Safety Management Group Named Among Best Employers in Indiana

Indianapolis, February 26, 2007 -- Fifty Hoosier companies have been designated a 'Best Place to Work in Indiana' for creating a productive environment in which employees feel valued, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce announces. This is the second year for the Best Places to Work in Indiana program, which is presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Of the 50 honorees, 23 received the same distinction in 2006.

The program honors the top companies in the state, as determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. Winners were selected from two categories: small to medium-sized companies of between 25 and 249 employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 250 or more employees. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Indiana. Ninety companies took part in the initial evaluation, with 85 completing the process and eligible for ranking.

The Best Companies Group has overseen similar programs in 18 other states. ModernThink, LLC, a workplace excellence consulting firm, handled the selection process. The basis for this initiative is Fortune magazine's noted '100 Best Companies to Work for in America.'

'The Best Places to Work in Indiana program has two missions: to honor those exemplary employers and to encourage other Hoosier businesses to evaluate their workplace environment to see how it affects their employees,' states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. 'Common sense tells us that an employee who feels valued will likely be a more dependable, productive worker, and therefore have a positive impact on the company's bottom line. '

The actual rankings of the top Hoosier companies will be announced at the Best Places to Work awards luncheon on May 2 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis. Winners will also be recognized via a special section of the Indiana Chamber's bimonthly BizVoice' magazine and through Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick ' both of which reach statewide audiences. Additional program partners are the Indiana State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Indiana Youth Institute and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Prior to the luncheon, a seminar on what makes a company a Best Place to Work will be conducted by ModernThink and the Indiana Youth Institute. To register to attend the awards luncheon or pre-luncheon seminar, visit www.indianachamber.com.

All companies that participated in the 2007 Best Places to Work program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. In turn, this report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs.

For more information on the Indiana Chamber's Best Places to Work program, go to www.bestplacestoworkIN.com. Program sponsors for 2007, in addition to Anthem, are AARP, Baker & Daniels, Ball State University, BKD CPAs and Advisors, Duke Energy, FedEx, Old National, Professional Staff Management, Simon Property Group and Verizon.

The 2007 Best Places to Work in Indiana companies listed in alphabetical order, no ranking:

Large Companies (250 or more employees)

Angie's List
Indianapolis

Baker & Daniels LLP
Indianapolis

Celadon Trucking Services Inc.
Indianapolis

Centier Bank
Merrillville

Clark Memorial Hospital
Jeffersonville

Columbus Regional Hospital
Columbus

Crowe Chizek and Company LLC
Indianapolis

Dow AgroSciences
Indianapolis

Duke Realty Corporation
Indianapolis

Edward Jones
Indianapolis

Emmis Communications
Indianapolis

Ernst & Young, LLP
Indianapolis

Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation
Fort Wayne

Goshen Health System
Goshen

Interactive Intelligence, Inc.
Indianapolis

Irwin Union Bank
Columbus

Lake City Bank
Warsaw

Lauth Group, Inc.
Indianapolis

St. Joseph Hospital and Health Center
Kokomo

The Capital Group Companies, Inc.
Indianapolis


Small to Medium-sized Companies (25-249 employees)

Ash Brokerage Corporation
Fort Wayne

Baker Hill
Carmel

Bamberger, Foreman, Oswald & Hahn, LLP
Evansville

Bowen Engineering Corporation
Fishers

Colliers Turley Martin Tucker
Indianapolis

Cripe Architects and Engineers
Indianapolis

Employment Plus
Bloomington

eTapestry
Greenfield

ExactTarget, Inc.
Indianapolis

G & S Research, Inc.
Carmel

Gregory & Appel Insurance
Indianapolis

Herman and Kittle Properties, Inc.
Indianapolis

Indiana Organ Procurement Organization
Indianapolis

ISM Education Loans, Inc.
Indianapolis

Katz, Sapper & Miller
Indianapolis

KPMG LLP
Indianapolis

Krieg DeVault LLP
Indianapolis

LaBov & Beyond, Inc.
Fort Wayne

Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hammond

Matrix Integration, LLC
Jasper

Morales Group, Inc.
Indianapolis

Network Solutions, Inc.
Granger

Plymate Inc.
Shelbyville

Safety Management Group
Indianapolis

Schmidt Associates
Indianapolis

Somerset CPAs, P.C.
Indianapolis

Sommer Barnard PC
Indianapolis

T2 Systems, Inc.
Indianapolis

The Estridge Companies
Carmel

VMS
Indianapolis


The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has been the state's largest broad-based business advocacy organization for over 80 years. Today, it serves more than 26,000 members and customers.

Source: Indiana Chamber of Commerce