Arrow Exterminators ranked as the No. 1 Top Large Workplace in metro Atlanta, but it isn’t the only company with more than 500 employees to be recognized.
Here are glimpses of these organizations and what makes them winners.
2. Alston & Bird LLP
Alston & Bird LLP is a leading international law firm with core practices spanning complex litigation, corporate, intellectual property and tax, and industry practices that include financial services, technology, health care, manufacturing, life sciences and energy. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Brussels, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Worth, London, Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.
Alston & Bird’s largest and oldest office, in Atlanta, is the home of 657 employees, more than a third of the firm’s global workforce of attorneys and professional staff. The firm’s presence in the community is broadly felt. Its Georgia-based client list includes, among others, Aflac, Augusta National, Bank of America, Berry College, Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola Co., Conagra Brands, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Turner Broadcasting, University of Georgia Foundation, UPS and Wells Fargo, but the firm’s attorneys were still able to provide 57,769 hours of free legal services last year. Client service and teamwork are cornerstones of the firm’s mission.
Since its founding in 1893, Alston & Bird has built a reputation for its outstanding culture, appearing on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for 24 consecutive years, an unprecedented accomplishment among law firms.
3. Woodward Academy
Woodward Academy is a private pre-K through 12th-grade school with two locations in metro Atlanta — its main campus in College Park and the other in Johns Creek. The school has 654 employees and about 2,500 students, and boasts a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1. Its mission, it states, is to be Atlanta at its very best, embracing a mantra called the Woodward Way. This mantra charges students and graduates to make a difference, serve others, and engage the world with empathy and compassion.
Woodward graduates earn more than $25 million in college scholarships and devote more than 5,000 hours to local community service efforts such as mentoring, packing food for those experiencing housing insecurity or building a Habitat for Humanity home. Woodward Academy employees are offered high-quality medical, dental and vision plans with low deductibles.
The academy also has a flexible spending account program. At no cost, employees are provided short- and long-term disability income protection up to age 60 and life insurance equal to two times their annual salary. Wellness programs, including weekly yoga and boot camps, are free to employees at the Academy’s onsite fitness center.
4. Aprio LLP
With 1,500 employees in the United States and 1,700 around the globe, privately owned Aprio LLP is the largest independent full-service CPA-led services firm headquartered in Atlanta. Its clients include nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, manufacturing and distribution, real estate and construction, professional services, retail, franchise and hospitality, health care, government contracting and technology.
Since its founding in 1952, the company has grown globally, hiring employees who speak 35 languages and serve clients in more than 50 countries. In fact, 25% of its employees are foreign-born.
The company offers a $750 HSA match for individual employees and $1,500 match for families. Aprio also provides employees with discretionary time off for personal time, mental health days or vacation. The company brings in a life coach, or therapist, once a week, and employees can set up an anonymous appointment to discuss any issues they might be having. Aprio’s purpose-driven culture is guided by 31 fundamentals, and all internal meetings start with a discussion of the fundamental of the week.
5. Progressive Insurance
Progressive Insurance was established in 1937, and has more than 50,000 employees in the United States and 1,190 in metro Atlanta. It is the leading seller of personal and commercial auto, motorcycle and boat insurance in the country and one of the top 15 homeowner’s insurance carriers.
Progressive offers its employees virtual job training and fitness programs, and company leaders keep the work force updated through regular emails and videos.
In addition, employees receive flexible benefit options, from regularly accruing paid time off to a wide range of wellness benefits, including health services, virtual fitness programming and onsite fitness centers. Paid parental leave for new parents includes 100% salary coverage for up to four weeks. The company provides medical, vision, dental and life insurance, extensive training programs, and career development options.
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