50 Best Places to Work
By: The Editors
Just when we need it most, along comes a wave of enlightened companies that believe success starts with smiling employees. Which means lunchtime bike rides, flexible hours, and bringing the dog to the office can now be part of your job description. Presenting Outside's 50 Best Places to Work.
50. Tabar
49. Quality Bicycle Products
48. Eddie Bauer
47. Realeflow
46. Nixon
45. Deckers Outdoor
44. Camelbak
43. MiresBall
42. Smartwool
41. Livestrong
40. Brooks Sports
39. Carmichael Lynch
38. Patagonia
37. The Honest Kitchen
36. Pacific Market International
35. Intrepid Travel
34. Keen
33. Zozi
32. Smith Optics
31. Amer Sports Winter and Outdoor
30. NatureBridge
29. Osprey Packs
28. NOLS
27. Santa Cruz Bicycles
26. Fuse
25. Max Borges Agency
24. Virgin Galactic
23. Chesapeake Energy Corporation
22. River Design Group
21. Geographic Expeditions
20. USANA Health Sciences
19. Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners
18. IslandWood
17. Paradigm Group
16. MercuryCSC
15. Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing
14. Dealer.com
13. New Belgium Brewing
12. TRX
11. Kashi
10. Collie+McVoy
9. Parliament
8. Skullcandy
7. Groundspeak
6. Superfeet Worldwide
5. Clif Bar
4. Boa Technology
3. Sterling-Rice Group
2. EMPSi
1. Natural Habitat Adventures
49. Quality Bicycle Products
48. Eddie Bauer
47. Realeflow
46. Nixon
45. Deckers Outdoor
44. Camelbak
43. MiresBall
42. Smartwool
41. Livestrong
40. Brooks Sports
39. Carmichael Lynch
38. Patagonia
37. The Honest Kitchen
36. Pacific Market International
35. Intrepid Travel
34. Keen
33. Zozi
32. Smith Optics
31. Amer Sports Winter and Outdoor
30. NatureBridge
29. Osprey Packs
28. NOLS
27. Santa Cruz Bicycles
26. Fuse
25. Max Borges Agency
24. Virgin Galactic
23. Chesapeake Energy Corporation
22. River Design Group
21. Geographic Expeditions
20. USANA Health Sciences
19. Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners
18. IslandWood
17. Paradigm Group
16. MercuryCSC
15. Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing
14. Dealer.com
13. New Belgium Brewing
12. TRX
11. Kashi
10. Collie+McVoy
9. Parliament
8. Skullcandy
7. Groundspeak
6. Superfeet Worldwide
5. Clif Bar
4. Boa Technology
3. Sterling-Rice Group
2. EMPSi
1. Natural Habitat Adventures
The yearlong selection process for Outside’s Best Places to Work began with outreach, supported by the Outdoor Industry Association (outdoorindustry.org), in which we got the word out to eligible applicants: nonprofit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States. Our research partner, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania–based Best Companies Group (bestcompaniesgroup.com), then sent registrants employer questionnaires and confidential employee-satisfaction surveys to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and community-service programs. Results were analyzed by Best Companies Group experts, who selected the 50 companies, ranking them according to which best-enabled employees to balance productivity with an active and socially and ecologically conscious lifestyle.