To determine the Best Workplaces, Inc. conducted studies with thousands of employees about the places they work. The goal was to identify those companies that put in extra effort to keep employees both happy and productive. Some of the common threads of the top companies were efforts such as medical and dental insurance, 401(k) matching, a conscious lack of restrictive policies, flexibility and support for growing families and a happy and fun work environment. (Read the full article here.)

“When it comes to company culture, people read about it and talk about it all the time, but at the end of the day, you have to live it,” says Angie Gruss-Lane, S-One’s Chief Cultural Officer, who has been with the company since late 1994. “In the early days, we established a culture that was open, collaborative and empowering … and we’ve been able to maintain that for almost 25 years.”

Gruss-Lane says the culture is instilled with employees on their first day on the job. “When I talk to new hires, I say: You’re now the culture. So it changes whenever we bring someone new on, so we try to recruit people who’ll continue to maintain and enhance the culture we believe in.”

In 2016, S-One was named to the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. S-One ranked #3358 on the list.

“As part of the S-One team, it makes you proud to be a part of something recognized for how special it is — on such a large scale,” Gruss-Lane says. “It’s definitely humbling — and we want to ensure that we keep it up!”