Best Workplaces in Lancaster County – 2022

The Best in Corporate Culture

AN AD VERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF

Welcome to Best Workpla ces 2022!

This year a record 92 companies participated in the Best Workplaces employee survey.

Best Workplaces provides employers with a free, methodologically valid survey that collects data from their business’s most important asset: their employees. This

employee sentiment data is collected from over 40 questions on topics such as ethics, training, culture, pay and benefits, and diversity This magazine celebrates all participating companies in their efforts to help make Lancaster County the best place to live and work!

You can also check out Best Workplaces online at lancasteronline.com/ sponsored/bestworkplaces.

SALLY REYNOLDS

sreynolds@lnpnews.com

BEST WORKPLACES PROJECT MANAGER

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We hope you enjoy learning about the amazing local companies that go above and beyond to support their team members. 2022

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METHODOLOG Y

To produce Lancaster County’s third annual Best Workplaces program, LNP had the support of the Lancaster Society of Human Resources Managers, Monster.com, and DataJoe. DataJoe is based in Boulder CO and specializes in quantitative survey research.

LNP Media Group sought company nominations for Best Workplaces starting in March of this year To be eligible, companies needed to have at least 10 employees and be located in Lancaster County. By the end of August, 105 companies had been nominated.

Survey participation for employees was anonymous to ensure employees could answer honestly

EMP LO YEE SUR VE Y QU EST I O NS

Culture

1. New ideas are encouraged at this company.

Employees rated their employers on over 40 questions, with scores ranging from 1 7, with 1 representing “strongly disagree”, 4 being neutral, and 7 representing “strongly agree”.

Almost 5,000 employee surveys were received by mid-September.

Of the 105 nominated companies, 92 achieved a 35% or higher employee response rate and were considered for awards by company size.

DataJoe created free score reports for each participating company and selected winners by size category. Company size categories are: large (201+ employees), medium (101-200 employees), medium-small (21-100

employees), and small (20 or fewer employees).

Awards were also given for the highest scores in selected sections:

• Cohesive Culture Award: highest score in Culture section.

• Moving Up Award: highest score in Training & Development section.

• Diversity Champion Award: highest score in Diversity section.

• Best Bennies Award: highest score in Pay & Benefits section.

• Magnificent Management Award: highest score in Relationship with Manager section.

• Debbie Stremmel Award: highest score for mentoring young workers.

2. I believe this company is going in the right direction.

3. At this company, we do things efficiently and well.

4. There is good interdepartmental cooperation at this company.

5. I feel there is a lot of negativity at my workplace.

6. I feel well informed about important decisions at this company.

7. I like the people I work with at this organization.

Ethics

1. This company operates with strong values and ethics.

2. My company is socially responsible

3. I would highly recommend working for this company to others.

4. I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.

5. My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.

6. I can trust what the organization tells me.

7. My company supports community involvement.

Leadership

1. I have confidence in the leadership of this company.

2. This company encourages different points of view.

3. This job has met or exceeded the expectations I had when I started.

4. Senior managers understand what is happening at this company.

Pay & Benefits

1. Overall, I am satisfied with the benefit package my company offers me

2. My pay is fair for the work I do.

3. Select up to three benefits that are most valuable to you.

• Paid time off • Medical, dental • Life, disability • Flexible hours

• Tuition reimbursement • Matching 401K • Child care subsidy

• Health & wellness program • Telecommuting

Relationship with my Manager/Supervisor

1. My manager makes it easier for me to do my job well.

2. My manager cares about my concerns.

3. My manager helps me learn and grow

4. My manager treats me fairly 5. My manager treats me with respect. 6. My manager handles my work-related issues satisfactorily 7. My manager handles my personal issues satisfactorily 8. My manager acknowledges when I do my work well.

9. I can trust what my manager tells me

Role Within My Organization

1. I feel genuinely appreciated at this company. 2. My job makes good use of my skills and abilities enabling me to work at my full potential. 3. I have considered searching for a better job in the past month. 4. Meetings at this company make good use of my time 5. I am given enough authority to make decisions I need to make. 6. Deadlines at this organization are realistic. 7. I have a clear understanding of my job role

Training and Development

1. I get the formal training I want for my career 2. The organization provided as much initial training as I needed. 3. The organization provides as much ongoing training as I need. 4. The organization provides enough information, equipment and resources to do my job well. 5. My company clearly tells me what is expected for advancement. 6. I trust what the company tells me it takes to advance my career 7. The organization provides training or experiences to help me explore other possible opportunities within the company. 8. My company pays special attention to supporting the career development of young, first-time workers. 9. There is room for me to advance at this organization.

Diversity

1. This company makes an effort to hire a diverse workforce 2. I feel comfortable discussing my background, beliefs, and cultural experiences with my co-workers. 3. At this company, problem-solving is improved with input from people in different roles, ranks, and functions.

Hon or Roll

All companies that participate in LNP ’s Best Workplaces help Lancaster County grow and are a vital piece of our local community. By participating, each employer is dedicated to the workplace well-being of their employees by developing a deep understanding of employee sentiment.

Below are this year ’s participants, all of whom help make Lancaster County a fantastic place work!

DISTINGUISHED HONOR ROLL

3 West Productions

Abacus Sports Installations LTD./

Abacus Surfaces, Inc

Alpha Dog Advertising

AmishView Inn & Suites

Appel, Yost & Zee, LLP

Bellomo and Associates

Blueprints for Addiction Recovery

Bomberger’s Store

Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home Chick-fil-A

Christian Brothers Automotive

Clark Service Group

CNS companies

COBYS Family Services

CoffeeCo

Compass Mark

Conestoga Wood Specialties

CounterTek Inc.

Douple Agency

Dutchland, Inc.

Elizabethtown College

Escape. On Queen

Fashion Cents Consignment

Ephrata

Fox Meadows Creamery Gift CPAs

Goodville Mutual Insurance Group

Graham Packaging Hotel Rock Lititz

Integrity Pools

JK Mechanical

Lancaster Arts Hotel

Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic

Lancaster Early Education Center

Lancaster Law Group, LLC

Lancaster Log Cabins

Lancaster Parking Authority

Lancaster-Lebanon IU13

Landis & Associates

Lawn Equipment Parts Company

Loeffler Financial Group

Makes Scents Natural Spa Line/ Hempfield Botanicals

Master Design Cabinetry

McKonly & Asbury

McLennan Contracting, Inc.

Move Forward Counseling

Oola Bowls

Oregon Dairy

Penn Medicine Lancaster

General Health

Perfect Pots

Pet Pantry of Lancaster County

Pine Creek Animal Hospital

Rankin & Gregory, LLC

Rhoads Energy

Rohrer’s Incorporated

Ross Buehler Falk & Company, LLP

Sardina Dental Group

Scenic Ridge Company

Signature Custom Cabinetry, Inc.

Smokehouse BBQ and Brews

Smoker & Company LLC

Solanco School District

St John Neumann Catholic School

Stoltzfus Feed and Supply

Superior Plastic Products

TCW-GAV

TFB Catering

The Exterior Company

Two Dudes Painting Company

United Zion Retirement Community

Weaver Associates, Inc.

Westphal Orthopedics

White Family Dental

Wickersham Construction & Engineering

YDOP

Zook Interiors LLC

HONOR ROLL

Aurora Home Care, Inc.

Bender Dental Group

Direct Wire and Cable

Electron Energy Corporation

Elizabethtown Police

Fashion Cents Consignment

Strasburg

Friendship Community

GR Mitchell

Kinsey’s Inc.

Lancaster EMS

Millers Smorgasbord

ResourceMFG Lancaster, PA

Student Transportation of America

Tents For Rent, LLC

Ville Painters

Weaver Industries

Whitley East, LLC

A CARE ER OF ME AN IN G AN D IM PACT!

Working with children to enable them to reach their potential is one of the most impor tant and rewarding careers a person could choose At Solanco, we seek to hire difference-makers . Those commit ted to children , to connec ting with them , to inspiring them . Whether you teach, prepare cafeteria food , tutor, or help in a classroom , your days will be fulfilling , and your impact will be notable

Kindergar ten through graduation , our students have the great fortune of having a village of people that care about them and contribute to their lives Many of our current professional and suppor t staff members are former students Thank you to all the current team members that help make us one of the Best Workplaces in Lancaster County!

Working at the Solanco School District is more than having a job it ’s about being a part of something much bigger than ourselves!

Landis & Associates is a fullservice tax, accounting, payroll and consulting firm, but being part of the team means far more than working long hours, crunching numbers and meeting deadlines.

Many companies might tell you they are great places to work, but what really matters is the opinion of the people who actually work there.

Ask the team at Landis & Associates how they feel about their workplace and you might hear how one team member felt loved and appreciated because of a Christmasthemed Zoom meeting planned just for her. Or how the day after the tax deadline is “Edie Day,” a company holiday named for the wife of owner and CEO Rich Landis.

From company perks to work environment, there are many reasons Landis & Associates employees believe they have an awesome workplace. Here are just a few:

FAITH

Owner Rich Landis is firmly rooted in his Christian faith. Employees need not be Christian, but they are encouraged to embrace and

live out their faith in the workplace.

FAMILY

That means both the work family and the families of each employee.

Landis & Associates believes in taking care of its team members to a degree that they are equipped to take care of their families, themselves and their clients. While most accounting firms work around the clock the first four months of the year, Landis & Associates is closed on Sundays, even through tax season, to guarantee one day of family time each week.

of the CPAs and the operations manager both started in the front desk position.

SUMMER HOURS

The office is closed every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day as a special “thank you” for the employees’ extraordinarily hard work during the busy tax season.

FLEXIBILITY

Employees have the option to work remotely, work in the office or work a hybrid schedule. They also have flexibility in their daily schedules, with no need for authorization for half-days, doctor appointments and the like. The focus is more on taking care of the workload rather than counting the hours spent in front of the computer

DEVELOPMENT

Landis & Associates puts a lot of emphasis on education and professional and personal growth, creating opportunities to travel, allowing team members to alter their schedules, and offering options for employees to pursue their dreams and passions. While the company hires based on its needs, employees can grow into new roles and take on greater positions based on their strengths and interests. Case in point: One

FAIR WAGES

Each employee starts at a competitive wage with generous merit-based raises year after year One team member says this is the first job she ever had that actually paid a livable wage. Yearly reviews are an opportunity for employees to discuss the salary they’d like to make or the raise they hope to receive. When inflation hit hard this year, Landis & Associates did its annual reviews and pay raises months early to

We are inc redibly proud of the work culture we’v e built he re, and we are all inv ol ved in protecting & nurturing it.

ensure none of its employees struggled to make ends meet.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Holidays, birthdays, work anniversaries, and personal and professional accomplishments are all a cause for celebration.

RECEPTIVE LEADERSHIP

Staff members at all levels can make their voices heard. Company leadership recognizes that there are always ways to improve, and they encourage innovation and creativity. Most company policies and purchases are a result of an employee idea or request.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Through its company stewardship

program, Landis & Associates gives back 10% of all its profits to the community. All team members participate in the program and have a say in where the money goes. In the past, they have provided grocery and meal deliveries for seniors, contributed to a program helping to free Pakistani families from a debtslavery cycle, given Christmas gifts to families in need, and provided scholarships to future accounting professionals. Just like the rest of the company, this program is loose, ever changing and led by a passion for helping.

CULTURE

Landis & Associates is committed to a culture where everyone’s

primary goal is to help others, whether it’s a client or a colleague. That culture of caring is so important, in fact, that they screen potential employees who will fit those values before they screen for any other job qualification. The result is a team of employees from their early 20s to mid-60s who cheer for each other, celebrate one another ’s successes and put others before themselves. They embrace a philosophy that values the whole human and not just the job they perform for the company.

As one employee puts it, “We are incredibly proud of the work culture we’ve built here, and we are all involved in protecting and nurturing it.”

We are a group of highly-motivated, passionate professionals who strive to deliver excellent results to our clients. Working at a small firm means your voice will be heard - we are always looking to improve!

And for a bunch of accountants, we sure do have fun!

Office culture at Landis & Associates includes the following perks:

• Modern office space with lots of natural light

• Positive, supportive workplace environment

• “Dress for Your Day” dress code

• Flex time hours • CPE offerings

• Continuous professional development opportunities

What Have We Learned?

Sally Reynolds

Several trends have emerged in Best Workplaces’ four years of collecting employee sentiment data. These top-level trends are listed below.

Employees used a score range of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) to score their workplace on over 40 different measures of satisfaction. The full list of survey questions is available on page 4.

SIZE MATTERS

Overall, employee satisfaction is strongly correlated with the size of the company. Large companies on average had the lowest scores and small companies had the highest scores by a margin of 13%. Large companies received an average score of 5.4 on survey questions, while small companies received an average score of 6.1.

PEOPLE MATTER

Year after year, the three questions with the highest scores are related to personal workplace relationships:

1. I like the people I work with at this organization: 6.24

2. My manager treats me with respect: 6.21

3. My manager treats me fairly: 6.11

The highest-scoring section of the survey every year has been Relationship with My Manager According to the Society for

Human Resource Management (SHRM), strong middle management and workplace relationships have a positive effect on employee retention.

EMPLOYEES WANT FEWER MEETINGS, BETTER PAY, AND MORE INFORMATION

The three lowest scoring questions are related to more tangible aspects of the workplace:

1. Meetings at this company make good use of my time: 4.95

2. My pay is fair for the work I do: 4.99

3. I feel well informed about important decisions at this company: 5.07

The lowest-scoring section of the survey is Pay & Benefits. This is consistent with SHRM’s 2017 study on Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement which found that the leading reason for employees to search for another position was higher compensation. SHRM also found that “informational justice” (clear and truthful explanations about the reasons behind resource allocation) had a positive effect on satisfaction with pay.

EMPLOYEES WANT OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE

Within the Training & Development section, employees

expressed the most dissatisfaction with their options for advancing within the company:

1. The organization provides training or experiences to help me explore other possible opportunities within the company: 5.09

2. There is room for me to advance at this organization: 5.12

3. My company clearly tells me what is expected for advancement: 5.14

Clear opportunities for career acceleration are most important to younger workers, according to research by SHRM.

THREE KEY BENEFITS

In the survey, employees selected three benefits (from a list of nine) that were most important to them. The top three benefits are:

1. Paid time off 82.9%

2. Medical, dental 69.1%

3. Flexible hours 56.8%

SHRM’s research consistently shows the health benefits of taking vacation time, including improved workplace productivity, lower employee stress and better employee mental health.

SHRM research referenced is the 2017 Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Survey

IU13 Vision - Cultivating the Conditions for Trust and Unity to Serve All Learners

If you’ve ever been a student or an educator in Pennsylvania, chances are your life has been impacted by an Intermediate Unit, or IU.

Every year, more than 175,000 students and 50,000 educators receive services from one of Pennsylvania’s IUs. In fact, there are 29 IUs across the state – each operating independently, yet united in their calling to serve education.

Getting to Know IU13

Our local IU, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13), serves the 22 public school districts in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, as well as students in nonpublic schools, preschoolers, and adult learners across Pennsylvania.

“IU13 is a group of talented and dedicated employees working together to make a positive difference for all those we serve,” commented Matt Stem, Executive Director of IU13.

Working for IU13 means being part of an organization dedicated to enhancing the education and futures of learners across the commonwealth. It also means working in an environment dedicated to the professional growth, health, and well-being of all employees. “Our Vision is to cultivate the conditions for trust and unity within our education systems and communities, to ensure that all learners are well served,” shared Stem.

Enhancing Student Achievement and School Efficiencies

IU13 has over 1,650 staff working across the state to provide both direct and indirect support to education. Positions such as Teachers, Paraeducators, and Personal Care Assistants work to enhance student achievement, while positions such as Business Managers, Curriculum Specialists, Program Assistants, and Applications Developers work to enhance school efficiencies.

What Is an IU?

With a long history, IUs have been supporting education in Pennsylvania for 50+ years! Founded in 1971 by the PA General Assembly, IUs serve as a liaison between local schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

They work collaboratively to meet the needs of all students and to ensure that all schools have the tools and resources to help students reach their fullest potential.

The IU13 team is a diverse mix of education, business, technology, and support professionals. “Many people think they need to have a formal education degree to work at IU13,” stated Noel Johns, Program Director for Staffing and Employee Relations. “We have several positions available, and I’m always encouraging people to look at our website for openings.” In some cases, you need a specific degree, while in many others such as paraeducators and personal care assistants you don’t. IU13 provides training to get you started and has avenues for professional growth.

Helping Staff Be Their Best

As an education agency focused on providing high-quality support and services, IU13 highly values training and professional development programs to ensure that staff have the skills and supports they need to be successful.

From day one, staff at IU13 are offered a variety of in-house training programs, online trainings, and professional development opportunities based on positions, such as: new employee orientation, “onboarding” programs, first-year induction, and annual profes sional development.

“We nurture their passion and help them gain the skills they need to be successful.”

Noel Johns Program Director, HR

Excellent benefits are another plus. In addition to training and career growth, IU13 provides an array of benefits for eligible full- and part-time staff including: health care plans; On-Site/Near-Site Health and Wellness Centers for primary care, physical therapy, and wellness care (all with no co-pay or deductibles); wellness programs; paid time off; tuition deferment and reimbursement; and more.

A 5-Year Vision of Building Trust & Unity

Just as important as the tangible benefits that IU13 offers its employees is the culture it creates for them. “Our work is rooted by the Keys to Our Culture of Kindness, Collaboration, Empathy, Imperfection, Innovation, Responsible Stewardship, Relentless Pursuit of Excellence, and Best Efforts,” explained Stem. “Our 5-Year Vision of building trust and unity will focus on Educational Services, Technical Assistance, Developing Leaders, Convening & Connecting, and Building Organizational Resilience. These will serve as our north star, guiding our work.”

The Keys and Vision are “more than words on the wall” for IU13 staff. These are reflected in how they serve students and colleagues… and that makes a difference in every aspect of their work.

Best Large Business, 2022