what ’ s working
Employer of the Year
Recognizes an employer that has implemented innovative job retention , creation , benefits , and / or compensation plans that foster a thriving work environment .
the company : Started in a basement in 1982 by Edmund O . Schweitzer III , Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories ( SEL ) now employs 5,100 people around the world and is 100 percent employee owned . SEL designs and builds digital products that protect power systems around the world .
job creation : SEL recently expanded its Pullman facility by 200,000 square-feet , making room for more than 850 new employee owners to join its team . On the company ’ s growth , SEL President Edmund O . Schweitzer , III , said , “ The best way for us to predict the future is to invent it and build it . I ’ m delighted that we ’ re doing both right here in Pullman .”
the human element : The company was a first-adopter of on-site , no-copay employee health clinics in 2012 to serve its employees and their families . And , in the wake of the destructive hurricane Harvey in Texas , SEL employees produced power restoration products for the region in a record 48 hours or less , one-tenth of the normal time . SEL also donated $ 150,000 to the American Red Cross and offered product discounts to customers affected by Harvey .
remarks : “ Thank you , the company we ’ re in tonight is amazing and we ’ re honored to be a part of this group . For those of you who know Schweitzer , you know we started as a family-owned company in a basement — as many of you did — and we ’ ve now grown to 5,100 employees worldwide . Part of what we can attribute our growth to is the fact that we are 100 percent employee owned . What that really means is that we are a family . We all have a stake in ensuring that not only are our products great , but they meet our customer needs and we ’ re able to deliver on-time , quality products every time .” — kelly fukai , regional affairs representative , sel
employer of the year award finalists
rite in the rain , tacoma
Founder Jerry Darling started the company in 1916 with his invention of specially treated , weather-resistant wood planks designed to withstand the elements for timber cruisers .
More than 100 years later , Rite in the Rain manufactures all manner of torture-tested , all-weather writing products — pens , notebooks , recipe cards and more — in an environmentally friendly process . The products are used by everyone from researchers studying Magellanic Penguins in Antarctica and beer brewers to military men and women serving in the field and chefs looking to protect their favorite recipes . The company continues to innovate new products and enter new markets to support its employees and its community .
bellmont cabinet company , sumner
Started in a garage in the 1970s , Bellmont Cabinet Company now employs 300 workers at its Sumner facility .
But , times weren ’ t always easy . In 2008 , the Great Recession hit the company hard . Rather than shutting its doors due to a 60 percent drop in demand , this familyowned kitchen and bath cabinet manufacturer retooled its operations and its product line . The gamble proved successful .
One of Bellmont ’ s core values is compassion . In that effort , the company ’ s Bellmont Family Support program seeks to help those in need , from its neighbors and employees to families around the world . It works with local programs such as homeless support at Vine Maple Place in Maple Valley and home construction with Habitat for Humanity . Internationally , the program works with communities in El Salvador , Africa and Latvia .
30 association of washington business