ROCHESTER, NY, US, 2014-1-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — FORTUNE announced this morning that Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is once again on the magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, this year ranking #12. For Wegmans, this marks the 17th year in a row that the family-owned supermarket chain has appeared on the FORTUNE list. Wegmans is one of only 13 companies that have been on the list since it began in 1998, and a such is recognized as one of 2014’s Best Companies All Stars.
“Our employees make Wegmans a place where customers feel happy and cared about, and my job is to make sure our employees feel that way, too,” says CEO Danny Wegman. “What’s most important to us is that our employees feel that Wegmans is a great place to work.”
What FORTUNE Wrote About Wegmans:
“College students, take note: Almost half of employees are 25 or younger at this family-owned grocery retailer on the East Coast. Flexible scheduling, an employee scholarship program, and stretch assignments help young employees grow within the company, and 66% of jobs are filled through internal promotions.”
The February 3 issue of FORTUNE magazine will be on sale beginning January 20.
Jobs at Wegmans
In 2014, Wegmans will be hiring for new stores it will open in Newton (Chestnut Hill), MA (spring) and Burlington, MA (fall). In combination, the two new stores will employ approximately 1,000 people. There are also positions available at Wegmans’ existing stores and in manufacturing, distribution, and corporate. Interested candidates should visit wegmans.com and click on careers.
Wegmans to Celebrate
Customers and employees will celebrate the honor on Saturday, January 18, when cake will be served at every Wegmans store at a time selected by individual stores. Stores will announce the time when cake will be served on signs posted in entryways.
Methodology:
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 257 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 252,000 employees at those companies were surveyed by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees’ faith in management, we may exclude it from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. The deadline for applying for next year’s list is June 30, 2014. For an online nomination form, go to the Great Place to Work Institute’s web site. If you have further questions about the Best Companies to Work For, please e-mail fortunespecials@fortune.com.
###
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 83-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator.
Contact Information:
Jo Natale, director of media relations 585-429-3627
Evelyn Carter, consumer affairs manager (Syracuse media only), 315-546-1110
FORTUNE PR Contacts: PR HOTLINE, (212) 522-4800
Danny Leonard (212) 522-0361; Kerri Chyka (212) 522-3651