Real Estate
Century 21
Throughout Oklahoma www.century21.com
Century 21 is perennially recognized for excellence because their agents are personable, responsive and thorough. Employees are also committed to the community, especially when it comes to Century 21’s longtime partnership with Easter Seals. More than $114 million has gone to the charity from company franchisees since 1979. The company also supports veterans who need help with employment, assimilation after deployment and home ownership.
Coldwell Banker
Throughout Oklahoma www.coldwellbanker.com
Coldwell Banker, founded in 1906, proclaims itself as “the oldest and most established real estate franchise system in North America.” The company and its agents have long embraced progressive technology and pushed Coldwell Banker to become the first national real estate brand with an iPad app, the first to augment its website for smart phones, the first to create an iPhone app for international listings, the first with an iPad app to integrate big data with home listings and the first to harness the power of video into listings, news and information.
Keller Williams Realty
Throughout Oklahoma www.kw.com
With its founding in 1983, Keller Williams is relatively new to the real-estate scene, but that hasn’t kept it from being one of the fastest growing franchises in the country. Many of its agents embrace “the company’s emphasis on education, coaching, technology, culture and wealth-building opportunities that redefine their potential and take them to new heights,” according to the company.
McGraw Realtors
Tulsa www.mcgrawrealtors.com
Tulsa-based McGraw is the largest independent real-estate company in Oklahoma and has been around for more than 70 years. The company believes that its success depends upon recruiting and retaining top-notch agents, who buy into McGraw’s culture of excellence, ethics and high standards.
Stan Johnson Company
Tulsa www.stanjohnsonco.com
Throughout its 30-plus-years history, the company’s mantra is “Going beyond.” Employees pick up on this. “By putting the interests of others in front of our own, we believe that opportunity flows from deep, long-lasting relationships based on mutual interest and respect,” the company says. The Stan Johnson workplace fosters professionalism, finding the right fit for each worker, integrity, building relationships and mentoring.
Transportation
American Airlines
Tulsa www.aa.com
American is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but has thousands of employees in Oklahoma, especially at its maintenance center near Tulsa International Airport. Competitive benefits, union-driven wages and the perks of flying for free (including family members) lead to employee loyalty and satisfaction.
Melton Truck Lines
Tulsa www.meltontruck.com
This leader in flat-bed transportation matches 1,500 employees and their skills with the right job. For instance, one driver wanted to get out from behind the wheel, so the company used his experience and communication skills to set him up as a problem-solving dispatcher. “I moved all the way from Florida to work for this company,” he says. “That’s how good it is.” On-site, Melton has a 3,500-square-foot gym with a personal trainer, a full-service cafe, a doctor, dentist and hair stylist. “Our employees work hard for us because we work hard for them,” one official says.
Omni Air Transport
Tulsa www.flyomni.com
This successful charter aircraft and management services company flies more than 800 private trips each year. It has a 30,000-square-foot hangar and administration facility near Tulsa International Airport. Omni’s 45 pilots and crew have constructed Omni’s industry-recognized safety record. As a result, many of Omni’s clients have been around for more than 15 of the company’s 33 years of existence. An official writes, “Omni Air Transport offers a strong positive culture with a real chance to grow professionally. I have the opportunity to work with colleagues who are truly at the forefront of this industry and this requires me to stretch my brain and skills, which is very rewarding.”
TBS Factoring Service
Oklahoma City www.tbsfactoring.com
The family-ownership group has worked with independent truckers for 50 years to keep their cash flowing. The seasoned staffers dedicate themselves to helping their clients, who, in turn, stay loyal to TBS. The company’s values – respect, excellence, valuing others’ time and talents, honesty and integrity – promote teamwork among employees.
Tribal Enterprises
Cherokee Nation
Catoosa www.cherokeenationbusiness.com
According to tribal officials, 65 percent of profits from the Nation’s businesses are plowed straight back into those workplaces. The other 35 percent goes toward programs and services directly benefiting Cherokee citizens. That atmosphere of helping each other and keeping money within Cherokee communities has obviously paid off with high retention of 6,230 full-time employees, who help increase profits each year … for themselves and the Nation. For example, Cherokee tourism has been recognized nationally and Principal Chief Bill John Baker won an award for his steadfast commitment to tribal hospitality. Service, teamwork, integrity and commitment comprise the core values of Cherokee employees.
Chickasaw Nation
Ada www.chickasaw.net
A plethora of career paths marks the Nation, whose business interests almost run from A to Z, with the Artesian Gallery and Studio in Sulphur to the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville. Workers can find just about any kind of job, whether it’s in finance (Bank2 in Oklahoma City), journalism (the Chickasaw Press) or performing arts (the McSwain Theatre in Ada). Chickasaw officials say this economically diverse base has allowed tribal businesses to grow, employees to prosper, programs and services to expand, and the overall quality of life for the Nation to improve.
Choctaw Nation
Durant www.choctawnation.com
Choctaw Chief Gary Batton has made community health a priority for the tribe and its 5,859 full-time employees, who, along with their dependents, receive free prescriptions, vaccinations and immunizations. Workers may use wellness centers throughout the Choctaw Nation to stay in shape and improve their health. This year, Batton issued two Miko (Choctaw for chief) Initiatives challenging workers and tribal members to lose weight. For instance, Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr. shed 60 pounds during this program. “That’s the part I love – giving people ways to exercise,” says Batton, who has also instituted many rounds of training and development for tribal leaders. “I have a coach myself to check my perspectives and assumptions.” He says putting employees above himself (the opposite of the top-down model) has led to expanded services for the entire tribe.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Shawnee www.potawatomi.org
As the largest employer in Pottawatomie County with 1,900 full-time employees, the Nation has grown rapidly during the past decade. However, workers maintain a small, family atmosphere because they share Citizen Potawatomi’s ultimate mission of serving its citizens. Among the businesses run by the tribe are Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, and the FireLake arena, casino, bowling center, golf course, ball fields, design shop, pizza, fry bread-taco restaurant, discount food store, express grocery store, corner convenience store and travel plaza.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Okmulgee www.mcn-nsn.gov
The Nation works closely with the Oklahoma State Institute of Technology in Okmulgee to help employees wanting to further their educations or careers. Through OSU Tech, the tribe has dynamic classroom training that allows students to work, take courses and receive a stipend simultaneously, along with financial aid for other educational expenses. Examples include students going through the registered nursing or compressed natural gas programs at OSU Tech. The tribe also has an extensive employee rights program, which helps to improve the quality of life for 3,900 full-time workers and their families.
Osage Nation
Pawhuska www.osagenation-nsn.gov
The Osage Nation brings corporate-level benefits to its 540 employees, who primarily live in rural areas. Professional development, education incentives and other support services create loyalty among workers, whose wages help drive economies in many towns throughout Osage County. The tribe, the largest employer in Pawhuska, has recently opened two buildings that offer plenty of space for employee programs. The tribe has found that this has helped with work productivity and service delivery.
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Wewoka www.sno-nsn.gov
In addition to operating casinos in Seminole, Wewoka and Konawa, the Nation operates a softball complex, campgrounds and the 26-room Grisso Mansion, an ideal venue for weddings and other celebrations.
Miscellaneous/Other
ConsumerAffairs
Tulsa www.consumeraffairs.com
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To find out more about Zac Carman and the people behind ConsumerAffairs, follow this link to their exclusive feature from the 2016 Great Companies to Work For issue.
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When CEO Zac Carman brought ConsumerAffairs to Tulsa, his goal was to introduce a city-changing company to the area. The company assists people who are looking for advice on major purchases, but what truly stands out is how the company treats its employees. With a carefully thought out benefits package and perks ranging from refrigerators stocked with drinks and snacks to unlimited paid time off, ConsumerAffairs is showing the direct link between employee happiness and productivity. Carman says the company’s revenues have grown 30 fold since he and a group of investors purchased the company in 2009.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City www.nba.com/thunder
As Oklahoma’s only major professional sports team, the Thunder has a symbiotic relationship with its adoring fans … and employees (from superstar players to administrative staffers) recognize this deep connection. General manager Sam Presti has each new Thunder signee visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial. Sportswriter Bill Simmons wrote on Grantland.com: “With the possible exception of Portland, no NBA team means more to its city. This goes beyond having the loudest fans.” Staff members, in reviews of the workplace, often cite the benefits of a team-oriented environment, helpful co-workers, open communication and interactions with fans.
QuikTrip
Tulsa www.quiktrip.com
Annually recognized by numerous sources as one of the top privately held companies in the United States, QuikTrip builds loyal employees by paying them well, helping them with collegiate tuition, offering generous benefits and providing plenty of opportunities for advancement. For instance, hundreds of administrative positions at the corporate campus are staffed by workers who began as store clerks. QuikTrip, an $11 billion company, keeps growing each year and now has more than 19,700 workers and 700 stores across 11 states. In addition to a workplace atmosphere that encourages volunteerism, QuikTrip itself donates 5 percent of its net profits to charitable organizations each year. These numbers greatly surpass QT’s humble beginnings as a single store on Peoria Avenue, opened in 1958 by Burt Holmes and Chester Cadieux.
SMG Tulsa
Tulsa www.smgworld.com
SMG manages both the BOK Center and the Cox Business Center. The former was named Arena of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association, while the latter boasts the largest ballroom in the state (30,000 square feet). SMG takes pride in each event at either facility, be it a wedding party at Cox or a Paul McCartney concert at the BOK. SMG workers “rock at what they do … not just for the right now, but for the long term,” an official writes. “We look for people who are great at lots of things, love big challenges and welcome big ideas.” For its employees and their training and development, SMG uses its k’nekt (a play on the word connect) training program to promote communication and dealings with clients. “We are all in this together” is the motto. SMG says: “All of our behaviors impact each other. Every aspect of our industry is people-centric: entertainment and sporting events, meetings, conferences and social events. We needed to design programs exclusively for our unique requirements. We understand the importance of hospitality and quality of service, of increasing sales and driving revenues, of always looking to exceed guest, client and customer expectations.”
TMA Systems
Tulsa www.tmasystems.com
TMA has transformed organizations for more than 25 years by providing the most technologically advanced maintenance management software available. One of the company’s core values and beliefs revolves around employees, who “are our most valuable resource,” an official writes. “We empower them to reach their full potential by providing an environment that utilizes their skills, creativity and capabilities.” With this as a baseline, another core value (a cooperative environment) becomes a given, too. “The autonomy of our departments is important in promoting focused, quick decisions, and the ability to measure the effectiveness of the operating unit. At the same time, the ability to cooperate with the organization as a whole is imperative to the organization’s success.”
