STEW LEONARD’S
NAMED TO FORTUNE MAGAZINE’S “100 BEST COMPANIES TO
WORK FOR” LIST FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
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| NORWALK, Conn., December 29, 2003 – Today
FORTUNE magazine revealed its 2004 list of the “100 Best Companies
to Work For”, and for the third year in a row, Stew Leonard’s
has received a place on this prestigious annual ranking, holding steady
with their 2003 position at No. 30 |
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| “Growing up and working in our original dairy store, my father
always told me that ‘you can’t have a great place to shop without
it first being a great place to work’,” said Stew Leonard,
Jr. President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s. “Being on the FORTUNE
list of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ makes me feel
like we are doing our job. I’m really proud of our people working
at Stew’s. They work hard and help the community, too.” |
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| Some of the unique programs Stew Leonard’s
is recognized for include: |
Profit Sharing: 18% of profits are given back to Team Members in
bonuses.
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- Mom’s Program: allowing working
mothers’ flexible
hours to plan around their children’s school schedules as well as
summer vacations.
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- 88% of Managers are promoted from
within the company.
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- Recreation Association: All profits
from vending machines go to sponsoring trips and activities for Team
Members
and their families.
The Association also subsidizes discount tickets to major sporting events
and tourist attractions.
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- Free Lunch Program: One of the benefits
of achieving a management position at Stew Leonard’s is receiving
a free lunch everyday from the hot and cold salad bar.
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- Stew’s News: An award-winning
bi-monthly magazine that is mailed to every Team Members house and covers
Superstars
of the Month,
company events, department news, community involvement, as well as lots
of pictures recognizing achievements of Team Members.
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| “Stew Leonard’s philosophy is built around an acronym for
S.T.E.W.: Satisfy the customer; Teamwork gets it done; Excellence makes
it better; WOW makes it fun,” said Jill Leonard Tavello, Senior Vice
President of Culture and Communication at Stew Leonard’s. “Stew
Leonard’s helps every single one of our 2,000 team members succeed,
providing extensive training programs, benefits and educational opportunities
that are unique within the industry. It is a great testament to our Team
Members to receive this recognition from FORTUNE and the Great Place to
Work Institute.” |
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| This is the third year Stew Leonard’s was named to the “100
Best Companies to Work For” list, placing No. 30 on the 2004 list,
No. 30 on the 2003 list, and No. 22 on the 2002 list. FORTUNE's “100
Best Companies to Work For" rankings will be published in the magazine's
January 12, 2004 issue. Only 25 companies have made FORTUNE's list of the “Best
Companies to Work For” every time that it's been published. Stew
Leonard’s was among five grocery stores that made the list, including
Wegmans (No. 9), Whole Foods Market (No. 47), Ukrop’s Super Markets
(No. 75) and Publix Super Markets (No. 98). |
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| Stew Leonard’s is a family owned and operated food store with locations
in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY, with a fourth store slated
to open in East Farmingdale, Long Island in early 2005. Among the store’s
unique features that distinguishes it from typical supermarkets: 80 percent
of the products sold are fresh – that is, brought in daily or prepared
directly in-store; an in-store dairy plant where milk is packaged in front
of customers; costumed characters and animatronics throughout the store;
and one continuous aisle that winds through the store. |
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