Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces Recognize Sky Factory as one of the Top Small Employers

June 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Inc. magazine and Winning Workplaces today announce the winners of the 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces competition – the best small and mid-sized places to work in the country – in Inc.’s June issue.  The magazine features the 20 winners, which range from the New York Jets professional football team to Patagonia, the outdoor clothing designer and retailer.  Fairfield, Iowa’s Sky Factory is among the top 20 winners and is one of five companies profiled in the June issue of Inc. magazine.

Winning Workplaces and Inc. received nearly 500 completed applications for the contest.  A national panel of experts in leadership and small to mid-sized business judged the finalists based on specific metrics and qualitative assessments of their success in creating the kind of workplaces that engage employees and deliver successful results.

"This year’s winners show that the quality of the workplace can be a competitive advantage.  I’m amazed at how well they have come through the recession.  Clearly, their commitment to their values and people practices are an important part of this success," said Gaye van den Hombergh, President of Winning Workplaces.

Judges comments about what makes Sky Factory special include: Despite major declines in new construction in most domestic markets in 2008 and 2009, the company grew revenues both years. This is perhaps more amazing considering that leadership runs the firm entirely by consensus, involving all 34 employees in all major decisions. Also notable for a company of its size is that The Sky Factory offers all of its educational programs – on topics including financial literacy, architecture and business writing – in-house.

"People want employers who care for and challenge them.  And they want those employers to be financially healthy so they can keep caring for and challenging them far into the future.  The 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces do just that.  Their stories, in the June issue of Inc. magazine, are models of smart management and enlightened leadership," said Jane Berentson, Editor-in-Chief of Inc. magazine.

This is the eighth consecutive year that Winning Workplaces, the Evanston, IL-based nonprofit organization, has recognized those firms that attribute much of their business success to their commitment to exemplary people practices and outstanding workplace cultures.  

To read the 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces report, please go to http://www.inc.com/top-workplaces/2010/how-to-build-a-bea...

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The Sky Factory creates authentic illusions of nature (virtual skylights & windows) that dramatically transform enclosed spaces into oases of natural healing, serenity and beauty. Sky Factory products elicit a psycho-physiological relaxation response.