They're No. 1--Edward Jones and Tasty Catering

They're No. 1--Edward Jones and Tasty Catering

Edward Jones and Tasty Catering have been named the top companies in the large and medium-sized divisions, respectively, in the “Best Places To Work in Illinois in 2008” awards program presented by The Business Ledger.

The analysis of company entries to determine the rankings is coordinated by the Best Companies Group of Harrisburg, Pa. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois State Council of the Society of Human Resource Managers are partners with The Business Ledger in hosting the event.

Edward Jones, which is headquartered in St. Louis but has 1,150 employees in Illinois, was selected the top place to work in the state for the second successive year.

This financial services firm has more than 7 million clients nationwide. It operates more than 9,000 branch offices in the United States, serving clients in Illinois with nearly 1,150 employees. Seniors and small businesses in particular appreciate Jones’s conservative, relatively low-risk investment policies.

Numerous employee benefits at Edward Jones were cited in the analysis of the entries. For example, employees who deliver excellent performances share a generous bonus program three times each year; in 2006 alone the bonus fund was over $175 million. Associates are also eligible for what are termed “Diversification Trips” after they help clients diversify their investments. Two such trips are offered every year, with destinations ranging from Disney World and Hawaii to Switzerland and Monte Carlo. Winners who don’t want the travel package can obtain cash awards instead.

Tasty Catering, the top award recipient in the medium-sized company category, provides catering solutions to corporate clients in the Chicago area and produces catered outdoor events in Indiana and Wisconsin as well from its headquarters in Elk Grove Village. Last year, it finished second in this category.

With three specialized divisions to handle various types of events, Tasty Catering—led by Tom, Larry and Kevin Walter—started from humble beginnings in 1984 and has grown to a current staff of 52, including five chefs and 24 “culinarians” who live up to the name “Tasty” in food functions for thousands of people.

Notable at Tasty is a philosophy of staff ownership in the company, which also proudly notes that every established goal in the last 10 years has been met. The company has developed an internal time share at an Arizona property that contains all the fun toys you can imagine. Participating staff members who have taken a financial interest have a choice of two weeks to vacation there each year.

Taking second place among recipients in the large company category (250 or more employees) was Delnor Health System of Geneva. Third went to ATI Physical Therapy of Romeoville, fourth to Comprehensive Therapeutics, Ltd., of Glenview, and fifth to CEFCU—Citizens Equity First Credit Union—of Peoria.

Completing the top ten were Erickson Retirement Communities, LLC, of Catonsville, Md., Naperville and Lincolnshire, in sixth place; Advocate Healthcare, Oak Brook, seventh; Rush-Copley Medical Center, Aurora, in eighth; Quest Diagnostics of Madison, N.J., and Illinois, in ninth; and Draftfcb of Chicago, tenth.

In the medium-sized company category, earning second-place honors was Easter Seals of the DuPage & Fox Valley Region, Villa Park. Third went to Schaumburg-based Assurance; fourth to Clayco, of St. Louis, Chicago and Oak Brook; and fifth to the Chicago law firm of Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC.

The remainder of the award recipients in the medium-sized company category: Shakespeare Squared, Glenview, sixth place; Laurus Strategies, Chicago, seventh; Impact Networking, LLC, Waukegan, eighth; Porte Brown LLC, Elk Grove Village, ninth; ChapterHouse, LLC, Schaumburg, tenth.

Also, Rippinger Financial Group of Companies, Schaumburg, 11th; Marquette Group, Peoria, 12th; Lockton Companies, LLC, Kansas City and Chicago, 13th; iCyt Mission Technology, Champaign, 14th; The Mueller Companies, Elgin, 15th; Duke Realty Corporation, Indianapolis, 16th; Wine Sergi & Company, LLC, St. Charles, 17th; Thomas Interior Systems, Inc., Bloomingdale, 18th; Omni Chicago Hotel, Chicago, 19th; and National Futures Association, Chicago, 20th.

Diamond sponsors for the awards program were AT&T, The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., Leaders Bank and Thomas Interior Systems. Gold sponsors were B. Gunther & Company, Inc., LeaderBoard Tournament Systems, Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort and AM560WIND. Partners were GlenHill Graphics, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 (Archive on Wednesday, June 25, 2008)
Posted by jstoltz Contributed by jstoltz

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