Here are the Top 100 Tampa Bay Workplaces of 2021

Well before sneeze guards went up at the checkout line, it was clear the way we conduct business was changing for good.

Zoom provided pretend conference rooms. Virtual trivia replaced happy hour. And the handshake, that most basic gesture of transaction, of a deal sealed, gave way to the decidedly less satisfying elbow bump, head nod or awkward wave on a computer screen.

Many employers closed — beloved businesses that were part of the tapestry of our community. Others struggled, humbly reaching out for government help they never imagined seeking. Some saw an opportunity, to start a new product line, to offer a service no one realized we need or to try something different.

Here at the Tampa Bay Times, we never questioned whether to conduct our annual Top Workplaces survey. Times of great challenge, of great stress, can show us what we’re made of. They teach us things.

Watch: The 2021 Top Workplaces Virtual Awards Show

Participation in our survey was a little down this year, understandably. Still, more than 30,000 employees around the Tampa Bay region agreed to take part in rating their places of business. From their surveys, we selected 100 employers as Top Workplaces, including 22 that made the list for the first time. (To read more about our methodology, go here.)

Employees at these highly rated companies, nonprofits and government agencies seemed particularly eager to share their experiences this year. They touted how their bosses found ways to stay connected with them and helped them feel safe while doing their jobs. They told us how their employers adapted and conveyed a sense of shared purpose even though they worked far apart.

Some of their bosses shared their own sense of responsibility. Of wanting to help their employees get through these trying months, to make sure they were seen and heard.

“I thought I knew about their families, their hopes, their fears, their wishes, their dreams,” said Robert Ritchie, 62, CEO of American Integrity Insurance Group, who received special recognition for his leadership this year. “On a scale of 1 to 10, I probably was at about a 4.”

Here’s the rub. Employees told us that the same traits that have prompted them to rate their employers highly before were particularly valued this year. The pandemic confirmed the importance of strong leaders who understand how to chart a course when others have lost their compass.

When the pandemic closed the meeting hall where they shared information, some of our Top Workplaces launched podcasts. Conversations occurred more intentionally, lasted longer and covered more ground. Employees figured out creative ways to get together or at least stay in touch.

Soon, just as we’ve mastered the unmute button, many of us will return to our cubicle, restaurant kitchen or repair shop, to pick up where we left off.

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And for many of us, that will feel pretty good, too.

Now, let us tell you about some of the Top 100 Tampa Bay Workplaces of 2021.

• • •

The best small companies to work for in 2021

Josh Page, of Palm Harbor, left, and Carlos Morales, of South Pasadena, take a break to play a game of hoops March 4 in a warehouse of Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay in Clearwater. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]

No. 1. Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay

Sector: Home Repair

Employees: 90

Years ranked: 3

No. 2. Spoor Bunch Franz

Sector: Certified Public Accountants and Consultants

Employees: 53

Years ranked: 2

No. 3. Senior Connection Center, Inc.

Sector: Human and Social Services

Employees: 61

Years Ranked: 6

For the rest of the list, click here.

• • •

The best midsize companies to work for in 2021

Real estate broker Craig Beggins, of Century 21 Beggins, leads a daily training session for agents via Zoom from his home office in Apollo Beach March 4. During the training Beggins said more than 80 participants joined the session. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

No. 1. Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Sector: Real Estate

Employees: 391

Years Ranked: 12

No. 2. Healthesystems

Sector: Pharmacy and Ancillary Benefits Management

Employees: 274

Years Ranked: 7

No. 3. American Integrity Insurance Group

Sector: Residential Property and Casualty Insurance

Employees: 243

Years ranked: 8

For the rest of the list, click here.

• • •

The best large companies to work for in 2021

The interior of Grow Financial Federal Credit Union March 5 in Tampa. Grow Financial, a Tampa-based credit union, won best top workplace for large companies. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]

No. 1. Grow Financial Federal Credit Union

Sector: Financial Services & Insurance - Credit Union

Employees: 536

Years Ranked: 10

No. 2. KnowBe4 Inc.

Sector: Security Awareness Training

Employees: 824

Years Ranked: 6

No. 3. Progressive Insurance

Sector: Insurance

Employees: 5,353

Years Ranked: 12

For the rest of the list, click here.

• • •

Here is how we pick our Top 100 Workplaces of Tampa Bay

Anyone can nominate their employer. That means you. Submit their name. We’ll see if they’re willing to participate. If so, we’ll send confidential surveys to your coworkers. Read here.

Matt Williams, sales executive at Bouchard Insurance in Clearwater, works next to a closed work station March 11 as part of the company's measures to maintain a safe social distance for employees while working in the office, [ MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE | Times ]

Cover Story: COVID-19 changed the workplace. Some of those changes are here to stay.

Hopefully we can ditch the masks at some point. But our offices may have smaller footprints and fewer people working in them as some choose to work from home. Read here.

19 random things about some of the Top Workplaces of 2021

If you think about it for a minute, you might be able to guess which local credit union has 20 of its office running on solar power. Read here.

From left: Thomas Feindt, CEO of Grow Financial Credit Union; Charlotte McHenry, CEO of Senior Connection Center; and Robert Ritchie, CEO of American Integrity Insurance Group, all received leadership awards in the Tampa Bay Times' 2021 Top Workplaces survey. [ Handout photos ]

Leadership matters, and the pandemic has only driven that home

We recognized the CEOs of three different companies based on what their employees had to say about their leadership. We spoke to them about how they’ve navigated these uncharted waters. Read here.

Many of our Top Workplaces are prioritizing employee mental health

The recognize some of their employees are struggling financially or with other issues, so they’ve implemented strategies to help them. Read here.

In the future, your coworker may live several states away

The pandemic has brought new meaning to working from home. Not only are some employees embracing it, they’re planning for a future in which some of their employees live in other states. Read here.

PostcardMania shipping and inventory supervisor Zac Ferguson of Largo hustles stock after it was packaged at the small business marketing company on March 12 in Clearwater. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD ]

At PostcardMania, company executives are affectionately called ‘maniacs.’

The Clearwater marketing company’s employees say they take pride in helping the small businesses they serve grow. Read here.

St. Petersburg digital brand management company sees value in diverse workforce

PowerChord hopes a more diverse workforce will usher in fresh ideas. Read here.

At Clearwater cybersecurity awareness firm KnowBe4, employees participate in themed virtual trivia contests. In this one, employees dressed up as characters from the show Schitt's Creek. [Courtesy of KnowBe4] [ KnowBe4 ]

Tampa Bay Top Workplaces try new ways to bring employees together safely

Virtual trivia nights? Drive-by get-togethers? Companies try new ways to encourage socializing and team-building. Read here.

Our survey partner made a national Top Workplaces list. Tampa Bay companies shined.

Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, KnowBe4, perennial top finishers among Tampa Bay workplaces, finished high when compared nationally. Read here.

Column: Change should be embraced is companies are to achieve important goals

“If companies take the right actions, they can get to the other side of this, whatever that ‘other side’ looks like.” Read here.

Temple Terrace-based hospice service had busy year fueled by COVID-19

At Chapters Health System, doctors, nurses, social workers and chaplains all work together to support each other, the patients and their families. Read here.

Bill Lombardo, of Safety Harbor, is the CEO of MONIN Americas, headquartered in Clearwater. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]

Monin Clearwater operations make sweeteners for drinks sold in restaurants and cruises

When the pandemic hit, it had to pivot quickly to avoid mass layoffs, introducing new product lines and marketing to at-home coffee makers. Read here.

Introducing 22 companies on the Tampa Bay Top 100 Workplaces list for the first time

They include a winery, a mortgage company, technology and marketing firms, PODS and the cities of Largo and Safety Harbor. Read here.

At The HOTH, employees help other companies improve their reach online

The St. Petersburg company was held up by its employees for fostering an atmosphere that welcomes new ideas from all quarters. Read here.

Here are the Top 100 Tampa Bay Workplaces of 2021

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