Progressive honored for well-rounded excellence in Best Places to Work

Wauconda, Ill.-based Progressive Components took home the top honor for Best Places to Work — presented March 6 in Naples, Fla., at the Plastics News Executive Forum — for its well-rounded excellence in charity and community service efforts, wellness benefits, sustainable and green practices, career development initiatives and employee appreciation perks.

With nearly 70 employees, Progressive Components bills itself as "the only American-owned, independently operated source for components and software for injection mold builders and molders."

"We are humbled to be recognized by our industry peers as a Best Place to Work," Chairman Don Starkey said in an email statement. "Our employees (or 'Procompers,' as we call ourselves) are our key competitive advantage. I can't say enough about the people I work with. Our customers are the beneficiaries of being served by highly engaged individuals and teams who share a common set of core values and a unified vision."

Each month, there is a drawing for employees to choose which charity they want to donate $250. They are also given 16 hours of paid leave per year to volunteer.

In terms of community service, team members are involved with a Turkey Trot, which aids the Wauconda Island Lake Food Pantry and raised more than $17,000 last year; Bunny Hop, which benefits rotating local organizations such as the Wauconda High School Future Business Leaders of America and Veterans Release and Relief; and Tee Up 4 Charity golf outing, which over the last four years has raised more than $45,000.

Starkey said the company is also working on a partnership with the Special Education Department of Lake County to enable students the chance to receive on-the-job training and experience.

Progressive Components' wellness program has four dimensions: physical, emotional, financial/legal and protectoral.

Because every employee has different needs, the company offers three different medical plans and contributes pre-determined amounts to the employees' health savings accounts. In the main office, there is a dedicated exercise area with free weights, kickboxing items and a rubber floor.

The break room is stocked with free fresh fruit and other healthy snacks and beverages. A company-sponsored wellness website has access for employees to read health-related articles, videos, blogs and activities. Flu shots and CPR training are provided on-site.

There are seminars on personal safety to discuss traffic safety, home safety, burglaries, identity theft and more, and a professional nutritionist and wellness coach talks about food, exercise, hydration, sleep improvement and stress reduction.

New mothers are given up to 40 one-hour increments of available time to be used for doctors' appointments and baby check-ups within the first six months of birth or adoption. Grandparents are given eight hours of time off to visit a grandchild on Grandparents' Day.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices include automatic on/off lights in bathrooms and meeting spaces, centralized areas for recycling materials and donating or auctioning old items to raise money for charity.

Progressive Components' executive team utilizes the nine-box grid assessment tool that evaluates employees from "under performance" to "outstanding performance" on one axis and "low potential" to "high potential" on the other axis. The data is reviewed semiannually.

Progressive's "Rising Star/Hi-Potential" program is aimed at long-term career development — based on a three- to five-year timeframe — and works hand-in-hand with the nine-box grid.

An employee's professional development plan includes activities to prepare him or her to take on additional responsibilities and advance to a new role. A monthly newsletter, written by employees, includes articles, events, announcements and milestones.

A quarterly management forum provides supervisors with additional educational strategies and the opportunity to share best practices. President Glenn Starkey and Don Starkey hold an annual town hall meeting to review the previous year and discuss future plans for the business.

"The company encourages and promotes personal and professional advancements," according to the questionnaire Progressive Components' submitted for Best Places to Work.

Progressive Components employees receive a gift basket prior to their first day of work and for a wedding, new baby, new home, illness or other significant life event. Milestone work anniversaries are celebrated with gift cards, personalized gifts, email communication, photos and other forms of gratitude.

Employees and managers recognize one another for exuding a team-player attitude, completing onboarding or celebrating a birthday or anniversary in the form of ProBucks, which can be cashed in for items in the company store, Don Starkey said.

Other fun employee benefits include summer picnics, holiday parties, Thanksgiving and New Year's gifts, Halloween costume and pumpkin-carving contests, flexible schedules and telecommuting options, department outings and bonus checks.

Starkey said the culture, plain and simple, makes Progressive Components a desirable place for people to work.

"If you don't actively work on your culture, you get what you deserve," he said. "It starts at the top. We all own the culture."

Find links to other Best Places to Work winners for 2018.