Ingredients for a Best Place to Work: As a distributor that specializes in printing hit board games, creative jigsaw puzzles and custom promo products, it’s no wonder Ad Magic (asi/105162) founder and CEO Shari Shapiro says her company has “a creative culture with real impact.” Cross-department collaboration flourishes – and indeed, employees gave the company perfect ratings on the Counselor Best Places to Work survey for working together to get the job done.

Ad Magic (asi/105162) CEO Shari Shapiro performs with her band at the company Christmas party.

“We trust our team with responsibility and provide space to grow,” says Shapiro, who prior to starting her company had learned about the industry by printing credit cards. “They are empowered to make decisions, try new ideas and expand their skills. Working here means being surrounded by people who get the fun of games and unique products and the care that goes into creating them.”

Top Benefits & Perks: Ad Magic offers 100% healthcare benefits to its employees, as well as special lunches and an annual Christmas party. (This year, Shapiro performed with her band, and other team members played as well.) And naturally, given their line of work, employees receive free or discounted games and puzzles.

Parting Tip: Says Shapiro, “Show real support and always have your team member’s back if there’s an issue between them and a client or vendor. Supporting the team with real action and coming through with solutions that team members have asked for has helped us keep our team intact for the majority of two decades.”

If Ad Magic Were a Movie, It Would Be The Intern. “It reminds me of when we first got a warehouse, and it was close enough to ride my bike to,” says Shapiro. “Working in the warehouse and trying to fulfill an order to see what it was like was a real eye-opener. That movie reminded me of my company and myself in the early days.”