Preh Named a "Cool Place To Work" in Michigan for 2012

Nov. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- NOVI, Mich. – Preh, Inc., a leading global automotive supplier based in Novi, Michigan, has been recognized as a “Cool Place to Work in Michigan” for 2012, by Crain’s Detroit Business magazine – an initiative designed to find and recognize Michigan’s best employers. Preh was one of a group of 50 companies in Michigan that were selected from hundreds of applicants large and small.

“Our company philosophy is to not only respect our colleagues, but also each individual person,” said Nick Lontscharitsch, president of Preh, Inc.  “We believe we have a lot to offer our skilled personnel, both in career growth and job opportunities, and as part of a dedicated team.”

Like many other supplier companies in the competitive automotive industry, Preh wants to attract and hire the top talent available in the engineering market. To attract and keep good employees, maintaining a high level of job satisfaction is critical. Preh has been able to achieve a rate of employee turnover to less than one percent, with an average length of service of 16 years, Lontscharitsch added.

“I was looking for job stability,” said Tim Reske, mechanical engineer. “Preh is a leader in the products it develops and is financially strong and successful, and it allows me to have a balance between my personal and professional life.”

Other employees are concerned about the work environment: “Preh has a relaxed atmosphere, and it is refreshing to work where you are not stressed from the minute you walk in the door until you leave,” according to Randy Hornby, program manager.

Finally, working relationships rank high among employee concerns: “The organizational environment is perfect,” said James Cui, senior software engineer. “There are good relations between all employees and supervisors. If there is an individual problem, the management is always oriented to help as much as possible and to understand each situation. The company business is really interesting and the opportunities for self-development are great.  The team is truly globally diverse and highly professional.”

According to Kirk Radford, president of Taligence, an HR consulting firm in Rochester Hills, Mich., “Being named a ‘cool place to work’ demonstrates to both current and prospective employees that Preh has something special to offer. It signifies that the company has made a commitment to their people to create a positive work environment. This understanding will help them in recruiting and retaining a top-quality workforce.”

To win the Crain’s designation, eligible companies undergo a two-part assessment that gathers detailed data about each company. In the first part, the employer completes a questionnaire about the company’s policies, practices and demographics. In the second part, employees of the company complete an employee survey that consists of approximately 72 statements that employees respond to on a five point agreement scale.  

The results are analyzed and categorized according to eight core focus areas:  leadership and planning, corporate culture and communications, role satisfaction, work environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits and overall engagement.

An independent company sorts and interprets the data, determines the rankings and produces employee feedback reports. Winners are determined by evaluations that are consistent with the best benchmarked companies in each of the categories.

All participating companies receive the results of the employee survey, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their workplace according to what their employees had to say. The report is used to identify the opportunities that exist to build a better workplace.

About Preh

Founded in 1919, Preh is a globally operating group of enterprises with more than 3,000 employees. The company is headquartered in Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale, Germany.  Preh’s development and production competencies focus on vehicle interior control systems, sensor systems, electronic control units and assembly systems for the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers.

Apart from the parent manufacturing and development center in Bad Neustadt, Preh oversees manufacturing facilities in Portugal, Mexico, Romania and China, as well as a customer support center in Novi/Detroit, U.S.A.  Preh achieved revenues of €412 million in 2011.  For more information, please visit: www.preh.com.