Best Places to Work in Maine

Best Places to Work in Maine 2016

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37 B E S T P L A C E S TO W O R K 2 0 1 6 LARGE COMPANIES [ 250+ employees ] Employees at every level have a voice at Darling's, the parent compa- ny of Darling's Auto Group, Darling's Insurance Agency, Green Point Auto Recyclers, and New Reach Financial. "They know they have access to the management and ex- ecutive teams and their input is valued," said President Jay Darling. One example is Darling's Ice Cream for a Cause fundrais- ing truck to support local causes of em- ployees. The program stemmed from a story one of the sales rep- resentatives shared about his past life as a Grateful Dead fan. To date, the ini- tiative has resulted in over $200,000 in charitable donations and received national and local me- dia attention. Another example is the "pink plate promotion." One of the company's reconditioning techni- cians came up with the idea of turn- ing all Darling's promotional license plates from fl uorescent green to pink each October to support breast cancer awareness. Transforming employee input into actionable programs is just part of the company's sense of purpose. "Darling's is like one big extended family. We spend a lot of time together working towards common goals, which in and of itself can be very rewarding," s a i d D a r l i n g . "Knowing that our collective success also helps contribute to our annual tenure bonus plan, profit- sharing plan, and 401(k) match, not to mention increased opportunities for p e r s o n a l c a r e e r growth, really helps to cultivate a collaborative environment." Employee satisfaction is grounded in a tremendous sense of teamwork that comes from great people, excel- lent rewards, and allowing employees to grow with the company. The man- agement team bonus plan—unique in the industry—is based on perfor- mance of the entire store, creating positive interdependence and support for each other. Employee satisfaction is one of the company's fi ve vision goals. "It's well known that happy employ- ees are far more likely to have happy customers," said Darling. "Ultimately, it creates a feedback loop that can lead to exponential growth." Other programs include the annual Owen Darling Award, which goes to an employee who best exemplifi es the company's core values, and includes an all-expense paid vacation to a des- tination of the employee's choice and an extra week of PTO. Engraved lux- ury-brand wristwatches are presented to employees in recognition of 25 years of service. There's access to tickets for concerts, plays, and sporting events; company cookouts, holiday fun, and free or highly discounted Fitbits. "Fostering a great work environ- ment is fundamental to achieving our goals," said Darling. Darling's Employees grow with the company Darling's Team of Ice Cream Ambassadors gets ready to hit the road to help raise money for local causes, big and small. # 9 Darling's P.O. Box 277, Brewer 04412 Top local executive: John B. (Jay) Darling II, president Year established: 1937 Maine employees: 420 Website: www.darlings.com Human resources contact: Susan Maiden 207-992-1754 susan.maiden@darlings.com Now, what was it you wanted to sell me? who you are, your company, your company's record, your company's product, your company's reputation, your company's customers, or what your company stands for. I don't know… Warm up your cold calls with local B2B media advertising. Sales start before before before before before before before before your salesperson calls. your salesperson calls. Now, what was it you Sales start before your salesperson calls. Contact Publisher Donna Brassard at 207.761.8379 x327 or donnab@mainebiz.biz

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