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Workers� voices help rank best workplaces By SHARI DOWNHILL Southern Oregon companies vying for a position as one of the most desirable workplaces in the state this year had a higher hurdle to clear than in years past. Using the logic that workers have plenty to say about their employers, Oregon Business Magazine added employee surveys to its 2001 ranking of the 100 best companies to work for. In response to the added method of appraisal, 100 companies dropped out of the competition, clearing the field for those willing to let their value as a company be scrutinized by their own employees. Six Rogue Valley-based companies made the list, up from five last year, with Rogue Valley Manor ranking 16th in the large company category. The best companies to work for in Southern Oregon, according to Oregon Business Magazine, include Rogue Valley Manor, Asante Health System, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Bear Creek Corp., Professional Tool Manufacture, LLC, and Gates Home Furnishings. Portland based-Providence Health System, a significant Southern Oregon employer, ranked 33rd in the large company category. The Oregon Business Magazine ranks companies by using cumulative scoring in nine categories: attraction/retention, organizational communication, working environment, decision making and supervision, performance management, rewards and recognition, employee benefits, career development and learning, and leadership. This year, the scores of both corporate and employee surveys were combined for ranking results. Raw scores were sent to five judges, including leaders from the state�s business landscape. Large companies Rogue Valley Manor , an affiliate of Pacific Retirement Services, is the largest continuing care retirement community in Oregon and California and employs approximately 520 people. Asante Health System ranked 36th among the top 50 large companies on the list. For the survey, 300 Asante employees were randomly selected from company entities, including Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass, Genesis Recovery Center in Central Point and Hearthstone in Medford. Oregon Shakespeare Festival slid in a close 37 behind Asante by less than half a point, rising from its 2000 position of 77. One of the oldest and largest theater companies in the nation, Ashland-based OSF provides a rotating repertoire of Shakespearean and other plays. Bear Creek Corp. rose in ranking from 72nd in 2000 to a respectable 45th this year. The direct-marketing heavy-hitter has been doing business for 66 years with sales reaching nearly $500 million in 2000. Small companies Professional Tool Manufacturing, LLC, of Ashland, ranked 16th in the small business category. The company has 58 employees and makes tools including the Drill Doctor drill bit sharpener. Gates Home Furnishings in Grants Pass, a newcomer on the top companies list, ranked 42nd. Gates carries a full-line of dining, living and bedroom furniture. Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.