was recently selected to provide
services on several notable projects
such as the Stinson Airport Expansion,
the Leon Creek Greenway Development Project for the city of San Antonio, and the FBI Center at University
Heights. The company was the recipient
of the 2006 Engineering Excellence
Award for the second year in a row
$500,000 - $9 million
Year founded: 1971
Percent female: 25%
Percent male: 75%
401(k): Yes, with firm match
Benefits highlights: Competitive
compensation and benefit packages and salaries; health and life
insurance paid at 100%; dental and
vision discount program; cafeteria
plan with flexible spending accounts;
company-paid holidays; tuition and
professional training reimbursements
Cool perks: Corporate facility with
offices ergonomically designed for
employee comfort and specifically
designed to accommodate CAD and
communications, engineering design
systems, and surveying technology;
flexible work schedules monthly birthday celebrations; in-house software
training center; annual company &
family picnic; Halloween Costume
Contest; annual company sponsored
cowboy breakfast; annual Holiday
Awards and dinner party; annual
11
Q
— No. 27 overall
B. Lowry Management
Inc. dba Association
Management Services
Address: 1600 N.E. Loop 410,
Phone: 210-829-7202
Web: ams-sa.com
Top local executive: Barbara
Lowry, President
Principal products/services: Homeowner/property owners associations
$500,000-$9 million
Year founded: 1992
Percent female: 75%
Percent male: 25%
401(k)? Not yet
Benefits highlights: 80% of medical, 100% dental and life insurance
policy. Tuition for classes related to
management of the associations
Cool perks: Salaried staff get one
day off a month, Spurs days to dress
and support the team, company shirts
provided to the employees, buffet
pot lucks several times a year, day off
on birthday, ice cream sundae day
for all employees, sodas, coffee, tea,
breakfast cereals, lunch soups, pasta
products, snacks (chips, crackers, cookies, candy, popcorn, cheese and fruit
snacks) provided for every employee
• “Working here is like being with
family. Barbara Lowry goes above
and beyond just being a boss. She is
someone I admire and look up to.
She always makes sure we know how
important we are to the success of this
company. I actually like waking up and
coming to work in the morning.”
• “AMS is a great place to work.
Barbara Lowry leads by example!”
• “Barbara Lowry, has the unique
ability to blend her concern for mission accomplishment with a deep and
sincere concern for her employees”
• “I have never worked for a company that provides groceries including snacks, canned food, coffee, etc.
I realize this is not only expensive
but a very generous gesture that
provides lunches many days for
several people. Thanks, Barbara.”
12
Q
— No. 29 overall
Raba-Kistner
Consultants Inc.
Address: 12821 W.
Golden Lane,
Phone: 210-699-9090
Web: www.rkci.com
Top local executive: Carl F. Raba Jr.,
Ph.D., P.E., Chairman
Carl F. Raba Jr.
of the Board, CEO
No. of full-time
employees: 110 in
San Antonio
Principal products/services: RabaKistner Consultants Inc. is a multidisciplinary engineering firm that provides
ngineering, testing, environmental,
facilities and infrastructure services.
Raba-Kistner operates in seven different markets in Texas serving Texas
and Mexico. The Raba-Kistner team
participates in leadership roles in
professional and civic organizations.
Significant projects include: the 91mile-long State Highway 130 toll road
with a cost of $1.3 billion, the San
Antonio Convention Center Hotel and
the Toyota manufacturing facilities.
Gross 2005 revenues: $10
million-$74 million
Year founded: 1968
Percent female: 32%
Percent male: 68%
401(k)? Yes, with matching
Benefits highlights: Comprehensive benefits package
Cool perks: Employee birthday parties
and gift drawings each month; tuition
assistance; partnering and volunteering with charitable organizations such
as the United Way, March of Dimes,
Habitat for Humanity; donation of
vacation and sick time to fellow employees in need; annual company picnic
and holiday party; fun dress days for
local events; impromptu celebrations;
employee referral program which
pays bonuses; continuing education
brownbag luncheons; companysponsored sports teams; health club
discounts; monetary spot bonuses
• “I like that Raba-Kistner is
open to making changes that will
help the company, and is equally
open to its employees helping
implement those changes.”
• “During my 25 year career, I have
had five prior employers and started
my own business twice — once
with partners, and once alone.
Raba-Kistner Consultants is the best
organization to work for by far. If
RKCI isn’t one of the best places to
work in Texas, I’ll eat my hat!”
• “I have never worked for a
company that was so commited to
the benefits of its employees.”
24B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q LARGE COMPANIES
1
Q
— No. 9 overall
D.R. Horton
America’s Builder
Address: 211 N. Loop 1604 E.,
Phone: 210-496-2668
Web: drhorton.com
Bryan Rome, President
No. of full-time
employees: 320
Principal products/services: Homebuilding
Gross 2005 revenue
range: $250 milBryan Rome
lion-$499 million
Year founded: 1978
Percent female: 34%
Percent male: 66%
Percent minority: DND
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term
disability, short term disability, flex
benefits (medical and child care), stock
purchase, partial tuition reimbursement for job-related courses, three
weeks vacation after five years of
employment, home purchase discount after one year of employment
Cool perks: Casual dress Friday,
periodic incentive trips for all employees, drink/snack cart for employees
during busy months, family picnics,
semi-annual awards luncheons, annual Christmas party, fresh fruit, juice
and sodas available for all employees weekly, Otis Spunkmeyer cookie
machine available for making cookies at anytime, holiday recognition
(Christmas gifts for all employees,
roses for the ladies on Valentine’s Day)
• “I enjoy working for D.R.
Horton because of the family-oriented environment.”
• “I enjoy working for D.R. Horton because the volume we deal
with is challenging, but fun — it
keeps you coming back for more.
The support you receive from your
co-workers is phenomenal.”
• “I enjoy working for D.R. Horton
because the work you do is very
much appreciated and rewarded.
The teamwork that is demonstrated in this organization is by
far better than I’ve seen at any
other company I have worked for.
Everyone always pulls together
to assure we meet our goals.”
• “I enjoy working for D.R. Horton because the leadership is second to none! They always support
you and cause you to become a
stronger employee. The employees and management always pull
together to support other employees in their time of need.”
Despite its growth, D.R. Horton America’s Builder maintains a family-like atmosphere, employees say.
D.R. Horton staff say firm is people-focused
BY ANDI RODRIGUEZ
“It’s the people … he knows the people
really make the company,” says Rhonda
Field regarding her boss and employer,
D.R. Horton America’s Builder.
The executive assistant’s comments about
her company might seem overzealous, except for the fact that her opinion is echoed
among her 320 D.R. Horton co-workers in
the San Antonio market (which includes
Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley).
Founded as a family business 28 years
ago by Chairman Donald R. Horton, the
company has experienced phenomenal
growth and is now traded on the New York
Stock Exchange.
“But even for being such a huge company,” says Field, “it’s still a family-oriented
place, where everyone matters.”
The company’s moniker, “America’s
Builder,” stems from the fact that D.R.
Horton operates 82 market offices in 27
states from coast to coast. Horton recently
raised its revenue ranking on the Fortune
500 list from No. 203 in 2005 to No. 162 in
2006. .
But the company’s employees are outspoken that D.R. Horton puts its people
ahead of profits.
Field, for one, says she couldn’t imagine
working anywhere else.
“Mr. Horton really values his employees,” Field says. “That attitude trickles
down and affects everyone in a positive
way.” She cites numerous examples, including busy closing periods when the
company hires a massage therapist and
caters lunch.
“Because everything you do is appreciated, you just do your job better,” she adds.
Field recently returned from a four-day
trip to Horton’s ranch in Fort Stockton;
she explains that executive assistants from
every D.R. Horton office in the country
make this annual trek so that they can get
to know one another, share ideas and understand how appreciated they are.
“It’s really nice to know that people recognize your contributions to the company,”
she says.
D.R Horton is a big believer in positive
reinforcement. During the past fiscal year
(which ended in September) each D.R
Horton employee across the country was
encouraged to help reach an assigned sales
goal. When the goal was met, every single
employee, right down to the runner, was
rewarded with a cruise for two to Mexico.
“I’ve never heard of another company
that does this for the entire office,” says
Field. “But it just shows you that every
employee is valued, no matter what type of
work they do.”
“The support you receive is phenomenal,” adds employee Liz Pruski.
Everyone at Horton is invited to special
events such as family picnics and their famous “spring fling” where folks celebrate
by taking a half day off to go tubing.
One of Horton’s oft-mentioned benefits is
Camp Horton. This camp, a ranch in West
Texas owned by D.R. Horton, is used as a
vacation site for children (ages 10-15) of
employees who are single parents. All expenses for the children are paid, including
airfare and transportation to and from the
ranch. Children spend a week roping and
riding horses, swimming, hiking and more.
“It’s a wonderful summer experience for
children who might not otherwise have
one,” says Field.
Log on to the D.R. Horton/San Antonio
Web site and click on “employment opportunities” and you’ll see that only a few
openings exist.
But that’s no surprise to Bryan Rome,
San Antonio Division President and a 22year Horton veteran.
“People like their jobs and stay … and if
an opening occurs, we always try to fill it
from within, before we open it up to the outside. We think that’s the fair way to do it.”
Rome also adds that he believes that employees value the workplace culture that
Horton offers.
“We’re big on the fun perks, but we also
work very hard to make sure our employees have the opportunity to grow, professionally — for themselves and for the company,” he says.
Rome stresses that good corporate management from the top down is key to maintaining the productivity of such a large
company.
“We have a strong corporate team, but
Don (Horton) believes in de-centralized
management — sometimes a large corporation can have too much control at the
top,” Rome says.
Horton is famous for his constant nod to
employees.
“You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Location,
location, location,’ when it comes to real
estate?” Horton asks. “Well, we believe it’s
‘people, people, people.’”
With its many consecutive successful
quarters, D.R Horton recently made history when it became the first homebuilder
in America to sell and close over 50,000
homes in one year.
Once again recognizing that it was his
people that achieved this goal, Horton
made special trips to speak with and thank
each employee for their contribution.
Rome is proud of the win-win attitudes
of those who work for D.R. Horton across
the board.
“An employee once told me that the difference between our company and other
companies is that although there are always things that have to be done, normally
you feel like you have to do them. Here,
you do those things because you want to.”
He adds, “If you are the best, you will
probably end up being the biggest — but
it’s through your people that you will accomplish this. People must be appreciated
and valued.”
ANDI RODRIGUEZ is a San Antonio-based
free-lance writer.
BEST PLACES TO WORK
25B
Q LARGE COMPANIES
2
Q
— No. 10 overall
Rackspace
Managed Hosting
Rackspace Managed Hosting arranges its staff into teams to service its customers.
Address: 9725 Datapoint Drive,
Phone: 210-447-4000
Web: www.rackspace.com
Top local executive: Graham
Weston, Chairman and CEO
No. of full-time
employees: 648
(San Antonio); 868
(worldwide)
Principal products/services: Managed Web hosting
Gross 2005 revenue range: $75
Graham Weston million-$249 million
Year founded: 1998
Percent female: 22%
Percent male: 78%
401(k)? Yes
Rackspace ‘rackers’ strive to be fanatical
BY CATHERINE DOMINGUEZ
Fanatical support isn’t just a motto for
San Antonio-based Rackspace Managed
Hosting. It’s a way of life for all of its employees..
Not only has Graham Weston, CEO and
chairman, founded the company by taking a
fanatical approach to making customers happy, he has applied that to his employees, too.
Weston says to provide the best service
his company can, he knows it starts with
his staff. And one way to create a fun environment is to ditch the title “employee”
and call everyone a “racker.”
“You can’t make ketchup without tomatoes. We think you can’t create a great service company without people who really
want to be there and do the job,” Weston
explains. “You can’t use force or threats to
create a great service culture.”
Using that philosophy, Weston has
grown Rackspace to 648 rackers locally,
an additional 220 at its locations in Dallas,
Austin, Dulles, Va., and London. Yearly
revenue averages close to $200 million.
“You can’t have fanatical support without engaged people,” Weston points out.
“Angry people cannot give good service;
angry people will not go above and beyond
for a customer.”
Smiling, happy people
Rackspace was founded in 1998 and
hosts Web site servers for a range of clients from startup firms to Fortune 500
companies. The company boasts about
9,000 customers.
“Back in 1998, we set out to build one of
the best places to work in town,” Weston
says. “If we did that, we could attract the
best people, retain them and create a high
service level.
“It starts with a belief that a fun place to
work is important. We truly believe it is,
we don’t see it as something we would like
to have, we see it as something we must
have.”
Henry Sauer, dean of Rackspace University, the company’s new hire training
and orientation program, says the company makes sure to go above and beyond
by splurging on both racker training and
racker parties.
“We work hard and we play hard,” he
says. “Rackspace is a great place to work.”
Sauer says everyone at Rackspace believes in the culture created by the founder
and believes it is important to nurture it.
• “I love working at Rackspace because: 1. Our CEO and president both
know me by my first name. 2. I was
once restoring a database and watching our president ride a mechanical bull at the same time. 3. I have
never seen my boss in a suit. 4. I have
learned more in my last two years
here than I have learned anywhere,
ever. 5. I can now distinguish the difference between a British and South
African accent. 6. During my last
vacation, I missed being at work.”
• “I love working at Rackspace because I have found a place that really
allows me to be myself and do what
I do best. So many of my past companies wanted to shape me into their
mold. Rackspace, instead, latched
on to my strengths and harnessed
my energy, putting me in a position that is perfect for my abilities,
and ultimately perfect for them!”
• “At Rackspace, you first get
to be yourself. Then, you get to
be somebody’s hero. It is easier to
change the world when you work
with great people with the same
idea. We’re just a geek-powered
In fact, Sauer says, getting racker feedback
on what is happening within the company
is critical in maintaining high morale.
“We do have fun,” says Nick Dane, team
leader. “There are dart boards up all over
the place, people shoot ping pong balls at
each other and everybody has fun all day
long.”
But, Dane says, rackers make sure to
balance that play time with taking care of
customers and getting the job done.
“Everyone understands the customer is
See RACKSPACE, Page 28B
company that easily could have
been a five-star hotel. We treat
the customer’s technology with
the love and respect it deserves.”
• “From support techs to the
executives, everyone has a voice
and an impact on how we do
business at Rackspace.”
• “Every day, Rackspace allows
me to do the things I do best.
Rackspace treats our customers the
way I would expect to be treated.
Rackspace cares about the employees and our families, and shows
it in tangible ways. Any company
can say it… Rackspace does it.”
• “I love working at Rackspace
because there’s no limit to where
where my career can take me
in our organization.”
• “I like working for Rackspace
because this is a place where you
feel your efforts and opinions count;
this is a place where professional
growth is encouraged and nurtured;
this is a place where you can explore
your strengths and potential and
strive to be the best you can be.”
Benefits highlights: Free health
insurance (paid by Rackspace);
dental care; vision care; prescription drug subsidy; mental health
care; alternative treatments, such as
acupuncture, homeopathy or chiropractic; professional association
membership fee reimbursement;
paid volunteer time; tuition reimbursement; subsidized refreshments;
paid vacation; Rackspace spends
approximately $3,000 annually
on each employee for training
Cool perks: On-site subsidized
massages every payday. Rackspace
employees also are given the opportunity to use a Web server hosted
at Rackspace for free. Other perks
include on-site yoga classes and cafeteria/break room.To help coworkers
who are in a crisis, Rackspace allows
employees to donate a vacation day
to them. Rackspace took an active
role in assisting victims of Hurricane
Katrina. The company held a fundraiser for the victims and raised over
$20,000. Meanwhile, CEO Graham
Weston opened “Windsor Park Shelter” to house relocated victims from
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More
than 150 rackers volunteered at the
shelter, helping manage operations,
care for the victims and locate friends
and family members.
Rackspace employees can be rewarded with a weekend trip to the
CEO’s river house in New Braunfels;
and employees can be rewarded
with the Racker BMW to drive for
a week. Companywide celebrations
are held to mark successful quarters
(including CORE Values Boot Camp,
“Rack” Idol, Rack-toberfest, Racker
“Battle of the Bands,” Rackspace
Sumo Wrestling, annual holiday party,
annual Racker Halloween Costume
Contest and annual “Kick-off” meetings. A Rack Pack social committee hosts monthly happy hours.
26B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q LARGE COMPANIES
3
Q
— No. 13 overall
The San Antonio
Orthopaedic Group LLP
Address: 400 Concord
Plaza Drive, Suite 300
Phone: 210-804-5400
Web: www.tsaog.com
Stephen S. Burkhart,
M.D., Managing Partner
Number of full-time employees: 200
Principal products/services:
Health care/orthopaedic surgery.
The group also manages the Orthopaedic Surgery Center of San
Antonio, which is an out-patient
surgical center in central San Antonio providing AAAHC quality standards for patients requiring surgery.
This entity employs more than 40
employees and combines the latest in equipment, technology and
facilities with a friendly and supportive atmosphere for patients who
may require surgical intervention.
Year founded: 1947
Percent female: 77%
Percent male: 23%
401(k)?: Yes, 6% of annual salary contributed to plan
Stephen S.
Burkhart
Benefits highlights: Health insurance, employer pays 80%; dental,
paid in full; long-term disability, paid
in full; $100,000 life insurance policy,
paid in full; paid time off (0-2 years
— 3 weeks; 2-5 years — 4.5 weeks;
5-10 years — 5 weeks; over 10 years
— 6 weeks); short-term disability;
voluntary benefit plans for cancer,
accident, long-term care, hospital
confinement, vision; 11 paid holidays; annual pay increases of 3%-5%;
annual end of year bonus; quarterly
bonus incentive plan; free use of gym
workout facilities in four locations
Cool perks: Five locations to work
at, meeting employees’ needs to be
close to home; season tickets to San
Antonio Spurs games that are shared
throughout the season and fun games
to “raffle” off playoff tickets; annual
end of year holiday party for 400
employees and guests at the Incarnate Word Skyroom and a springtime
family picnic at Fiesta Texas; jeans’ day
on Fridays; committed to providing
state-of-the-art medical and educational technology to employees and
patients of the group; community
volunteer participation in the Leukemia Society’s Light the Night Walk,
Susan B. Komen’s Race for the Cure,
Habitat for Humanity, annual food
drive for the San Antonio Food Bank,
monitary and clothing drives for the
Alamo Children’s Advocacy Center,
blood drives for the South Texas Blood
and Tissue Center; fellowship training to physicians; internships to local
high schools and colleges; continuing medical education programs to
physicians both nationally and locally; continual inhouse training
The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group
has been committed to caring for families with orthopaedic needs in San Antonio and South Texas since 1947. The
group has also committed to caring
for its employees as well. It hires and
retains outstanding employees who
have dedicated their careers to the
group's mission of providing the highest quality of comprehensive medical
and surgical orthopaedic care, as well
as a commitment to education and research in the San Antonio community,
surrounding areas, and beyond. Over
60% of its employees have been with
our group three years or longer which
allows for the fostering of long-term
relationships with their families and
the families they care for as part of
the group's mission. The company also
offers the Orthopaedic Surgery Center
of San Antonio, which is an out-patient surgical enter providing AAAHC
quality standards for its patients
requiring surgery who are located in
central San Antonio. This entity employs over 40 employees and combines
the latest in equipment, technology
and facilities with a friendly and supportive atmosphere for patients who
may require surgical intervention.
• “I have been an employee of
The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group
for a total of almost 39 years. Not
only are the physicians some of
the best physicians in the world,
they are true gentlemen. They care
about each of us and our families
— we are not just an employee.”
• “I very much appreciate that
our schedules can be flexible when
it is necessary. Being a mom and
tending to doctor visits and school
functions can be hard to manage.
Everyone in my department is willing to take my calls if I need to be
out and I share that responsibility
when any of them need to be out.”
• “I have been in the rehabilitation
field for 18 years and I have never felt
so gratified as I do here, assisting our
patients in returning to their jobs.”
• “What I like most about working
for The San Antonio Orthopaedic
Group is that they’re always ready
and willing to encourage us as a
team in any way possible, as well as
show their employees appreciation
for their hard work and dedication to the company. Whether their
appreciation and encouragement
are from a personal card, to an
awesome company picnic, Christmas party, or regular bonuses.
I’m so glad that I decided to
go to work for such an amazing company, and I’m even more
thankful that they chose me to
be a part of a great team.”
4
Q
— No. 15 overall
Booz Allen Hamilton
Address: 700 N.
St. Mary’s, Suite 700
Phone: 210-244-4200
Web: www.
boozallen.com
Paul M. Doolittle,
Paul M. Doolittle Vice President
No. of full-time employees: 17,000+ (corporate-wide); 300 (local)
Principal products/services: Management consulting services to government and commercial clients, in the
areas of strategy and leadership, organization and change management,
operations, innovation, sales and marketing and information technology.
Gross 2005 revenue range: Corporate — over $500 million (actual figure is over $3.6 billion); local — $10 million - $74 million
Year founded: 1914 (corporate); 1989 (local)
Percent female (corporate): 38%
Percent male (corporate): 62%
Percent minority (corporate): 26%
Note: Booz Allen reports that it
has a broad definition of “diversity,”
beyond the definitions of race and
gender. It recognizes all the ways
it can differ: experience, approach,
background, language, sexual orientation, learning style, and celebrate their value to the firm.
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Comprehensive
medical and dental coverage profitsharing — the firm pays a percentage of an employee’s compensation
into a capital accumulations plan,
regardless of employee contributions to their 401(k); insurance plans
(base paid by the firm, with optional
additional coverages); generous
paid leave program; optional flexible spending accounts (dependent care and medical expense)
Cool perks: Firm pays professional
membership fees and reimburses education/certification expenses; all new
hires sent to HQ for a week of introduction and enculturation; work-life
programs; adoption financial assistance; paid parental leave; “morale”
budget for social events (summer
picnic, winter gala) and monthly drawings for gift certificates and tickets (to
sports and cultural events); priority on
charity and community involvement
— budgets funds and formally recognizes employee participation; can
apply for personal volunteer service
grants of $250 to $750 from the firm,
for community service initiatives (up
to two per year); employee-led forum
provides leadership and involvement opportunities for junior staff;
donate vacation days to co-workers;
child-care discounts worldwide.
• “When you select an organization
to work for, you should ask around
and see who is happy and who is just
getting by ... everyone at Booz Allen Hamilton is happy to be here!”
• “It is an awesome place to
work if you are willing to be continually challenged and give your
absolute best every day.”
• “The culture is that of acceptance and fairness and the
leaders truly live by the core values developed for the firm.”
• “I’ve only been with the company
for 17 months and I’m located off-site;
however, the company certainly does
everything it can to make me and the
rest of my geographically separated
team feel like a part of the family. The
company truly puts a huge emphasis
on the happiness of their employees
and on getting the employees the
tools necessary to succeed. I genuinely
feel that my managers and the company in general are concerned with
my future growth and development.”
• “I feel like I’m part of an all-star
team of sorts, and I’m quite sure my
colleagues feel the same way.”
• “The people and benefits
are the best anywhere.”
• “Although a large company, Booz
Allen Hamilton strives to produce
a small company feel. They know
their employees and they care about
quality. Client service is No. 1, but not
at the expense of the individual.”
• “The firm is a great organization to work for and allows everyone the flexibility to balance
personal and work schedules.”
5
Q
— No. 17 overall
Rush Enterprises Inc.
Address: Corporate
office is 555 I-35 S.,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: Corporate
— 830-626-5200
Web: www.rushenterprises.com
Top local executive: W.
Marvin Rush, Chairman
Marvin Rush
No. of full-time
employees: 2,680
Principal products/services: Sales
and service of new and used heavy
duty and medium duty trucks
with dealership operations in San
Antonio at Rush Truck Center, and
Rush Truck Leasing who share the
same address at 8810 I-10 E.
Gross 2005 revenue range: Over
$500 million
Year founded: 1968
Percent male: 85.90%
BEST PLACES TO WORK
27B
Q LARGE COMPANIES
Percent female: 14.10%
Percent minority: Black — 3.77%;
Hispanic — 24.18%; Asian/Pacific
Islander — 1.45%; American Indian/Alaskan Native — 1.34%;
not specified — .26%
401(k)? Yes, with the company
matching the first 10% of an employee’s contribution. Those with
under five years of service receive
a 25% match and those with over
5 years receive a 50% match.
Benefits highlights: Three levels
of PPO choices and in some of its
location markets it offers an HMO
option; dental, vision, accidental
death and dismemberment, short
and long term disability insurance,
heart, cancer, stroke, accidental
death and dismemberment; two
options of life insurance; discount
stock purchase plan; stock options
as part of executive compensation;
paid vacation; paid sick leave; paid
holidays; strong bonus program and
incentive programs for performance.
Cool perks: Annual company picnics
for all locations, combining locations
for proximity. The San Antonio area
picnic is attended by 1,700-2,300 people
and is held at Fiesta Texas. This year,
Rush employees will be at Fiesta Texas
together on Sept 10. Parking is provided
and each attendee is given a free ticket
so the immediate family can return on
a day of their choice as their own family
group. Bingo with thousands of dollars
in cash and gift certificates are given
away at the picnics. It is a amily event
where employees can come together.
The company also offers drives for those
in need, including thousands of dollars
raised for hurricane victims which were
matched personally by Marvin and Rusty
Rush; mentoring program with a local
elementary school; involvement in the
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, contributing substantially to raise money
for scholarships; support to Cystic Fibrosis; adopt a family at Christmas; company-paid training and certifications;
succession program; inhouse mentoring;
Rush Recognition Program provides an
opportunity for employees at all levels
to be recognized; employee service pins
with rubies representing years of service
given on the individual’s anniversary, at
five, 10, 15 and 20 years, and a diamond
after 25 years. Also, bonuses focused
on “The Rush Coin.” On one side of the
coin is written “Our future is dependent
upon loyal, dedicated, results-oriented
people whose hard work, integrity and
pride ensures the success of our organization, and each and every employee.”
The other side is imprinted with “The
Customer is the Boss” with the Rush
Enterprise logo centered in the coin.
This coin is a symbol of and typifies
the corporate culture. Each employee
is asked to carry it daily. Coin “visits”
are conducted where employees are
asked to produce their coin. Doing so
may result in the employee receiving
from $5 to $100 cash on the spot. The
intent is not what is given, but instead
that the employee carries the message with them. The coin is a symbol
of working together for common
goals and pride in the organization.
• “Rush Enterprises provides
an environment of excellence in
which talented people thrive.”
• “The respect, integrity and pride
that we show our customers. Each
and every one that works at Rush
from upper management to our daily
co-workers all actually show each
other the same respect, integrity and
pride. I am very proud to say that I’m
excited to be part of the Rush family.”
• “Rush Enterprises has always considered its people first. Rush has stated
many times that the people that work
for him are the company’s greatest asset. Great words, and a great thought,
made even greater because this is the
common practice of Rush Enterprises.”
• “What I like most about the company is the people. We have assembled one of the finest groups of employees who take pride in their work.
Led by Marvin Rush, who not only is
a superior businessman whose hard
work and abilities has caused countless
families to enjoy financial security, but
he is a man who quietly and without a
lot of fanfare has extended himself to
help others on occasions too numerous to mention. Rusty Rush is a key
person whose leadership is such that
his managers have developed fierce
loyalty and respect. Both of these leaders are effective in an unpretentious
way. What you see is who they are,
and despite their positions in the company and community, work as hard or
harder than the people they lead.”
• “This company is more than a collection of individuals, but instead is an
extended Rush family with a tremendous support network that has proven
on numerous occasions to be there for
each other in good times and bad, as is
witnessed by the huge outpouring of
coworker support in times of trauma
such as hurricanes and floods. There
is true pride in the organization.”
• “The management team that
I work under is extremely supportive and makes me feel of
value to this company.”
• “Marvin Rush has always impressed
me in that no matter how successful
he has become over the years through
his hard work and smart business,
he never takes his employees for
granted. I have not always worked
for companies whose owners have
been this gracious. It is refreshing.”
• “I like working for this company
because it is ethical, they try to do
the right thing, not just because it’s
the law, but because it is right. I also
like that the company cares about its
employees and shows it by providing good benefits, fun picnics and
aid to employees who have been
affected by various catastrophes.”
• “The best thing about working for
Rush Enterprises is that even though
we are a Fortune 1000 company, we
still manage to maintain a family
atmosphere. In what other company
could an employee walk into the corporate office unannounced, ask to see
the chairman of the board, and have
him drop what he is doing to talk to
them? That’s special and that’s Rush!”
6
Q
— No. 20 overall
Washington Mutual
Address: 20855 Stone
Oak Parkway, San
Antonio, TX 78258
Phone: 210-489-8574
Web: www.wamu.com
Top local executives:
Andy Robinson, Campus
Andy Robinson
Operations Officer
Number of full-time employees:
1,000 (2,000 by end of 2006)
Principal products/services: Financial services
Over $500 million
Year founded: 1889
401(k)? Yes
Benefits highlights: Dental, vision,
paid vacation, life insurance, longterm disability, pension plan,
paid time off for volunteering
Cool perks: Fitness center, holiday parties, onsite training.
7
Q
— No. 21 overall
Southwest
Business Corp. (SWBC)
Address: 9311 San Pedro, Suite
Phone: 210-525-1241
Web: www.
swbc.com
Charlie Amato and Gary
Dudley
Top local
executives:
Charlie Amato,
Chairman;
Gary Dudley,
President
Number
of full-
time employees: 617
Principal products/services: SWBC
is a diversified financial services
company providing a wide range of
insurance, mortgage and investment
services to financial institutions, businesses and consumers. “We dreamed
of creating a company built on dedication and hard work; one that would
ensure our clients will receive the best
customer service; one where our employees will have the greatest opportunities for career fulfillment and job
satisfaction,” company representatives
say. “To achieve this goal, we enthu-
siastically invest in our foundation,
our employees. We strongly believe
that our continual success lies within
our employees, our greatest asset.”
Year founded: 1976
Percent female: 66%
Percent male: 34%
401(k)? Yes, eligible on date of
hire; with 50% match up to 6%;
extensive highly rated fund choices
and profit sharing component
Benefits highlights: Company paid
medical, dental, life/ accidental death
and dismemberment/LTD insurance;
comprehensive wellness program;
generous paid vacation/sick leave
policy; birthday holiday; 10 paid
holidays per year; various voluntary
benefit products available; flexible
spending accounts with Flex Card;
subsidized fitness club memberships
Cool perks: Locally owned and privately held with high energy atmosphere; aggressive, yet stable growth
with a 30-plus-year successful track
record; generous tuition reimbursement program; active community
involvement in United Way, Junior
Achievement, theFund, etc.; holiday
charity projects; paid covered parking;
secure work environment; opportunities to earn cash through employee
referrals through SWBC’s provided
services; new employee referral bonus
program; length of service awards;
employee suggestion program; department-based performance recognition
programs; corporate office based in
San Antonio providing local growth opportunities; state-of-the-art technology;
online company store; summer business
casual; annual holiday party; company
sponsored sports teams; Spurs Spirit
Days; special employee and family vehicle discount pricing at select local dealerships; Halloween Costume Contest.
• “SWBC is not just a place to
come to work every morning. SWBC
is a place to build a future.”
• “I enjoy working at SWBC because
I am encouraged to use my skills,
talent and industry knowledge every
day. I feel like I’m contributing to the
success of the company and that I’m
appreciated for my contributions.”
• “Our SWBC owners set the example of giving back to the community,
by encouraging volunteer functions
during normal working hours.”
• “Not only does SWBC offer a
wide array of generous benefits to its
employees, it provides a work environment that is conducive to bringing out the best in its employees.”
• “Companies like SWBC are few and
far between. I genuinely enjoy coming to work every day and I genuinely
enjoy the people I work with.”
• “I’ve heard it said many times
28B
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Q LARGE COMPANIES
that employees can make or break
a company. Well, it isn’t difficult
to understand why SWBC would
be considered a premier company
to work for in San Antonio!”
$75 million to $249 million
Year founded: 1967
Percent female: 11%
Percent male: 89%
401(k)?: Yes, with company
match averaging 34% of each
dollar contributed up to 10 percent of an individual’s salary
8
Q
— No. 22 overall
Joeris General
Contractors Ltd.
Address: 1390 E. Bitters,
Phone: 210-494-1638
Web: www.joeris.com
Gary L. Joeris, President
No. of full-time
employees: 175
Gary L. Joeris
Principal products/services: Commercial construction services. Joeris
is a name synonymous with construction excellence throughout
South Texas. The 39-year-old general
contracting firm credits its steady
growth to its team of highly qualified
construction professionals along with
its philosophy of treating owners,
architects, subcontractors, suppliers
and employees with honesty, fairness
and integrity. The employee-owned
firm prides itself on employee longevity and a steady backlog of repeat
business from architects and clients.
With one of the best safety records
in the San Antonio construction
marketplace, Joeris has often been
recognized by industry associations
for its outstanding safety program.
The firm has also been named San
Antonio’s “General Contractor of
the Year” by the Associated General
Contractors (AGC) for 2004 and 2005
and by the American Subcontractors Association for 2003 and 2005.
Benefits highlights: Medical
— 100% of employee coverage paid
for by the company; dental, vision,
supplemental available; $10,000
life policy on all employees; vacation; tuition assistance and company
paid apprenticeship training; performance based holiday bonus
Cool perks: Regular social mixers
on Friday afternoons; “leave early:
Fridays; annual charity support; industry training paid for by the company; association memberships paid
for by the company; annual family
picnic; annual employee holiday party;
Christmas gifts for every employee
— Joeris logo clothing; catered jobsite
lunches; monthly birthday celebrations
• “Joeris has always stood behind me
and I feel confident that they always
will. I feel like I am part of a family.”
• “I’ve been with different companies over the years in various fields,
but have never felt the pride for any
company or seen coworkers feel the
level of pride at any other place.
Though strict attention is always given
to the work and quality that Joeris
provides its customers, it is conveyed
to us on a regular basis that our
family and health always come first.
Whatever it takes, if employees need
personal time, it’s made clear we have
the people to cover us while we’re
out. And above all, if we take care
of Joeris, Joeris takes care of us.”
• “I’ve been with this company
for 30-plus years and can’t imagine
being anywhere else. They have a
personnal touch that I could never
really be able to discribe, and an
open-door policy for all employes. It’s
been a joy being in this family and
look forward to many more years!”
9
Q
— No. 32 overall
Karta Technologies Inc.
Address: 5555 Northwest Parkway,
Phone: 210-582-3353
Web: www.karta.com
Top local executive: G.P. Singh, Ph.D.,
President & CEO
G.P. Singh
No. of full-time
employees: 380 (245
in San Antonio)
Principal products/services: Government contracting/technical products
and services. Karta means “Can Do.”
Karta offers 20 years of experience
in information technology, systems
engineering, training, acquisition
support and health and technology
solutions. Karta’s products and services
include Train2Secure, the first National Security Agency-certified Webbased information security training
program, among other cutting-edge
technology products and services
Year founded: 1986
Percent female: 30%
Percent male: 70%
401(k)? Yes, administered
through Fidelity Investments
Benefits highlights: Health care
insurance that includes medical, dental
and vision coverage; term life and ac-
cidental death and dismemberment insurance and short-term disability, paid
by Karta; supplemental life insurance
and AD&D; dependent life and AD&D;
medical care flex spending accounts;
10 paid holidays each year; various levels of compensation for bereavement,
jury duty and active duty military service; training and career development
Cool perks: Regular employee
recognition events — all employees are eligible for incentives and
bonuses; significant volunteer activities; personal employee service
from Karta’s People Department
• “Karta Technologies is a place of
business where the concept of integrity is practiced. If Karta promises something, that promise is honored. We
have a wonderful team of smart, hardworking people who are committed to
our clients/customers and community.”
• “I am especially proud to say
I work at Karta when our local
or global community is in need. I
marvel at the way our dedicated
Karta team responds to a crisis, both
with their time and finances.”
• “Karta is different from any
other company that I have ever
worked for because the executives treat staff members as assets rather than liabilities.æ
• “I had a personal situation that
required that I amend my work hours.
Dr. G.P. Singh arranged to accommodate my needs completely and
made me feel wanted. He could have
discarded me — instead, he honored
my request by allowing me to contribute on a different pathway. To
reciprocate, I will “go to the mat” to
support Karta and Dr. Singh. He lives
his supportive belief system, and it
shows throughout the corporation.”
RACKSPACE: Teamwork makes for happy environment, while also paying dividends
FROM PAGE 25B
our No. 1 focus,” Dane says. “We do it in a
way that we take care of the customer and
our people love to be here.”
Another key element, Dane points out,
is by creating a workplace that is fun and
playful.
Rackspace has created a family environment where rackers go above and beyond
to help each other.
“It makes you want to get up and come to
work,” he says. “You don’t find that in a lot
of other companies.”
Creating a standard
To build this environment, Rackspace
executives hammered out five key steps
starting with attracting the right people.
The Rackspace hiring process is intensive, says Weston.
Rackspace officials know that the key
to a successful services business is hiring
people that want to help others.
Wanting to service others, Weston says,
is the key.
“We spend a lot of time finding out who
the person is, not just what kind of degree
they have or what experience they have,”
Sauer explains. “All the new hires go
through a weeklong orientation that is all
about the culture of Rackspace.”
The second step is organizing the rackers for their highest potential.
“We organize into teams,” Weston says.
“We take a certain amount of customers
and create a team and that team is 100 percent responsible for the issues that arise
with those customers.”
Rackspace has about 20 teams, each of
them made up of about 15 to 20 people.
The teams vary in size, depending on
the size of the customer.
Each team handles sales, billing and
technical support for their customers.
The third step is measuring the performance of the team as a group, not on individual performance.
“We look at service all together which
forces everyone to work together for a
common goal,” Weston says.
Evaluating the team takes Rackspace execs to the fourth step, which is to compensate the rackers for a job well done.
“A large percentage of their pay comes
from the success of their team,” Weston
says. “So if they lose a customer, they are
going to take it very personally. That is
how we have been able to almost eliminate
customer attrition.”
Finally, executives celebrate the success
of the rackers in providing fanatical support.
“The No. 1 award in our company
is the Fanatical Jacket,” Weston says.
“There are only a few people that get it
each quarter.”
When a racker wins the award, their
photo is taken in the Fanatical Jacket,
which is actually a straight jacket, and a
sign is put up over their desk saying they
are a fanatic.
“It sounds kind of hokey but it’s absolutely a great way to tell everybody that
the way you get ahead around here is
providing great support to customers,”
Weston says. “It really gives us a sense
of accomplishment that we have built a
culture that attracts the best people in the
industry.”
Striving for more
Dane says the culture at Rackspace is
second to none and adds that being able
to come to work in a happy environment
or being afforded the time to take care of
family matters is “unbelievable.”
“If you need to take care of something,
you can do it and your team will take care
of the work,” Dane says.
Weston says his company has created
a higher standard in servicing customers
and keeping its employees happy.
But, he adds, there is always room to
strive for more.
“Rackspace still has places to improve,
and we are going to make it an even better place to work,” Weston notes. “But I am
very proud of where we are.”
For 30 years, SWBC has been serving the insurance, mortgage,
and investment needs of individuals and businesses in San Antonio. We’re
proud of what we do and proud of our greatest asset, our employees.
THANK YOU, SWBC TEAM, FOR YOUR HARD WORK
AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR SUCCESS.
Call 866-GET-SWBC (866-438-7922) or 210-525-1241
in San Antonio. Or visit us at www.swbc.com.

Best Places to Work in San Antonio

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