SANTA FE, NM (BRAIN)—Outside Magazine has unveiled its fourth annual “Best Places to Work” list and some familiar names are on it including Clif Bar (#5), Santa Cruz Bicycles (#27), Camelbak (#44) and QBP (#49).
Boa Technology, maker of the Boa Closure System, captured fourth place on the list. The Denver-based company, which has been in business since 1998, has 50 employees.
“Since day one we wanted Boa to be a different kind of company,” said Boa founder Gary Hammerslag. “From our experience, you build great companies around great people. We believe in cultivating an employee culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance allowing employees to exercise daily, have fun and think out loud. I think this philosophy is just one of the many reasons we have so much positive engagement and exceptional productivity from our team.”
Boa promotes workplace wellness and enthusiasm by offering a variety of lunchtime fitness and nutrition workshops, company outdoor and volunteer activities, profit-sharing benefits and paying an annual bonus that can be used towards any fitness-related pursuit or goal.
Osprey Packs, located in Cortez, Colorado, and has 41 employees, placed 29th out of 50.
"We know that the more our employees are fulfilled in their own lives and engaged with their community and the outdoors, the happier and more productive they are,” said Erik Wegner, Osprey director of human resources. “It’s our goal to help nurture this work-life balance and to give back to our community, and we’re thrilled to be recognized for these efforts once again from Outside.”
Called out by Outside in their “Best Places to Work” feature article is Osprey’s commitment to corporate responsibility and the company’s annual gear sale, where five percent of all proceeds from the Local’s Sale event go to select local non-profit organizations. In 2010, the Fall Local’s Sale raised $1,396 for the Sheep Mountain Alliance, while the Spring Local’s Sale raised $1,411 for The Pet’s Sake Humane Society.
“These 50 companies are successful precisely because they support a proper work-life balance,” said Michael Roberts, executive dditor of Outside. “Happy workers that feel part of an active community are guaranteed to be more engaged and productive. And the companies on our list are offering amazing benefits: organic cafeterias, on-site fitness classes, reimbursements for gym memberships and ski passes, opportunities for on-the-clock community service, and much more.”
Other notable companies that made the cut include Smith Optics (#32), Patagonia (#38) and Livestrong (#41).
—Jason Norman
jnorman@bicycleretailer.com
