EMPLOYERS WHO EXCEL
Our 2025 Top Workplaces winners strive to provide engaging, supportive environments that empower employees to help the organization reach its goals. Find out who the 81 honorees are and how they are achieving success.
IHow the Top Workplaces Are Chosen
f you want to really know what’s happening at work, ask the people on the front lines. That’s the foundation of the Top Workplaces award. For the 13th year, employee survey company Energage has partnered with Columbus CEO to honor the best places to work in the Columbus region.
This award can’t be bought; it has to be earned, based on employee feedback. Winners are chosen through a scientific survey process. Positive employee feedback equals recognition. Workplaces that don’t have strong feedback are excluded from the winners list.
Energage crunches the data based on a 25-question survey that takes just a few minutes to complete. The survey asks employees for their feedback on such factors as pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness and appreciation. Energage scores companies based on the responses.
Organizations do not pay any fees to survey employees or to earn a Top Workplaces designation. If they choose,
organizations can purchase the survey data. There is no obligation for winners to purchase any product or service.
For the 2025 winners list, 2,141 organizations were asked to survey their employees, and 120 agreed to do so. Based on the survey feedback, 81 have earned recognition as Columbus Top Workplaces.
“Top Workplaces awards are a celebration of good news,” says Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “They exemplify the significance of a people-first workplace experience, reminding us that employees are the heart of any thriving organization.”
The winners list is intended to reflect on the regional workforce. To qualify for Top Workplaces recognition, employers must have at least 50 workers in Central Ohio. Survey results are valid only if at least 35 percent of employees respond; organizations with fewer than 85 employees have a higher response threshold, requiring responses from at least 30 employees.
Employers earn Top Workplaces
recognition if their aggregated employee feedback score exceeds national benchmarks. Participants are grouped into size bands to best compare similar employee experiences. Energage has established those benchmarks based on feedback collected from about 30 million employees in the last 19 years. Employers are ranked within those groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.
Why might a particular employer not be on the list? Perhaps it chose not to participate, or perhaps it did and employee feedback scores were not strong enough. Energage also runs tests on survey feedback and in some cases may disqualify an organization if, for example, a high number of employees said they felt pressured to answer positively.
To participate in the 2026 Top Workplaces awards, or for more information about the program, go to the nomination page at columbusceo.com/nominate.
—Bob Helbig,
Energage
Looking to Make a Difference? Join The Buckeye Ranch’s Team Today!
Last year, The Buckeye Ranch provided more than 14,500 critical mental health, behavioral health, education, and child welfare support service encounters to more than 7,100 youth across Ohio. These services make a life-changing impact, designed to help youth become more successful within their families, schools, and communities. As a Top Workplace in Central Ohio two years in a row, we support over 600 team members across six locations in realizing our mission of raising hope and restoring healing for youth and families in our community each day.
OUR PEOPLE
drive our ability to deliver for patients.
Amgen is proud to be a Top Workplace in Columbus and remains committed to demonstrating excellence in its approach to maintaining a thriving and innovative workplace culture.
Thank you to our employees for your hard work and dedication to Our Mission: To Serve Patients.
Congratulations!
ORGANIZATIONS (350 OR MORE EMPLOYEES)
These 81 organizations are the 2025 Top Workplaces. They are listed by their rankings, which were determined by Columbus CEO research partner Energage, in three size categories. Categories are based on the number of Columbus region employees. Data is current as of employee surveys from late 2024.
Hats off to the people who make this a great place to work.
At Atlas Butler, we believe a great workplace isn’t about the walls–it’s about the people inside them. Thanks to our incredible team, we’ve been named a Top Workplace 2025 in Columbus. Your dedication, hard work, and passion are what make Atlas Butler more than a company—it’s a family. Thank you.
70 YEARS OF STRENGTH FUELED BY OUR PEOPLE
Our greatest asset isn’t the steel we process – it’s the people who make it happen, the customers who trust us and the communities we support. For 70 years, we’ve been strong for good, transforming steel while strengthening industries, partnerships and the places we call home. That strength starts within. For that, we say thank you to our employees for making us a 13-time Top Workplace!
WINNINGEST COMPANIES
13 YEARS
Discover Kimball Midwest
Worthington Enterprises (12 as Worthington Industries)
These are the 10 2025 Top Workplaces winners with the most honors throughout the program’s 13-year history.
12 YEARS
KPMG LLP
The Richwood Banking Co. S-S Bendure & Hartwig
Total Quality Logistics – TQL
11 YEARS
Fifth Third Bank
Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc.
Manifest Solutions Corp.
Special Awards
17 Winners Earn Extra Honors
The recipients of these 15 Special Awards were chosen based on standout scores for employee responses to specific survey statements. Employees rate these statements on a seven-point scale, from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Well-Being is a new award for 2025.
LEADERSHIP
I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Geoff Gilmore
Worthington Steel
Jonathan Moody
Moody Nolan
Stephanie McCormick
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana
DIRECTION
I believe this company is going in the right direction.
KEMBA Financial Credit Union
MANAGERS
My manager helps me learn and grow. My manager cares about my concerns.
Thrive Companies
NEW IDEAS
New ideas are encouraged at this company.
DHL Supply Chain North America
DOERS
At this company, we do things efficiently and well.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
MEANINGFULNESS
My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.
Bridgeway – Academy & Therapy Center VALUES
This company operates by strong values.
Zink Foodservice
CLUED-IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company.
Total Quality Logistics – TQL
COMMUNICATION
I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.
Union Home Mortgage Corp.
APPRECIATION
I feel genuinely appreciated at this company.
ERPA
WORK/LIFE FLEXIBILITY
I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.
Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission
TRAINING
I get the formal training I want for my career.
Atlas Butler Heating & Cooling
WELL-BEING
This company does a great job of prioritizing employee well-being.
OCLC Inc.
BENEFITS
My benefits package is good compared to others in this industry.
Daugherty Business Solutions
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD
My employer is socially responsible in the community.
BTTS Holdings
Stronger Together
Four winners explain how they drive results by focusing on values, empowering employees and supporting suppliers.
By CHUCK NELSON
When longtime friends Srikanth Gaddam and Kiran Beeravelli formed ERPA in 1999, they named it after values they admired: empathy, responsibility, passion and agility.
“We said, ‘If our values are important, why don’t we call it out?’ ” says Beeravelli, the information technology company’s chief innovation officer. “That is the fabric, the canvas on which everything else is painted.”
Based in Dublin, ERPA specializes in enterprise application management, cloud hosting and consultation services for Workday, PeopleSoft and Amazon Web Services users.
While its workers are largely remote, with 440 associates scattered throughout the U.S. and more overseas, ERPA tries to break down the distance between the screens by building communication online, as well as having large in-person gatherings. “When we actually meet in person, that’s
when you realize, ‘Oh, people are of different heights,’ ” Beeravelli says with a laugh.
It’s part of a conscious effort to make their shop as open as possible. And their employees value it: This is the company’s sixth time on the Top Workplaces list. ERPA also earned the Special Award this year for Appreciation, given for positive employee responses to the statement, “I feel genuinely
appreciated at this company.”
Anyone can contact anyone else in the organization to ask a question or express a concern or observation, Beeravelli says, making it easier to be seen and heard in “a relatively flat organizational structure.”
“If someone has an idea, it doesn’t have to be filtered through the layers,” he says. “I think that freedom is something that
ERPA team members at an off-site meeting in Dallas in April 2024
ERPA employees at the Higher Education User Group Alliance conference in Phoenix in March 2024
people actually cherish.”
Beeravelli says nurturing the company’s core values necessitates a hiring process that values a cultural fit “first and foremost.”
“Some of our best hiring decisions came from the referrals of our existing workforce,” says Sheila Ponder, vice president of human resources. “They understand the culture, and they want to bring on people who are going to emulate our values and embrace them. I think that’s pivotal.”
Manpower became an issue in 2024 as business growth drove expansion, Beeravelli says. “This time last year, it was all about possibilities,” Ponder says of a business deal ERPA proposed that expanded its partnerships with Workday and AWS. “All we could do was just explain our model. The fact that they moved so fast actually gave us confidence that our model was right.”
The trick then became scaling up the workforce—but with the right people. “It always felt we needed more talent all the time. We needed more capacity,” Beeravelli says.
“The rapid growth in our customer base has demanded a lot of hiring to maintain a high standard of service to the customers,” says Jeffrey Miller, director of marketing. “We expect that growth to continue this year.”
Collaborating on a Common Mission
Nonprofit Experience Columbus and its Greater Columbus Sports Commission offshoot make a first appearance on the list this year.
The organization, started in 1941 as the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, works from offices in the Arena District to entice out-of-towners to spend time in Central Ohio. The sports commission followed in 2002 as a “successful spinoff,” as GCSC President and CEO Linda Logan puts it.
“What’s important to me and I think our
team is, to be an employer of choice means we’re representing our community outside this building in a very authentic and genuine way,” says Brian Ross, Experience Columbus’ President and CEO. “We touch almost every corner of the community. We’re very fortunate and don’t take these responsibilities lightly.
“What helps us guide our culture is that we have individuals that are very welcoming, inclusive, diverse and innovative, and we continue to collaborate on a lot of different things.”
That team approach translated to 51 million visits to Central Ohio in 2023, with $8.2 billion spent in Franklin County, Ross says. Those are new dollars in the community arriving via vacations, conferences and sporting events.
About 70 employees are split between the two visitor and tourism entities, which also share certain resources, Ross says. Based on survey feedback, Experience Columbus and GCSC won the Top Workplaces Special Award this year for Work/Life Flexibility.
Employees helped craft the organ-
izations’ core values, says Chief People Officer Jennifer McCallum, noting that everyone is empowered to make decisions and “champion our community where they can.”
“It’s great to showcase Columbus as a destination,” she says. That mission doesn’t stop at bringing more visitors for a conference. “It could end up bringing more people to live here, maybe go to school here.”
“We want to hire the right teammates, the most talented teammates,” Ross says. “We want to train and educate them. We want to provide the resources for them to be successful. We want to empower them. And then we want to make sure we’re removing any barriers for them to succeed.”
“One of the common themes with both organizations is the passion our employees have for the work that they do,” says Logan. “They just love representing this amazing city. We’re here to support the efforts and help tell that Columbus story.
“People would be surprised to know how many years in the making some of these events are,” Logan says. The NHL
Experience Columbus and GCSC employees participate in jiujitsu at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum during staff development day.
Experience Columbus team members at the 2024 Community Cup
ROMA M NOFF
for voting us Top Workpla HANK EMPLOYEE OW ce 10 times NERS! he tea n. Thank y e that em ation, and tea m member's talent dedicatio ou an inclusive cultur phasizes communication, collabor mwork.
The success of our company is a testament to each team member's talent and dedication. Thank you for fostering an inclusive culture that emphasizes communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
Stadium Series event held March 1 in Ohio Stadium has been in the works for a dozen years, she says. And it took 10 years to bring the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four here; the tourney will return
But it’s gratifying to see the city now included in the pool for big events, Logan says. “We’ve become a national destination.”
That recognition was also reflected in Columbus’ inclusion last year in Conde Nast Traveler’s top 10 Best Big Cities in the U.S.
Food and Philanthropy
California-based Panda Restaurant Group Inc. marks its sixth straight appearance on the Top Workplaces list in 2025. The family-owned, fast-casual Asian restaurant chain—the parent of Panda Express and two other brands— utilizes an organizational structure that emphasizes education and leadership opportunities for its associates.
“We have a culture of putting people first, and we are aiming to create a safe, empowering, conversational environment” where employees listen, appreciate and challenge each other, says Mingtao Chi, regional director of operations for Ohio. There’s also an emphasis on worklife balance, he adds.
“Our company has been very successfully expanding in different markets including Ohio and Columbus,” Chi says, with the majority of its leadership promoted from within the ranks of its 56,000 employees.
That includes Chi, who joined the company as a crew member 11 years ago after completing an MBA. He advanced with promotions to store manager, trainer,
A Panda Restaurant Group Inc. regional meeting
area coach and now regional manager.
“When people join us, they are not only looking for a paycheck, they want to grow with the company,” he says.
Part of that growth is facilitated through training opportunities at workshops featuring industry and business leaders such as authors John Maxwell and Jim Collins. Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a big
part of the program, Chi says.
“It all starts with our founders,” Chi says of Andrew and Peggy Cherng, who opened the first Panda Express in 1999.
“That’s what they demonstrate, what they role model for us.”
He expects the company’s growth to continue with four new Ohio locations (including three in Columbus) this year.
“The competition is very intense in Ohio,”
he says. “We are confident that we are going to continue creating this organization for our company. We also want to make sure we contribute to our community and our people.”
To that end, the company’s Panda Cares program raises money for worthy causes and operates Panda Cares Centers of Hope with partners that include the Children’s Miracle Hospital Network and
LEADING THE WAY
BY ELEVATING SPACES AND EXPERIENCES
Thank you to our employees for voting Worthington as a top workplace for 13 consecutive years. For us, it always has been and always will be about the people.
Pictured: Nick Richards
A ribbon cutting at the new Panda Express restaurant in Delaware in February 2024
NEWSLETTER
the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Four Centers of Hope in Central Ohio help underserved youth with health and educational needs.
Prioritizing People
Kimball Midwest is no stranger to the Top Workplaces awards. The family-owned company has made the list for 13 consecutive years—every year of the Columbus-area recognition program.
“If I was at a party somewhere, I’d say we sell nuts and bolts,” President Patrick McCurdy says of the wholesale distribution business, which focuses on supplies used in industrial-level maintenance and repair.
McCurdy credits the organization’s success to maintaining strong supplier relationships, building a people-first culture and investing in employee development.
Kimball Midwest leaders (from left) COO Dave McCurdy, CEO Pat McCurdy and President Patrick McCurdy III
PHOTO COURTESY KIMBALL MIDWEST
Kimball Midwest’s Columbus distribution center
Based in Columbus and established in 1923, the 2,400-employee company now includes operations in Dallas; Reno, Nevada; Newtown, Connecticut; and Savannah, Georgia.
“We try to live our purpose,” says McCurdy. “We want to empower those we work with to thrive.” That includes customers, suppliers and the communities they serve, as well as employees, he says.
That commitment is seen in the company’s efforts to work with historically underrepresented businesses, including those owned by women, minorities and veterans. “Those supplier relationships matter,” McCurdy says. “And as we’ve grown, we’ve tried to make sure we stay with the people that helped us get here when that’s possible.”
It’s also seen in the company’s commitments to its employees through attention to health and wellness issues, flexible scheduling and improvements to compensation and benefits packages—some of which were a direct result of employee feedback from Top Workplaces surveys, he says.
“Some adjustments, like paid parental leave, came out of the survey the last couple of years,” he says. “We made changes to our 401(k) plan because of feedback from the survey.
“No one likes the job every day. But when they like the direction the work is going, then they see that ability to bring the best version of themselves to the office.”
The employee feedback received through Top Workplaces is “a good reflection of how well people are feeling aligned and engaged,” McCurdy says. “It’s been a great tool for us.”
Chuck Nelson is a freelance writer.
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A Year of Firsts
Worthington Steel prioritizes culture and performance after spinning off on its own.
By LAURA NEWPOFF
Last year was a year of firsts for Worthington Steel. After being spun out from Worthington Industries Inc. in December 2023, the metals processor began to focus on strategic priorities to create, in its own words, “superior longterm shareholder value.” That included a first earnings report, a first board meeting and a first investor call.
Plenty of change comes with a separation of this magnitude involving a publicly traded company (NYSE: WS) with 4,500 employees and 31 facilities in seven states and five countries. A new leadership team had to be assembled, and the information technology system had to be separated from the legacy company so it could stand on its own.
What didn’t change as the transition occurred was the culture established by Worthington Industries founder John H. McConnell through his “Golden Rule” philosophy: “We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated.” This was a key mandate of Worthington Steel President
“2024 was an exciting time announcing some of these acquisitions and having organic growth.”
GEOFF GILMORE, president and CEO of Worthington Steel
and CEO Geoff Gilmore.
“It’s embedded in everything we do. It’s the bedrock of our culture,” Gilmore says. “So much so that still, to this very day, [new employees] are given a philosophy card and a copy of his book, “Our Golden Rule.” That education starts on day No. 1.”
Gilmore previously served as Worthington Industries’ executive vice president and chief operating officer. As he built up his new team, he brought with him several employees with deep experience at the legacy company, which became Worthington Enterprises (NYSE: WOR) after the split. That, too, allowed the Golden Rule culture to be easily adopted at the steel business and gave these professionals a chance to take on increased responsibilities and grow their careers.
Their experience was critical as Worthington Steel hit the ground running with its growth plans. In March 2024, it announced an agreement that allowed its joint venture, TWB Company Inc., to expand its hot-formed tailored blanking capabilities in North America. Tailor welded blanks are a key component of automotive manufacturing. In December, Worthington Steel acquired a controlling equity stake in Italy-based Sitem Group as part of its plans to grow its electrical steel lamination business and expand customer reach.
“2024 was an exciting time announcing
some of these acquisitions and having organic growth,” Gilmore says. “You’ll continue to hear that throughout this year and next. We’ll continue to have a great opportunity in front of us, and we’ll continue to invest in the business, [whether that’s] electrical steel laminations or various other businesses we’re involved with. We’re also going to celebrate the heck out of our 70th anniversary. That’s another example of our culture and philosophy. We like to celebrate milestones, whether that’s a one-year anniversary or No. 70. We like to call those things out and celebrate with our employees. That’s been a huge part of the success of the company.”
Worthington Steel made its Top Workplaces debut this year as a new company, after Worthington Industries had
Nikki Ballinger, vice president of human resources
PHOTOS BY ROB HARDIN (2)
Worthington Steel President and CEO Geoff Gilmore (third from left) with (from left) Brian Thomas, Donnie Seymour and Tivon Favret at the company’s plant
made the list for 12 straight years—back to the debut of the recognition program. Gilmore received the Special Award for Leadership this year in the Large Organizations category, with employees expressing confidence in the CEO, his enthusiasm, and willingness to talk and listen, while noting his leadership is motivational and trustworthy.
To create this positive work environment, Gilmore says he aims to be approachable and transparent. “I utilize any opportunity I can to get in front of employees,” he says. “If I know they’re in town for an employee council or leadership training, I try to make sure I’m on the agenda and able to talk about what the company is doing.” He wants associates to hear from him what the vision is and the strategy to bring that vision to life.
“I want employees to know how they fit in,” he says. “That is critical.” Often, leaders will talk about the company vision, but employees may wonder what their place is. “What does that mean to them or their families?” he says. “I spend a lot of time focused on that vision and strategy and how our employees fit into that.”
The company’s culture also involves
encouraging volunteerism in the community, robust benefits including two comprehensive medical plan options with health savings accounts, an employee assistance program and financial wellness programs. Employees who want to become managers can take part in an “Aspiring Leaders” program, and there are various professional development opportunities, including financial assistance for MBA and EMBA programs. There also are on-site barber shops and intramural sports leagues.
An annual awards party that recognizes associates’ years of service features bands and food trucks, and the company also hosts other gatherings and celebrations during the year. A recent Pelotonia fundraiser gave employees a chance to drop company leaders in a dunk tank.
Nikki Ballinger, vice president of human resources, has been with the organization for 13 years and says fun events contribute to team building and a family atmosphere. During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, the company hosted a “soup-erbowl” where employees shared and enjoyed their favorite recipes.
“Sometimes it’s something simple, like just bringing in doughnuts or ice cream or
having fun little celebrations or gathering for book clubs,” she says. “I love coming here. The people are amazing, and they are like family. You get to know so many different people, from different ethnicities and beliefs and you’re just accepted. I really love that. I’ve interviewed a lot of people over the years, and I’m sure I’m overly enthusiastic about our culture. They may think, ‘Are you for real, is that true?’ It absolutely is true—and once you’re in, you’re in.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
Rolls of steel
PHOTO BY ROB HARDIN
Caring for Customers
By LAURA NEWPOFF
On Presidents Day, employees of KEMBA Financial Credit Union gathered at the Hilton Columbus at Easton for the company’s biggest event of the year. The first of two annual all-associate meetings allow people to connect, learn and have their accomplishments recognized.
It’s part of the “associate centric” approach President and CEO Mark Decello has embraced since he joined KEMBA in 2009 and became the top executive in 2018. Because the credit union is owned by its members, he wants them to be treated like the owners they are. “That starts with how our associates feel,” he says. “You don’t want to lose sight that your people are your brand and [are the ones] serving your members.”
Both employees and customers are key to KEMBA’s mission statement: “We exist to enrich the financial lives of our members and associates and will do so with passion, empathy and integrity.”
The associate-centric approach and mission are working. During Decello’s
“You don’t want to lose sight that your people are your brand.” MARK DECELLO, president and CEO of KEMBA Financial Credit Union
16-year-tenure, KEMBA’s asset growth has more than quadrupled and membership growth has more than doubled, to more than $2.3 billion and 133,000, respectively. Part of the business strategy is to survey associates, just as it does members, for feedback about how to serve them well.
Through those surveys, KEMBA leaders realized that employee recognition could be improved. They created the Associate Recognition Platform that awards workers monthly points, which they use to recognize others. Leaders get additional points for each member of their team to commend them for demonstrating core values. Points also are awarded for milestone anniversaries, birthdays, volunteering, completing challenges or professional development training, delivering exceptional member care—and sometimes just for fun.
Associates can use their points for swag, gift cards, paid time off, a pizza party or to donate to charity. More-senior employees often donate their points to others.
Meanwhile, a Bright Ideas program allows KEMBA to leverage its most powerful resource: the minds of its associates. Twice a year, employees submit their ideas about how to improve processes or enhance systems. The associate with the winning idea receives a $500 bonus. A recent winner
was a new youth-focused savings product.
Bright Ideas creates an opportunity for employees to raise their voice within the organization, says Josalynn Stephens, senior human resources manager. “They may not have a role that allows them a lot of opportunity to share in decision-making meetings, but we want to give them that voice and opportunity to positively impact the broader organization.”
KEMBA also has a “DE+I” committee dedicated to driving people, partnerships and philanthropy as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as an associate council and a newsletter that employees contribute to.
Learning and professional development is another focus area for KEMBA. It’s not just about compliance training, Stephens says, but also centers on managing a person’s personal brand, honing in on their strengths and driving their career forward. This includes partnering with outside entities that teach professional leadership development and emotional intelligence. “Associates appreciate we help them grow up in the organization,” she says.
KEMBA also offers a robust benefits package, provides four weeks of vacation to new employees and celebrates 12 holidays each year, one of which is the associate’s birthday.
KEMBA team members (from left): Mark Decello, president and CEO; Shernette Henry, chief human resources officer; Derrick Manley, director of learning and development; and Josalynn Stephens, senior human resources manager, photographed at the company’s Feb. 17 all-associate meeting
PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON
The all-associate meeting is another way to recognize accomplishments. Employees get awards and trophies for the prior year in areas such as learning and development, member care, sales performance and operational excellence. President’s Club Awards are given for demonstrating KEMBA’s core values: integrity, respect and results.
“We even have some fun superlative awards, like ‘most likely to start a dance party,’ ” Stephens says. “The meeting always includes a fun, branded KEMBA swag item for everyone and is bookended by a nice breakfast and lunch. It’s really just a great day to get together and celebrate with your team.”
The October meeting includes business updates, wellness topics and a feature on charitable giving/community involvement, after which associates head out to volunteer in the community with their team. Town halls, holiday parties and summer team-building activities also are held during the year.
KEMBA experienced year-over-year employee growth of 7 percent in 2024 and now has 340 associates. It plans to open a branch in Delaware in the fourth quarter and two new banking kiosks that Decello refers to as “ATMs on steroids.” He says
the credit union still believes in brick and mortar but also focuses on digital delivery and fulfillment as member behaviors change. Attracting younger members will allow the business to stay vibrant and allow those customers to bank when, where and how they want.
Because KEMBA is a community cooperative, founded in 1933 as the Kroger Employee Mutual Benefits Association, one of the principles it operates by is concern for the community, Decello says. Through locally developed policies, social outreach, financial literacy and associate volunteerism, the credit union strives for the betterment of the communities it serves through
PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON
its KEMBACares initiative.
The credit union also participates in the Ohio Homebuyer Plus program that creates specialized, tax-advantaged savings accounts to assist members on their home-buying journey.
KEMBA marks its fifth consecutive appearance on the Top Workplaces list in 2025. It also received the Special Award for Direction, which signifies employees’ beliefs that the company is moving in the right direction.
Employees know where the company is heading because Decello shares a “state of the credit union” address at the February all-associate meeting along with the profit-sharing percentage. Associates want and appreciate that communication, says Decello, who previously worked for larger financial companies.
“I share the strategic plan with them every year—that doesn’t always happen [in other organizations],” he says. “I worked for some large institutions in the past and didn’t know the strategic direction. I’m so pleased that I found credit unions, even though I found [KEMBA] later in my career.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
Family Values
As an employeeowned business, Zink Foodservice gives everyone a stake in its success.
By SHANNON SHELTON
MILLER
Jim Zink learned a lot from his father, Skip, about running a business. What Jim remembers most, however, was Skip’s advice that a company’s culture was its ultimate competitive advantage—even more than strategy or quality products.
“Culture will stand the test of time—that stuck with me from the beginning,” Jim Zink says. “I’ve always tried to keep that in the forefront of everything we do.”
Skip Zink founded Zink Foodservice in 1977 as a manufacturers’ representative agency focused on the commercial food service, retail and hospitality sectors. With the company operating as the salesforce for multiple manufacturers, its ability to build strong relationships with customers, clients and employees was always integral to the company’s growth.
When Jim Zink and Mike McGuire, Skip’s son-in-law, purchased the company in 2001, they built on that foundation of treating employees as the company’s most important asset. Today, they serve as
“If we take care of our employees, our employees will take care of the customers, and our customers will take care of our business.” JIM ZINK, managing partner of Zink Foodservice
managing partners for a corporation that represents close to 90 brands, providing sales and marketing; service and installation of equipment; engineered products; and distribution services in the food service, lodging, health care and education sectors. Zink Foodservice is one of seven companies under the Zink Corp. umbrella.
Founded: 1977 Managing partners: Jim Zink and Mike McGuire
In 2017, Zink and McGuire transformed the business from a family-owned operation to an employee stock ownership plan, giving all associates a share in its success. Zink says the company experienced significant growth after the shift. “I always say to our team, if we take care of our employees, our employees will take care of the customers, and our customers will take care of
our business,” Zink says.
This year, Zink Foodservice makes its Top Workplaces debut and also received the Special Award for Values.
“Like a Family"
The ESOP was a natural outgrowth of Zink’s five core values: caring for one another, for customers and the community; striving for excellence in all they do; taking a positive attitude toward work and life with an eye on balance; putting the customer first; and constantly being forward focused and results driven.
When McGuire started in 1988, Zink employed just nine people. He says the small-company atmosphere hasn’t
Managing partners Jim Zink (left) and Mike McGuire of Zink Foodservice at the company’s Columbus headquarters
PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON
changed, even with 154 employees now working across five offices and nine culinary centers in eight states. One is his daughter, Erin, who works in the Chicago office representing furniture brands. “It’s still a small company, and we treat it like an even smaller company,” McGuire says. “It’s really like a family.”
McGuire says the company often plans in-office and out-of-office activities for employees and their families, who in turn become part of the larger Zink family. Events include family night at the office complete with activities for kids, football tailgates and more.
“We’ve always had an open-book policy. We tell everyone where the company stands, how we’re doing and how everyone contributes to that. I think they see where they fit in the company, and they all feel they’re a big part of our success. We’re happy to give them the appreciation they deserve.”
Company leaders also credit its entrepreneurial operating system management platform for helping facilitate communication, connection and goal setting. Through the system, the company can host town hall meetings and regular check-ins to cover company information and facilitate
informal catch-up sessions with associates.
All employees work in person at one of Zink’s physical locations, a practice Zink and McGuire say is vital to interaction and helping the company’s culture flourish. Hybrid options are available, and Zink notes the importance of balancing one’s work and home life. “We try to be a very conscientious company when it comes to employees having a life outside of work, and we try to be as flexible as we can so people can meet the needs of their family before they can meet the needs of the Zink family,” he says.
Brighter Days Ahead
Zink Foodservice wasn’t immune from the economic sluggishness the industry experienced in 2024. Inflation and higher interest rates put a damper on new construction across the retail, food service and hospitality sectors, and some vestiges remained of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened the company’s livelihood as people couldn’t go out to eat or travel.
Those economic headwinds confronted Zink’s long-term expansion plans, which came to fruition last year. The corporation opened a new office in Indianapolis and a new facility in
Cincinnati and also undertook its biggest endeavor, a new headquarters on the east side of Columbus.
There are questions for 2025 about the effect of potential tariffs on the business, since Zink receives products from around the world. The company also hopes for a stronger labor market, given that restaurant operators need a consistent workforce to operate effectively.
The new building, however, already has company leaders looking forward to a bright future. In February, four Zink companies moved into the facility, which includes a showroom, test kitchen and warehouse. Zink and McGuire say they’re eager to build even stronger connections among employees by bringing more of them together in the same location for the first time.
“There’s never an ideal time to do some of these things,” Zink says about the building projects in 2024. “I’m just proud of the way we fought through it with a positive attitude, and I’m super excited for where that brings us today. I look at 2025 as a year for us to regroup, get our legs under us and have more fun.”
Shannon Shelton Miller is a freelance writer.
Winning Workforces
These repeat honorees aim to help employees succeed by promoting communication, work-life balance and flexibility.
By PETER TONGUETTE
Many companies take pride in being customer-focused, but one of the Top Workplaces in Central Ohio believes that helping its customers succeed is possible only with the success of its own employees.
“We often start off major meetings with, ‘OK, how will this impact our people?’ ” says Kevin Zeppernick, CEO of mixed-use real estate developer Thrive Companies. The business concentrates on multifamily developments but its portfolio also includes office, retail and hotels. “Our long-range goal is to continue doing really large-scale projects that integrate essentially all things that you need to live, work and play,” Zeppernick says.
But those plans can only be realized if Thrive’s roster of 177 employees feel supported, valued and, above all, part of a team. “It’s really back to being people-centric and making sure we’re taking care of our people at all costs,” says Zeppernick,
who hires with those principles in mind.
“If you don’t come with … the right attitude and the right kindness, the right team-centric kind of orientation, then, regardless of your skill and of your experience, you probably won’t be a fit here,” he says. “We [want to] stick to that core tenet of finding really good humans that love to work, and work really hard with others and support their communities and have great passions.”
Thrive Companies makes its second straight appearance on the Top Workplaces list, vaulting from No. 17 to No. 2 in the Midsize Organizations category. It also won the Special Award for Managers, given for positive employee responses to statements that their manager cares about their concerns and helps them learn and grow.
Thrive has become an employer of choice for the ways it puts its values into practice, including an emphasis on employee interaction. Zeppernick is not a fan of remote work. Even during the pandemic, he says, the workforce “never really dispersed.”
Thrive Companies employees at an all-hands retreat in West Virginia in 2023.
The Thrive Companies Brand Team volunteers at Great Southern Metro Park during 2024 Philanthropy Day.
“We got ultra-careful in keeping our people safe, but we still required an in-work, in-person environment,” he says. “The connectivity is still so paramount to our success.” But the company remains flexible. “If [an employee] needs to duck out at Tuesday at 10 o’clock in the morning because they have a kindergartner in a kindergarten Christmas play, we tell them, ‘Never miss out on those life events.’ ” Employees happy in their home lives will become stronger contributors at work, he says.
Thrive makes an effort to bring workers together for “philanthropic days” in which community service is followed by a good meal among colleagues. When major meetings are on tap, operations throughout the company shut down so all can assemble. “We’ll put all 177 people in one room so that they all can hear the direction of the company, hear the things that we’re winning at [and] hear our challenges,” Zeppernick says. “We pull our cleaners in from our multifamily side, and the amount of appreciation they have for just being in the room goes a long way to keeping them aligned with what our organization is.”
Employees are also engaged by the nature of the work done at Thrive, which frequently tackles former brownfields for redevelopment. “We’re taking back forgotten land that EPA designated as contaminated,” Zeppernick says. “I think we’re not only creating a happy work environment, but we’re also giving very meaningful work for our people.”
Fresh Approach to Attaining Work-Life Balance
Achieving the appropriate work-life balance is a challenge for employees at many companies, but it is a particular hurdle at law firms. “Our profession is very demanding,” says Ronald Fresco, partner-in-charge of the Columbus office of Reminger Co. LPA, which is based in Cleveland.
To help its lawyers and staff attain the right balance, the firm has instituted a “99 percent” hybrid model. “There are some positions, just by their mere definition, that cannot work on a remote or a hybrid basis,” says Fresco, pointing to the need for workers who answer the phone and open mail. Otherwise, the firm prides itself on flexibility.
For its paraprofessional staff, such as legal assistants and paralegals, Reminger aims to accommodate. On Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, for example, the firm has “summer hours” during which employees are asked to start work a bit early but can leave at 1 p.m.
Diverse by Design
Understanding the unpredictable workload of cases, the firm encourages its lawyers to evaluate their work-life balance over an extended period of time, such as over months or quarters, rather than any given week. “There are time demands and calendar demands that are going to make some days and weeks worse than others,” Fresco says. “But, by the same token, there are going to be events that happen in the course of cases that will free up large blocks of time that will give those lawyers the chance to take a step back, take a breather, do the things they want to do outside of work.”
While the firm has established work policies, leaders also recognize that there are times when they should afford grace to workers who might need help with a personal situation or a change in work shifts, Fresco says. “We’ve got to figure out ways to creatively work together to solve a problem,” he says. “We don’t manage our people by a recipe or menu. We handle them on an individual basis.”
Reminger seems to be doing right by its employees, given the firm’s fifth appearance as a Top Workplace and its move this year from No. 35 to No. 11 in the Small Organizations category—the biggest jump among this year’s repeat winners. “Maybe the proof is in the pudding. … This is the fifth year that we’ve been honored to receive this award,” Fresco says. “We’re hopeful that it’s reflective of the fact that the way we run our office in Columbus is paying dividends.”
Columbus-based Moody Nolan is wellregarded for both its work and its status as the nation’s largest African American owned architecture firm, but it also strives to embody diversity in its workforce and its approach to projects, says CEO Jonathan Moody.
“My dad always talked about being diverse by design,” says Moody, whose father, firm founder Curt Moody, died in October at age 73. “That means a lot of different things. We’re very welcoming to people from all different backgrounds and all different places; we do a lot of different projects, in a lot of different communities, around the country. It helps to have a lot of different perspectives.”
Architecture itself encourages its practitioners to think outside the box, Moody says. “From day one, usually in architecture
school, you say to an architecture professor, ‘I want to draw a door,’ and they’re like, ‘Well, why did you draw the door that way?’” says Moody, who encourages architects with divergent experience to cross-pollinate projects. For example, architects with experience in hospitality can have input on a health care design, he says.
At the same time, architecture is a profession that has too often been seen as “exclusive” and not easily accessible, Moody says. Moody Nolan works to break that cycle. “I think one of the things that does draw people [to the firm] is saying, ‘We do want people from a lot of different places. … We want to be inclusive.’”
Since the firm’s architects often work on teams that are spread across offices in different states, hybrid work is essential. “The fact that we’re all in different locations kind of necessitates the ability to bend and
Moody Nolan CEO Jonathan Moody (left) with the firm’s partners
A 2024 family holiday party at Reminger’s Cleveland office Reminger Co. LPA managing partner Brian Gannon (left), firm founder Dick Reminger (center) and former managing partner
Stephen Walters
flex,” says Moody, pointing to instances when colleagues might be in different time zones, or might need to work from home or in a different location than usual. “You meet people where they are, but work toward the ultimate goal of producing the best work.”
Moody Nolan was named a Top Workplaces winner for the third straight year, and Moody won the Special Award for Leadership in the Midsize Organizations category.
The CEO encourages all business leaders to listen to employees’ concerns and elicit their ideas. “Asking people what they want, or asking people how they feel about something, or asking for ideas, can be kind of scary,” Moody says. “What if they say this, or what if they say that? But that doesn’t mean you have to do it. That just means you have to ask them what their ideas are.”
Moody, who has held the top spot in his firm since 2020, doesn’t have a particular leadership philosophy, but he leans on a pastor’s account of the story of David and Goliath. “At the end, David was able to slay giants with the tools he had,” Moody says. “That’s kind of how I operate. … I don’t know what I don’t know, but I just use what I’ve got and show up every day.” And he still thinks of his father’s approach to leading the firm. “His confidence gave you confidence,” Moody says. “It’s OK to fail, and I’m not afraid to fail.”
Room for Growth
S-S Bendure & Hartwig—part of the Globe Life American Income Division—is a 12-time Top Workplaces winner. But even with that success, the Columbus company, which provides life insurance and supplemental benefits to members of unions and associations, has reinvented how it
We really believe that you have to take care of yourself, your own well-being and your family’s, first and foremost.”
Sierra Hartwig, managing director of S-S Bendure & Hartwig
manages its employees in recent years.
“Pre-COVID, we didn’t have the opportunity to work remote,” says managing director Sierra Hartwig. But since the pandemic, workers have been given the freedom to work from home at their own pace. “A lot of that was dictated based on how well the company has performed,” she says. “We’ve had double-digit growth almost every single
month since April of 2020.”
For example, if employees want to stack meetings back-to-back in the morning and use the extra time with family, they are welcome to do so, Hartwig says. “We put a huge focus on that,” she says. “We really believe that you have to take care of yourself, your own well-being and your family’s, first and foremost.”
Development sessions coach workers on topics such as leadership and mindset to improve skills and well-being. “I can work a full workday and feel like I’ve been here 10 minutes,” Hartwig says.
The company maintains a competitive atmosphere—Hartwig likens her colleagues to athletes—but does so by supporting its workers. “In our line of work, we have to bring our very best,” Hartwig says. “If we’re not our best self, [members] are not going to get the best presentation of what options are available to them.”
Career advancement is prioritized, and unlike at many firms, it is not based on tenure or a set time frame. “It’s based on criteria like, ‘What goals have you met? How quickly have you advanced and picked up material?’ ” Hartwig says. “There are so many people I’ve seen that have gotten promoted to the first level of leadership in their first month.”
For employers that want to seek and retain top-flight talent, Hartwig has a simple piece of advice: Get to know those who work for you. “Find out what they want and why they want it, and what they’re willing to do for it,” she says. “Coach them toward that. At the end of the day, everybody will say they want something, but what are they willing to do for it?”
Peter Tonguette is a freelance writer.
PHOTO COURTESY NORMAN AI
Moody Nolan employees collaborate on designs.
S-S Bendure & Hartwig team members accept an award for being named the No. 1 agency in their division for Globe Life at the 2024 annual convention.
RG BARRY IS PROUD TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A 2025 TOP WORKPLACE!
At RG Barry, our team members are the driving force behind comfort, innovation, and sustainability. In 2025, weʼre setting a new standard—embracing better ways of working, bolder ideas, faster innovation, and fresher designs. With an unwavering commitment to our culture and community, weʼre redefining whatʼs possible across all our brands.
National Awards
These 28 employers have earned recognition as 2025 USA TODAY Top Workplaces winners. They are either based in the Columbus area or have operations in Central Ohio. Each has more than 150 employees in the United States. Their positive employee survey feedback exceeded national benchmarks established by employee survey firm Energage.
WINNERS
Bridgeway – Academy & Therapy Center
The Buckeye Ranch CGI Daugherty Business Solutions Discover DNV Elford ERPA Fairfield County, Ohio Feazel Fifth Third Bank Groundworks Health Care Logistics
KEMBA Financial Credit Union
Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc. Licking Memorial Health Systems Lower NFM Lending Ohio State University Physicians
Panda Restaurant Group Inc.
PENN Entertainment Peoples Bank
Planes Companies
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
The Richwood Banking Co.
Romanoff Group
Total Quality Logistics – TQL
Union Home Mortgage Corp.
