2010 Medium Companies 2nd Place Winner: Brokers International Ltd.

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Sometimes all it takes are a couple juicy orange wedges to make your employees happy during a long day of tough work.

Panora-based Brokers International Ltd. for the fourth year in a row has made it into the top three of the Best Places To Work survey.

Chief Operating Officer Rick Rumelhart said that the business’s approach to workplace wellness has been one of the key areas that have helped keep the work force of 100 employees happy.

“We provide for the associates fresh fruit throughout the year, which we have had a lot of compliments from our associates for, for offering a healthy alternative besides the pop machine and the candy machine,” he said.

The fresh fruit helps complement an on-site gym and the business’s efforts to promote physical well-being by hiring a trainer who leads workout classes throughout the week.

“I think that has really promoted a really fit atmosphere here, and it just keeps people energized and really happy,” he said. “Participation is up, and we also give awards to the people that actually attend the sessions. Every month we have five people win some kind of awards including $100 gift certificates.”

The fitness initiative is important for the employees because a majority of their time is spent on the phone training and helping the more than 35,000 licensed insurance professionals the company works with nationwide.

“It is a tough job that a lot of these people have; they are on the phone multiple hours a day talking to people from across the nation,” Rumelhart said. “And if you come to work and you are not happy, it is going to come across on the phone.”

Along with the fitness program, Rumelhart said the business has a variety of other programs including an effort to help foster continuing education, productivity bonuses, and a variety of events for the associates to keep the mood lighthearted.

Roger McCarty originally founded the business in 1955 – he’s still president and CEO – and has seen it grow from a two-story house to a 10-acre campus with 19,000 square feet of office space. Staff size has increased to 100 employees. But despite the growth, Rumelhart thinks the company still stays true to its roots.

“We do have the size of a mid-range company,” Rumelhart said, “but it really has a small company feel, which I think a lot of people appreciate.”

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