ASI Names Top Workplaces In Ad Specialty Industry

TREVOSE, PA - December 12, 2013 - Surveys from over 4,000 employees of ad specialty companies resulted in 85 companies with winning workplaces being named to Counselor^® magazine’s 2013 Best Places to Work list.

Published in the December issue of the award-winning B-to-B magazine, the annual list is comprised of outstanding companies whose employees told Counselor they feel respected, involved and engaged and enjoy coming to work on a daily basis. Counselor is published 13 times a year by the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) and is considered the voice of the $19.4 billion promotional products industry.

The 22 suppliers on the 2013 Best Places to Work list represents 26% of the winners, the highest percentage of suppliers on the list since Counselor began it in 2008.

Topping the list of 85 supplier and distributor companies is Las Vegas-based supplier Crystal Impressions By Seaena, co-owned by 2013 Counselor Hot List winner Allison Robbins, who transformed her company from a cookie-cutter order-taking operation to a chic, boutique-style designer, offering custom work on everything from crystal awards to ornaments to coolers.

“If employees are depended upon by their managers and the company as a whole to make the organization a success, then that’s the beginning of a good recipe for an outstanding workplace,” said Andy Cohen, editor of Counselor magazine. “And happy employees are not just a nice thing to have; they’re crucial to building profits.”

Common denominators found this year at happy workplaces included wellness programs and other motivating fitness breaks to play volleyball or do push-ups, creative workspaces with perks like upscale kitchens, high-tech conference rooms and ergonomic seating, challenging work, caring managers and friend-inducing activities like happy hours, cooking classes and company-sponsored trips.

The top 10 companies on the 2013 list of 85 best companies to work for in the ad specialty industry:

1. Crystal Impressions by Seaena (asi/47782)
2. Proforma Albrecht & Co. (asi/116308)
3. Beehive Specialty (asi/135780)
4. Royal Crest Promotions (asi/83740)
5. Clean Fun Promotional Marketing (asi/162979)
6. Concepts & Associates (asi/166235)
7. The Book Company (asi/41010)
8. Corporate Imaging Concepts (asi/168962)
9. DYR Design Your Recognition (asi/48051)
10. Sunrise Identity (asi/339206)

Click here for the entire list and here to read Counselor’s December issue, which includes in-depth stories on 15 companies profiled during Counselor’s Best Places to Work Road Tour. During the annual road trip, three ASI editors traveled 6,363 miles to visit 15 distributor and supplier companies on this year’s list and discover what makes employees really love their job. Go to www.counselormag.com/counselortour for videos, photos and blogs from the trip.

ASI celebrated many of the winning companies at its first Counselor Best Places to Work Conference in Santa Barbara, CA, held November 21.

The Best Places to Work program involved an in-depth survey process developed by Counselor’s project research partner, Quantum Workplace. To qualify for nomination, a company had to have 10 or more employees in the first quarter of 2013. Employees completed a 37-question survey about their work experiences and Counselor took the top 85 companies from Quantum’s scored rankings.

ASI publishes seven catalogs, five magazines and seven newsletters. ASI’s magazine circulation is audited and growing, and Counselor’s collection of top lists are now the industry standard.

Melinda Ligos is ASI’s editor in chief and senior VP of professional development. For more information about the Best Places to Work issue, contact Counselor Editor Andy Cohen at acohen@asicentral.com.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry, with a network of over 25,000 distributors and suppliers throughout North America. ASI leads the industry in technology solutions, providing cloud-based e-commerce, enterprise resource planning software (ERP) and customer relationship management software (CRM). ESP Web^® is the industry’s leading tool for sourcing hundreds of thousands of products. A family-owned business since 1962, ASI also provides online research, marketing, advertising opportunities, trade shows, education, award-winning magazines, newsletters, custom websites and catalogs to help members sell, market and promote their brands. Visit ASI at www.asicentral.com and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO’s blog.