Best Companies to work for Hall of Fame: Wire Belt Company of America

Address: 17 Colby Court, Bedford, NH 03110

President and CEO: Jon Greer

Years in Business: 104

Full-time Employees: 120

Years on List: 12 (Plus 5 years in Hall of Fame) 

Diversity is celebrated at Wire Belt Company of America, where six languages can be heard around the building. The company celebrates an annual Diversity Day that includes employees preparing and sharing delicacies from their native countries.

Fun is a hallmark of the company, which holds monthly events. Those include summer barbecues, Red Sox opening-day celebrations, food trucks, St. Bunny’s Day (an Easter and St. Patrick’s Day combo), Pie Day, a chili cook-off and a big Halloween celebration. 

Wire Belt also holds an annual employee vs. management challenge with events that have included a cornhole competition, relay races, obstacle courses, office Olympics and even a tug-of-war over a mud pit. During the event, the company raises funds to be donated to the winning team’s charity of choice. 

Wire Belt holds monthly rallies to update employees about the company and holds “Hey, Did You Know?” sessions and a “Thank You Moment” at each rally. Employees are encouraged to pass along information about fellow employees’ achievements and celebrations, such as attaining U.S. citizenship, wedding anniversaries, and births, and to also thank each other for being there when they were needed. 

It is little wonder this is a company with longevity among its employees. Wire Belt also grants a “Decade Sabbatical.” Employees are able to take a two-week paid sabbatical at every decade anniversary with the company.

Wire Belt pays a Christmas bonus that is usually equal to one week’s pay and also has a profit-sharing plan that is distributed directly into employees’ 401(k)s. While the profit-sharing plan is legally capped at 15% of an employee’s gross annual earnings, if  the calculated profit-share exceeds that limit, the additional amount is given as a cash performance bonus.

Other perks include an onsite vegetable garden for employees, four hours of paid leave annually for cancer screenings, annual tuition reimbursement, a 9/80 work week, a student loan payment benefit, and a scholarship awarded annually to children of all employees who are enrolled in a college or university.