Saturday, February 11, 2012

 

“100 Best Companies to Work For”

 

REI

Once again, REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) has been named one of Fortune magazine 100 Best Companies to Work For.  REI moved from 9th in 2011 to 8th in 2012.  They are one of just a handful of companies to have appeared on the list every year since the magazine began compiling it in 1998.

"Every day, our employees come to work and share their unwavering love of the outdoors and help others experience the wonders of nature," said Sally Jewell, REI president and CEO. "And that is what makes REI a great place to work and what has earned us this prestigious honor, year after year."

I have spent the past sixteen years working at REI in Houston and can only echo Sally’s comment.  There are so many things that come to mind to remind me of what a great place it is to work: great co-workers and fantastic customers (most of the time), all of whom share a common interest; a corporate philosophy that balances life and work; respect by, and for, management; wonderful benefits (vacation, health insurance, profit sharing, etc.) even for “part-time” employees; plus gear deals that can’t be beat.

One of the recent highlights of my REI career occurred last Spring.  Included in the “benefits” is a four-week paid sabbatical (in addition to vacation) after fifteen years of employment.  A couple of photos from the celebration are shown below…and I spent most of the time in the mountains of Colorado.

 REIAnniversary1                       REIAnniversaryCake

And, there is another sabbatical coming if I can “hang around” for another four years.  Why not, it is a fantastic place to “hang out”!


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