This week, U.S. News & World Report has released its latest list of the best private companies to work for in the country.
To figure out which employers are the most desirable, researchers used the following six criteria:
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- Quality of Pay and Benefits: “This reflects whether employees feel adequately compensated for their work, as well as living wage data and a company’s compensation compared with competitors.”
- Work-Life Balance and Flexibility. “This is based on flexible work policies, as well as employee perceptions of work-life balance and flexibility.”
- Job and Company Stability. “Data for this metric considers things like corporate governance quality and the attrition rate of a company’s senior leadership.”
- Physical and Psychological Comfort. “This is defined as a safe work environment, from both a physical and psychological perspective.”
- Belongingness and Esteem. “This reflects whether employees feel connected to the organization and appreciated for their contributions.”
- Career Opportunities and Professional Development. “This encompasses factors such as mobility rates within a company, opportunities for benefits like tuition assistance and growth opportunities perceived by employees.”
While 20 companies headquartered in the Sunshine State made the cut, only eight can be found in Central Florida.
One of these Ravago, an engineering and construction company based in Orlando that was founded in 1961.
Meanwhile, NASCAR in Daytona Beach also made the list. It ranked among the highest in terms of pay quality alongside Ravago, the study says.
Saddle Creek — a transportation and logistics company housed in Lakeland — managed to score high marks for having a top work environment.
Another Lakeland native — Publix — was similarly included in this year’s ranking, alongside other Central Florida titans like Westgate Resorts and Margaritaville.
Beyond these businesses, Southeastern Grocers, which owns brands like Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket, also made the ranking this year. Similarly to NASCAR and Ravago, it earned top marks for quality of pay.
In the meantime, the full list of Florida-based private companies is as follows:
| Company | Type | HQ | Score (/30) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthrex | Healthcare and Research | Naples | 25 |
| AssuredPartners | Finance and Insurance | Orlando | -- |
| Catalina Island Company | Information Technology | St. Petersburg | 18 |
| Crowley | Transportation and Logistics | Jacksonville | 25 |
| GuideWell | Healthcare and Research | Jacksonville | 29 |
| Everbank | Finance and Insurance | Jacksonville | 22 |
| Fanatics | Information Technology | Jacksonville | -- |
| Hard Rock | Entertainment | Orlando | -- |
| JM Family | Manufacturing and Agriculture | Deerfield Beach | 23 |
| Lean Solutions Group | Consulting/Human Resources | Coral Springs | -- |
| Margaritaville | Entertainment | Orlando | 23 |
| NASCAR | Entertainment | Daytona Beach | 27 |
| Publix | Consumer Products | Lakeland | -- |
| Ravago | Engineering and Construction | Orlando | 23 |
| Rooms To Go | Consumer Products | Seffner | -- |
| Saddle Creek | Transportation and Logistics | Lakeland | 26 |
| Southeastern Grocers | Consumer Products | Jacksonville | 26 |
| Southern Glazer’s | Consumer Products | Miami | 22 |
| Spirit Airlines | Hospitality | Dania Beach | -- |
| Westgate Resorts | Hospitality | Orlando | 22 |
And other well-known companies featured in the ranking that operate in Florida include:
- Trader Joe’s — Headquartered in Monrovia, California
- LEGO — Headquartered in Billund, Syddanmark
- Land O’Lakes — Headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Liberty Mutual Insurance — Headquartered in Boston
- Love’s Travel Stops — Headquartered in Oklahoma City
- J. Crew — Headquartered in New York City
- Hallmark — Headquartered in Kansas City
- Cox Enterprises — Headquartered in Atlanta
- Amway — Headquartered in Ada, Michigan