EANJ Members Recognized as Exceptional Employers
Jul 2005
(Livingston, NJ) Five New Jersey employers have been recognized for exceptional workplace practices by the Employers Association of New Jersey (EANJ). Established in 1916, EANJ has strived to apply the collective experience of its 1,000-plus membership to help employers make sound and responsible employment decisions. The Harold R. Hawkey Exceptional Employer Awards are an outgrowth of the association's work which encourage excellence and replication of best workplace practices. This year, in addition to awarding three Exceptional Employer Awards, EANJ has awarded two special recognition awards for Best Intellectual Capital Management.
The 2005 award recipients for the Exceptional Employer Award are: MCCAIN FOODS USA, GENZYME BIOSURGERY and CRP INDUSTRIES. Winners of the Best Intellectual Capital Management Award are: BERKELEY COLLEGE and SES-AMERICOM.
EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYER AWARD WINNERS
McCain Foods USA, Inc. is the world’s largest privately owned manufacturer of frozen food products. Alarmed by skyrocketing health care costs, McCain’s Lodi facility initiated a Health & Wellness Initiative, the purpose of which was to provide information, education, programs, resources, and services to employees and their families which prevent disease and improve personal health habits and lifestyles. The company went beyond smoking cessation programs to include lunch seminars on nutrition, weight management, disease awareness and early detection. It also established an annual health fair and after hours workout classes and gave each employee a pedometer to meet the 10,000 step per day Motion Challenge. The results have been dramatic: Happy, healthy employees and $7,000 annual reduction in medical claims payments. www.mccainfoodsusa.com
Genzyme Biosurgery is a biotechnology company with 7,000 employees worldwide. They maintain a manufacturing facility in Ridgefield that employs about 150 employees within a highly sensitive environment where safety is of primary importance. In addition to having 850 days with no loss time accidents, the company has achieved a rigorously benchmarked Five Star Safety Award in 2003 and 2004 with a unique bottom-up approach to safety awareness and implementation of safe practices. Employees are encouraged, empowered and rewarded to contribute to the overall safety of the facility, including the ability to question other employees and to monitor whether company-wide safety standards are met. Through this peer process, employees are encouraged to educate and learn from each other and to make suggestions to management. www.genzyme.com
CRP Industries, Inc employs 70 people in its import and distribution facility in Carteret. As a small firm, it cannot easily establish the traditional career development tracks that are found in large organizations. Nevertheless, the company has extremely low turnover. It has “cracked the code” by promoting career development in creative ways. Hard work and top performance is rewarded by more “opportunity” not just more work. Promising employees are cross-trained across job classes so that they can fully utilize their skill potential. Cross training occurs so that promotions are typically made from within. The company reimburses tuition for outside training. CRP shows that even a small firm can adopt smart policies to grow and retain intellectual capital. www.crpindustries.com
BEST INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AWARD WINNERS
Berkeley College deserves special recognition because of the way it nurtures future leaders within the entire organization, which includes five campuses in New Jersey and New York. High potential employees are identified and are subject to intensive programs throughout the year to help them develop into organizational leaders. Participants are immersed in leadership training classes and engage in active mentoring provided by senior college leaders. Self assessment and awareness is also an important part of the experience, as participants develop the confidence to grow into future opportunities. www.berkeleycollege.edu
SES Americom is the largest supplier of satellite services in the United States. It is located in Princeton and currently operates 18 spacecraft in orbital positions that provide service primarily in the Western Hemisphere. SES is in the Knowledge Business and it has invested substantially in state-of the technology and hardware. However, to grow and thrive it must attract and retain knowledge workers. Therefore, the company has invested in the intellectual capital of its people with ongoing training and skill enhancement programs. Additionally, to preserve its knowledge assets, it has established a comprehensive knowledge transfer and secession program so that critical knowledge remains within the company even when an employees leaves. www.ses-americom.com
