With only nine stores comprising this small chain, Nugget Market was ranked number 34 on Fortune’s 2012 list of 100 best companies to work for, making the cut with bigger companies such as Google (number one), number eight ranked Recreational Equipment (REI) and Zappos.com (number 11) from CNN’s website.
The list is created by “the most extensive employee survey in corporate America,” stated a press release from Nugget’s website. The survey asks the employees questions about the trustworthiness of management, job satisfaction and how well they get along with their fellow associates.
This is the seventh year in a row that the company has made it on the list, stated the press release.
The company shares that the secret of its success lies in the quality of its associates, of which there are around 1,200.
Nugget employees make more than workers from other grocery stores. Checkers earn an average of $17.71 per hour, well above the minimum wage.
Nugget offers eligible full-time and part-time employees benefits such as comprehensive health, retirement and life insurance, stated the company’s website.
It also offers up to five weeks of vacation days per year, which roll over to the subsequent year if left unused, as well as a flexible work schedule to promote a healthy work-life balance.
Apart from the benefits the company offers, at the end of the day, it’s the family values that employees said keep them coming back to work.
According to the press release, the company has never had a layoff in its 85 years.
“I am proud and honored to be ranked among the best of America’s top ‘100 Companies to Work For,’” says Eric Stille, CEO and President of Nugget Market, Inc. “I credit the achievements of our leadership team and all associates who work hard every day to uphold the core values that make this company what it is today.”
EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.
