LA CROSSE, Wis. --Kwik Trip Inc., which operates 48 convenience stores in Iowa under the name Kwik Star, has been named one of Iowa's top workplaces by The Des Moines Register. It ranked second among large-company employers for 2014, maintaining its position from the 2013 list.
The newspaper's research partner, WorkplaceDynamics LLC, Exton, Pa., this year surveyed 195 companies, which employ 55,102 people in Iowa; 52,471 Iowa employees received surveys, and 36,760 responded. It asked employees what was most important to them, and then had them rate their employers on those priorities.
The surveys showed that Iowa employees put the highest importance on believing their company is going in the right direction and feeling appreciated at work. They want to have confidence in their boss and in their future.
Much of Kwik Trip's success is due in part to its employee benefits, which helps with employee retention, said the report.
Kwik Trip CEO Don Zietlow was CSP's 2012 Retail Leader of the Year. In 1989, Zietlow established the company's 40% profit sharing among employees, an unprecedented amount for any business in any channel, CSP magazine reported in its profile of Zietlow.
The company puts 6.2% into every employee's 401(k), whether the employee matches any of it. It has a health-savings account for employees who qualify for health insurance and puts a deposit in each worker's account.
Employees with at least five years of service own Kwik Trip's property, including any store built since 1989. On an employee's fifth anniversary, he or she receives a unit share per year.
Appreciation for the company's benefit packages is certainly a part of why the chain has kept turnover low and ranked high among local media for best places to work,. But Kwik Trip also has a reputation for growth, stability and strategic vision. Brad Clarkin, warehouse superintendent for almost three years, told the magazine that the chain is known for "hiring the right people and putting them in the right places."
Kwik Trip has 1,197 employees in the state. The company's turnover rate is about 24%, compared with the industry average of about 77%, according to the report.
Kwik Trip is a privately owned company that operates more than 400 convenience stores in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. With $4.5 billion in annual sales, Kwik Trip offers name-brand and private-label convenience store merchandise. It operates its own commissary, bakery, dairy, beverage plant, and ice plant. The chain goes under the name Kwik Star in Iowa to avoid confusion with rival convenience store chain QuikTrip.
Click here to view the full Register report on Kwik Trip. And click here to view the full top workplaces list.
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