New York, NY, May 23, 2011 – Inc. magazine and Winning Workplaces today announce the winners of the 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces competition—an annual contest that recognizes the nation’s best small and mid-sized company work environments—in Inc.‘s June issue. The magazine features the contest’s 50 winners, a diverse array of organizations featuring such companies as Cal-Tex Protective Coatings, training company TRX, and audio firm Skullcandy.

Every year since 2003, Winning Workplaces, an Evanston, IL-based nonprofit organization, has recognized those firms that attribute much of their business success to their commitment to exemplary people practices and outstanding workplace cultures.

Menlo Innovations, a small software technology firm, pairs all workers for cross-training and mentoring to build a constantly learning organization. Dyn, an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) company, specializes in DNS and email for everyone. The company started out of a college dorm room and now has over 5 million users worldwide and maintains a work hard, play hard mentality. M & E Painting’s 20-person staff is so well trained and collaborative that the residential/commercial painting contractor does not ask for compensation until a job is completed to the customer’s satisfaction. The 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces are, as represented by the organizations above, compelling examples of successful organizations with unique, exceptional cultures.

Winning Workplaces and Inc. received nearly 350 completed applications for the contest. A national panel of experts in leadership and small to mid-sized business judged the finalists. Selections were based on specific metrics and qualitative assessments of the finalists’ success in creating the kind of workplaces that engage employees and deliver bottom-line results.

“This year’s winning firms distinguish themselves in so many ways,” asserts Ken Lehman, chairman of Winning Workplaces. “They are steadily growing their revenues, often outperforming their industries; have identified niches where they add unmatched value; and are guided by strong missions and values. And, they make no secret of the fact that a key driver behind their success is their engaged and committed workforces.”

“These firms represent some of the finest privately held companies in the world,” states Bob LaPointe, president of Inc. “Their stories, appearing in the June issue of Inc., clearly demonstrate that taking an innovative approach to creating the right culture—one in which human capital is embedded in a company’s value proposition—can create real competitive leadership. Each of these Top Small Company Workplaces offers an environment in which people flourish and, as a result, profit follows.”

 

2011 Top Small Company Workplaces Winners:

To read the 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces report, please go to www.inc.com.