2016 Major Category Winners (from left to right): City of Frederick Mayor Randy McClement; Small Employer Winner (1-10 employees) Laurie Vaudreuil-President, Mosaic Power; Large Employer Winner (51-200 employees) Mary Lapera-President, Frederick County Bank; Major Employer Winner (200+ employees) Katrina Wyand-Yurish, Director of Human Resources, Plamondon Companies; Medium-Large Employer (26-50 employees) Steve Flook, President-iHire; Small-Medium Employer (11-25 employees) Curt Schreffler, President, CAS Engineering; Frederick County Executive Jan H. Gardner
Frederick area businesses were recognized at the Annual Best Places to Work awards program held at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Frederick on July 28, 2016. Nearly 100 nominations were submitted, and nine companies rose to the top after judges completed the scoring.
Five companies received awards in the primary award categories:
- Small Employer Category (1-10 employees) - Mosaic Power
Honorable Mention: Reliable Office Technologies - Small to Medium Employer Category (11-29 employees) - CAS Engineering
Honorable Mentions: Expert Consultants, Marketing & Research Resources, Inc. (M&RR) - Medium to Large Medium Employer Category (30 -50 employees) - iHire
Honorable Mention - Frederick Air - Large Employer Category (51-200 employees) - Frederick County Bank
Honorable Mention: Clinical Research Management - Major Employer Category (201+ employees) - Plamondon Companies
Honorable Mention: Frederick County Public Schools
Scoring categories included work-life balance, median salary, turnover rate, benefits, diversity, and professional growth.
“Frederick County is a great place to live and work because so many businesses go the extra mile to value their employees, often by offering creative perks for flexibility,” said Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner. “Smart business leaders know that their success rests on happy and productive employees. With almost 3,200 new jobs created in Frederick County last year, competition is high to retain and attract the very best workers. A new award category was added this year to recognize companies that offer unique programs to promote health and wellness.”
Companies recognized with Health and Wellness in the Workplace Awards included:
• Frederick Regional Health System
• Avemco Insurance Company
• Country Meadows Retirement Communities
A special Judges Award was given to Canam Steel Corp. They were recognized for providing tailored benefits to meet their employees’ needs.
2016 Health and Wellness and Judges Choice Photo (from left to right): City of Frederick Mayor Randy McClement; Judges Choice Winner Michel Cyr, Canam Steel Corp; Spotlight Health & Wellness Winner Cheryl Cioffi, Sr. Vice President Patient Care Services, Frederick Memorial Hospital; Spotlight Health & Wellness Winner Carol Ditman, Executive Director, Country Meadows Retirement Communities; Spotlight Health & Wellness Winner Tom Fraley, Vice President of Support Operations, Avemco Insurance; Frederick County Executive Jan H. Gardner
“It is an honor to be involved with this event. These awards showcase the businesses in Frederick that go the extra mile to support their employees. This year we’re recognizing many health and wellness benefits like on site nurse practitioners and ‘Wellness Rooms’ complete with massage chair, sound machine, and yoga mats. I extend my sincere congratulations to all of this year’s award winners. We are very proud of what you bring to our community,” said City of Frederick Mayor Randy McClement.
"The Chamber recognizes excellence in our business community in a variety of meaningful ways. One of our favorite ways is to celebrate those companies that are deemed the Best Places to Work, as these organizations serve as models, providing inspiration for others to similarly enhance their own businesses. Companies are working harder than ever to retain quality employees, and the Best Places to Work awardees lead the pack in creating environments that increase both productivity and retention,” added Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Director Elizabeth Cromwell.
The Best Places to Work campaign is a county-wide program to increase quality of life opportunities for Frederick County employees. The 2016 awards program is a partnership between Frederick County Workforce Services, City of Frederick Department of Economic Development, Frederick County Office of Economic Development, and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.
