Processor No. 3 Steinwall Inc. | Best Places to Work 2025

Steinwall Inc. of Minneapolis calls itself a "humanistic" manufacturer.

"We understand that our employees are human beings with lives, families and struggles outside of our walls, and we want to be a place where our folks can come each day to feel welcomed, motivated and treated with respect and dignity," the injection molder said in its Best Places to Work survey.

The company was founded in 1965 by Carl Steinwall as a small mold making shop in St. Paul, Minn. In 1983, Carl retired and called his tax accountant daughter, Maureen, about selling the company, and she worked on a new computer system and quality programs. Maureen Steinwall was made president in 1985 and inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame and Minnesota Women Business Owner's Hall of Fame in 2015.

"At our family-owned company, we've built a legacy of reliability and high standards over 60 years. Our commitment to people and their growth is at the heart of everything we do. We care deeply about creating a great place to work, with a welcoming culture and open-door policy that encourages everyone to bring their best ideas and questions forward.

"Our team enjoys a range of benefits, from strong training programs and patient mentorship to fun activities that keep work enjoyable. We believe in rewarding hard work and offer real opportunities for advancement. Here, all we ask is that you show up on time, work hard, be respectful and stay curious," the company said.

Management is trained to look for signs of stress, exhaustion, burnout and other safety issues, and the company sends out monthly safety reminders to supervisors regarding psychological and physical safety.

In 2024, Steinwall hired a professional speaker and "energy mentor" to conduct eight leadership training sessions with supervisors. "Additionally, we send our employees to off-site training that relates to their skill or trait. Steinwall also offers tuition reimbursement for folks that want to continue their education," the company said.

Steinwall provides entertaining activities year-round, from office decorating contests during the winter holidays to pumpkin painting contests in the fall and cornhole bracket tournaments in the summer.

"We are very active in the community and get involved in at least five charity golf tournaments each summer," the company said.

When employees reach their five-year-increment anniversary, they receive a plaque/certificate and a $100 bonus for each year of service.

"We give a $50 gift card for each of our Employees of the Month, and our Employee of the Year receives an extra 40 hours of PTO," Steinwall said in its survey. "This past year we did a safety suggestion 'blitz' where we received over 90 safety improvement suggestions over a 90-day period. We [brought in] a food truck to celebrate the teamwork."

Other recognition efforts include a company slideshow that plays in facility breakrooms to highlight birthdays and work anniversaries for the given month.

"Our strategy for building and maintaining a diverse workforce revolves around a simple yet powerful principle: respect. We treat every individual with dignity and fairness, regardless of age, race, background, appearance or personal style. Respect is a core value of our culture and is reflected in how we interact with each other daily," the company said. "We emphasize teamwork and recognize the contributions of every team member. From the press operator to the president, each role is essential to our success."

Steinwall ranks at No. 202 on Plastics News' most recent injection molders ranking with $31 million in related sales. The woman-owned company was named Processor of the Year by PN for 2011.