Highlighting the company’s commitment to safety, wellness and community, as well as its emphasis on employee engagement and recognition, the Atlanta Business Chronicle today named Southwire Company one of the Best Places to Work in Atlanta. This is the seventh time Southwire, which ranked 10th, has been included among the city’s top employers.

“This is a great honor in that it recognizes Southwire’s people and their commitment to making our company a great place to work. It is even more gratifying when one considers we are the only manufacturing company on the list,” said Southwire President and CEO Stu Thorn. “Our people ensure our success when they come to work every day engaged and ready to tackle any challenge. To have them consistently vote our company among the best places to work clearly demonstrates that Southwire indeed is a special company.”

Each year the Atlanta Business Chronicle, in partnership with Quantum Workplace, ranks the city’s best places to work based on surveys completed by employees. This year, 550 companies and organizations were nominated. Employees filled out online surveys containing about 40 questions about their workplaces, co-workers and managers.

After the surveys closed, Quantum Market Research processed the data and provided the scores of all the participating companies and organizations. The Atlanta Business Chronicle then selected 100, including the top 10 in the large category (companies or organizations with 501 employees or more in the metro area), the top 30 in the medium category (those with 101 to 500 employees) and the top 60 in the small category (10 to 100 employees).

In addition to getting high marks on the surveys, Southwire also was recognized for programs such as the POWER Fund, an employee funded program providing financial support to workers who encounter hardship because of catastrophic circumstances beyond their control. Southwire employees have a direct line to top management through the Just Ask program. Just Ask allows anyone to ask a question, voice a concern or make a suggestion through e-mail, paper forms or a special telephone hotline.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle also commended Southwire for its close partnerships with its neighbors in Carroll County. Specifically, the Chronicle highlighted the company’s 12 for Life partnership with the Carroll County Schools, which seeks to keep high school students from dropping out by providing them with jobs and specialized instruction. Also recognized was Southwire’s Project GIFT (Giving Inspiration For Tomorrow), which matches employees with volunteer opportunities such as an annual school supply giveaway, a Toys for Tots drive, disaster relief supply collections and others.

“To truly be a great place to work, companies must go beyond wages and benefits to ensure their employees derive real value from the time, talent and energy they commit to the job,” Thorn said. “Employees must feel they make a difference and that their efforts are recognized. We work hard to ensure the people of Southwire realize they are appreciated.”

- Gary Leftwich