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LEADERS OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK Meet the executives behind some of Business Report’s Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge 2017. We asked them what incentives they offer, how they have made their workplace cultures unique and what employees love about working at their companies. The answers were sometimes surprising, sometimes intriguing, always instructive. Business Report is proud to present these local leaders and the ideas that landed them on this year’s Best Places to Work list.
DR. I. STEVEN UDVARHELYI
ALLIANCE SAFETY COUNCIL
ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER & CO.
COLEMAN PARTNERS ARCHITECTS SHOPPERSCHOICE.COM BASF
LOUISIANA HEALTHCARE CONNECTIONS
PRESIDENT & CEO
PELICAN STATE CREDIT UNION LEVEL HOMES
Blue Cross and Blue
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LEADERS OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Kathy Trahan President/CEO
Alliance Safety Council 10099 N. Reiger Road Baton Rouge LA 70809 (225) 766-0955 alliancesafetycouncil.org ALLIANCE SAFETY COUNCIL staff members strive for excellence each and every day as they offer instructor-led and computer-based safety training and just-in-time workforce solutions. A big part of the organization’s success goes back to team members and their passion for what they do to help others. At the office, there are open, inviting and userfriendly spaces where team members can collaborate to deliver on objectives. The facility’s design is conducive to learning and growth for both employees and students. The environment supports the organization’s efforts to drive an innovative and action-oriented culture, which is based on five clearly defined core values and a subset of associated behaviors. Employees are encouraged to take personal ownership of their work and to be bold in creating new solutions. This keeps them actively and passionately engaged and ultimately leads to success for the council’s members. The organization offers a comprehensive health benefits package, as well as a 401(k) match. Highperforming employees are recognized through discretionary bonuses. Employees are also encouraged to attend conferences for professional development. The office frequently plans surprise celebrations and fun “on-thespot” perks to recognize employees’ accomplishments. Those include monthly birthday celebrations, fun activities around holidays, work anniversaries and more. The office recently introduced an employee newsletter to improve communication between departments and keep employees informed of current initiatives, long-term goals, and other pertinent company and industry information.
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LEADERS
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OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Amanda Hamilton GBS Area Vice President/ Director of Sales and Marketing
Stephen Fountain GGB Area President
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. 235 Highlandia Drive, Suite 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70810 (225) 292-3515 ajg.com FOR A corporation as vast and globalreaching as Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Baton Rouge office celebrates a refreshingly local culture. Founded in Chicago in 1927, Gallagher includes over 710 international offices and is the fourth largest risk management consulting and insurance brokerage firm worldwide. Powered by these global resources, Gallagher’s commitment to the individuals who contribute to its success is shown through the tight-knit boutique feel of the Baton Rouge location. Professional growth is a top priority, and engagement is often fueled by employee-led initiatives, such as the Young Professional Generational Diversity Program and the social event planning FUN committee. As committed as Gallagher is to promoting and developing individuals in the workplace, it has an ethically and socially responsible focused culture as well. The Gallagher Foundation matches charitable giving to employees’ choice of charities and tracks service hour work in our local communities. Gallagher is the only insurance brokerage firm to be honored not once, but six times in a row as a Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute for promoting best business practices and standards from a corporate perspective to each and every local employee.
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LEADERS
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OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Giuseppe “Joe” Saffiotti Gary Gilbert Wendy Lee
Marvin “Buddy” Ragland Jr. Dale Songy Robert “Bob” Coleman III
Coleman Partners Architects LLC 3377 North Boulevard | Baton Rouge, LA 70806 | (225) 387-4414 | cparch.com AT COLEMAN PARTNERS ARCHITECTS, every day offers new challenges to grow and new laughs to be had. The firm was founded in 1949 by Robert Coleman Jr. Today, it shares six partners, five associates and 24 staff members across multiple locations, including its Baton Rouge headquarters and branch offices in New Orleans and Houston. The firm provides architectural design for all building types, with special emphasis on hospitality, educational, office and religious design and master planning. Employees love coming to work because their fellow coworkers—including supervisors—care about each other’s well-being. The atmosphere is more casual, and new employees fit in easily and feel accepted. The firm offers
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paid training, continuing education, quarterly office parties and birthday parties, along with health, vision, dental and 401K benefits. The firm works on interesting, diverse and dynamic projects that impact a community. This is satisfying for the end-user, but also for the staff member’s personal goals and growth. Employees who consistently perform well are afforded deeper engagement within individual projects. That includes contractor and client contact and broader decision-making responsibilities. The highest performing staff members earn the possibility of becoming firm associates. The possibility for professional growth keep employees engaged and working toward a common goal.
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LEADERS OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Ladina Hackley Co-owner
Mike Hackley Co-owner
ShoppersChoice.com 8151 Airline Highway Baton Rouge, LA 70815 (877) 743-2269 shopperschoice.com EMPLOYEES OF ShoppersChoice.com are always surprised by how much Ladina Hackley and her husband, Mike Hackley, remain involved in the day-to-day operations of their company. In 1998, the couple opened a small retail location called The Grill Store & More. Although that small start has now grown into a company with more than 200 employees, the Hackleys still strive to keep things personable and maintain the feel of a family-run business as much as possible. The ideal employee is one who has an inherent desire to learn new things. ShoppersChoice.com offers a lot of product, and being in the e-commerce sector means things are constantly changing. The company offers many perks to employees that are much appreciated, including free breakfast or lunch every day, an Uber account they can use for free, and a break room that includes massage chairs, video games, a pool table, foosball and treadmills. Additionally, all new hires are given Mike Hackley’s personal cell phone number in case they feel they really need to tell him something. While this goes along with the idea that the Hackleys are still involved in the day-to-day, it also means that everybody’s ideas count.
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LEADERS OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Tom Yura
Senior Vice President and Site General Manager
BASF Corporation 8404 River Road Geismar, LA 70734 (225) 339-7300 basf.us/la AT BASF, the site leadership team at Geismar understands a well-balanced lifestyle is the key to workplace success and employee engagement. Benefits include a generous tuition reimbursement program, paid time off programs— including maternity and parental leave— and flexible work schedules. In addition, employees are eligible to participate in the Performance Incentive Compensation Award Plan. The award is based on the combined performance of the employee, the business unit team and the corporation for the annual performance plan year. With a variety of work activities, employee groups and events offered, employees are welcomed to BASF with plenty of opportunities. With its diverse employee base, Geismar site employees are encouraged to join and create employee resource groups with similar interests, such as African American Employee Group, Parents at BASF, Women in Business and the Military Veterans Employee Group. Along with professional development, BASF brings employees together at family-oriented events such as Family Day at Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, the annual Holiday Dance for couples and Family Day at Blue Bayou Waterpark. BASF is also involved in the community, contributing more than $500,000 annually in charitable donations to more than 50 nonprofit organizations in Louisiana. Employees volunteer thousands of hours to help BASF-sponsored community activities.
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LEADERS OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Jamie Schlottman President and CEO
Kendra Case
Chief Operating Officer
Louisiana Healthcare Connections 8585 Archives Ave., Suite 310 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (866) 595-8133 louisianahealthconnect.com WHILE LOUISIANA Healthcare Connections provides health care coverage to more than 475,000 Louisianans who qualify for Medicaid or LaCHIP, it also is a workplace that recognizes its employees and empowers them to succeed. Managers focus on employees as individuals and help them build the careers they want. There are options for those who want predictable hours and less stress, as well as those looking for training, tuition reimbursement and room to grow. Its benefits package includes more than four weeks of paid time off and holidays per year. The engagement committee—comprised of employees—makes decisions about when and how to create appreciation programs, upgrade employee lounges, host events, organize volunteering and more. The committee has a dedicated budget. The WellDone! Award is given quarterly to an individual who goes above and beyond in caring for members or other employees. Recognition pins are handed out to all employees to celebrate milestones, as well as individually to those who demonstrate exemplary performance. Additionally, hand-shaped notes called “high fives” are used to recognize and thank co-workers. These notes are taped to the recipient’s wall or desk as a reminder of how much those efforts are appreciated.
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Pelican State Credit Union 3232 S. Sherwood Forest Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA (225) 408-6100 pelicanstatecu.com A FAMILY atmosphere is what team members love most about working at Pelican State Credit Union. Their favorite part of each year is the Pelican Family Reunion—an event where employees from across the state come together during a workday to celebrate togetherness and professional milestones. Employees complete in games and are recognized with flowers, gift cards and big giveaways. The fun atmosphere spills over to the office. On a typical day, the accounting department might be having a dance party. The lending department might have a buffet set up with decorations showing support for their favorite sports teams or the call center might be dressed up like pirates or taking part in a “Work in Your Pajamas” day. One of the largest companywide efforts is the charity and volunteer group, the Beak Squad, which is run by team members. It began a decade ago as a way to give back to local charities and communities. Team members choose a charity of the year and then find unique, fun ways to fundraise. At Pelican, everyone has fun together just like one big happy family, and it shows in the way team members work together, treat each other and serve members.
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LEADERS
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OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK
Todd Waguespack Managing Partner
Greg Murphey Chief Financial Officer
Ryan Engquist President
David Ray
Chief Operating Officer
Level Homes 402 N. Fourth St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (225) 338-6120 levelhomeslifestyle.com LEVEL HOMES, also known as Level Construction and Development, was established in 2000 to bring high quality homes and neighborhoods to Baton Rouge and other leading Louisiana markets. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Level Homes expanded to the RaleighDurham area of North Carolina in 2013. The executive team is committed to building the most effective and best culture possible for employees. It accomplishes this by hosting an annual crawfish boil, holiday parties, monthly staff lunches and company sponsored, family friendly community events. The office culture is built upon accountability. High-performing employees are recognized through the company’s employee of the year contest. The company also offers great benefits and an attractive bonus structure. Level homes offers quarterly bonuses for all non-commission office employees, a safe harbor 401k with employer matches dollar for dollar up to 4 percent, tiered commission for sales agents and performance based bonuses for the construction team. Employees are also active in the community at such events as St. Jude Dream Day, Lemonade Day Louisiana and the Code Red Chili Cook Off fundraiser for Lane Regional Medical Center Foundation.
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