Counselor honors the top industry workplaces through an exclusive survey and rankings. Find out what makes Printable Promotions a great place to work!

2. Printable Promotions (asi/299458), Chicago, IL

The staff on an outing at the Chicago Riverwalk.

For the fifth time, Printable Promotions makes our Best Places to Work list – but this time it takes the top spot among small distributors. It’s obviously doing something right, as most of the company’s 10 employees have been together between five and 20 years. Mitch Silver, vice president, marketing and sales, has been there 26 years.

“We joke that Printable Promotions is like the Hotel California – people check in, but they never leave. Our turnover is next to nothing,” says Silver.

Staffers credit Silver with creating a workplace where employees feel valued, connected and cared about. “Mitch is beyond generous – he works hard to make sure we know he cares not only about us, but also our families,” says Liz McCaffrey, senior sales associate.

Mitch Silver, Printable Promotions.

Indeed, he’s so beloved that his employees presented him with a scrapbook at last year’s holiday party to let him know just how much he means to them. The book was filled with their family photos and heartfelt notes of appreciation from his staff and their children as well. “It was hard to fight back tears,” says Silver. “It really hit home for me that it’s not just a job for these people. I get calls and texts at all hours – people really care about what we’ve created here.”

Encouraging, generous, nurturing, positive and corny are just a few adjectives employees ascribe to their leader. He loves to tell “dad jokes” with his team and clients. “Did you hear about the guy who got fired from the computer keyboard factory? He wasn’t putting in enough shifts.” Ba-dum-bum.

Work/life balance is a top priority, according to McCaffrey. “All staffers are able to work remotely, and everyone takes advantage of that,” she notes.

“At Printable Promotions, it’s not just about brass tacks and bottom lines – it’s about building relationships. Mitch leads by example with magnetic charisma and down-to-earth charm,” says accounting specialist Samantha Vajgert.

Stacie Long, operations manager, has logged 20 years so far at Printable Promotions. “We’re a results-oriented environment with a large degree of flexibility about how and where we want to do our work,” she says, adding, “There’s no micro-management. We hire grown-ups and expect them to do their job.”

Flex hours during the work day are allowed and encouraged. Employees can log out as needed, whether it’s volunteering, donating blood or attending their children’s activities or other family occasions.

“Have fun and show passion” is a core value at the company. Silver recently introduced a new benefit called “Personal Enrichment” which encourages employees to take lessons, seminars or any activity that interests them (it doesn’t have to be job related) and reimburses them for their efforts. “The company invests in us as people, not just as employees doing a job,” says Long.

While the intent is to help cultivate the whole person and contribute to their overall happiness, Long says the result sometimes produces unexpected benefits. An example: One person took a comedy improvisation class and introduced games and exercises he learned to help loosen everyone up and kick-off employee meetings.

The team hanging out in its dog-friendly office.

Company benefits include health and life insurance and matching 401(k). But there’s also a long list of bonus perks such as a dog-friendly office, visiting massage therapist and half days off for birthdays. Regular quarterly outings bring the team together for fun activities such as pontoon boat rides on the river or Segway tours of Chicago. Team philanthropy, prize wheels at meetings, a designated employee of the quarter and summer hours are just some of the benefits Printable Promotions employees enjoy.

Silver regularly gives personalized rewards for a job well done. “Mitch goes out of his way to recognize and reward us, even to bless us with special gifts that aren’t necessarily tied to something performance-related,” says Vajgert. “Twice I’ve had an opportunity to experience a Broadway performance thanks to his generosity – something I might never have done on my own – and I loved it!”

Last year he surprised the office with a visit from an ice cream truck when the company exceeded sales goals, Long notes.

Sometimes he’ll send a gift, a note or a picture. “Mitch knows I love the Cleveland Browns,” says McCaffrey. “Suddenly in the mail I’ll receive figurines of the team.”

HIRING

When Printable Promotions hires a new employee, the whole team is involved. “Every one of us meets the prospect and takes them to lunch,” says Liz McCaffrey, senior sales assistant.

“We hire for aptitude and attitude versus previous experience to find and keep great employees,” says Stacie Long, operations manager. The company uses a combination of online sales testing and aptitude profiles. “One of our sales staff was previously an attorney, but our hiring process showed she had many of the skills that would be valuable to us and she’s been a perfect fit,” adds Long.

Mitch Silver, vice president, sales and marketing, says whoever the company hires must be a cultural fit, and so far, they’re hitting the mark. “Our low turnover rate allows me to do my job, which is more marketing and selling, and less hiring and training,” he says.

What’s especially gratifying is when he sees individual employees call team meetings that he wasn’t even involved with. “They’re invested in improving processes and the customer experience and suggesting better ways of doing business,” he says. “We all work within these four walls and we do a job. But the environment we’ve created, where employees wake up and want to go into work, thrive and are challenged and happy, allows us the freedom to have a life outside these four walls.”

Having a lean team that’s worked together so long has its benefits. “We know how to make our clients happy and we trust each other – there are no bad attitudes in this company,” says McCaffrey.

Accounting specialist Samantha Vajgert is one of the company’s newer employees, with 18 months under her belt. Her first interview at Printable Promotions was memorable in the best kind of way. “I sprained my ankle on the way into the office and Mitch offered me an ice pack. Something so small, but it showed not only that he cared about my welfare, but he was prepared to handle things at a moment’s notice.”