DENVER – In struggling economies, finding places to work that embody strong ethics, professional advancement and employee appreciation can be a challenge. Not the case with Denver’s Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric (www.ApplewoodFixIt.com) who was again named one of the Denver Post’s Top Work place and one of the best companies to work for in Denver.
Colorado ranked No. 1 for labor prospects and No. 6 for growth prospects by Forbes magazine, and as the fifth-best state in which to do business by CNBC in 2011. Denver Post’s Top Workplaces list reflects these trends with an esteemed collection of Colorado companies.
“You can’t stay in business as long as we have without having a strong sense of ethics to drive your company,” said John Ward, president of Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric. “We strive each day to ensure our employees are providing the best service to our customers, while internally we work to provide a culture that encourages professional growth, recognizes talent and provides an environment that is supportive of their interests.”
Applewood has nearly 120 employees and more than 70 service trucks on the road daily to service customers with plumbing, heating and electric needs. Ward believes high standards and expectations attract top trade professionals to the company, which has seen unprecedented growth in business annually for the past five years. Ward attributes this growth to their large number of loyal repeat customer’s and their service minded employees.
“We rely on our employees to make smart decisions, solve problems and represent the core values of our company,” he said. “There is much more to our company than the service we provide, we have been fortunate that our customers recognize it is the whole package that makes a difference in the kind of service they receive.”
As one of Denver’s Top Workplaces, Applewood offers full benefits coverage to its employees and their family members, competitive hourly wages, ongoing staff training, appreciation programs that include days out at Rockies games, holiday gatherings and employee camaraderie. The business also looks at structure and processes to support employee needs such as updated technology, comfortable working environments and providing fully-equipped trucks and warehouse access to fulfill customer requests.
Applewood’s technicians have nearly 1000 combined years of trade experience. This knowledge level, coupled with the stringent hiring practices – 100 percent of Applewood’s technicians are licensed, background checked and drug tested – is another reason the company rose to the top as a best place to work. The Top Workplaces are determined based solely on employee feedback.
“We work diligently to have a work environment that enriches our employees,” said Ward. “Our benefits are excellent, but more importantly we work together like a family.” As a testament to that philosophy, Applewood has several employees who are from the same family or related in some way.
Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric has served the Denver/Boulder Metro area for 40 years and are proud to have been named Plumbing and Mechanical Magazine’s 2012 “Best Contractors to Work For.” They are honored to be the 2009 winner of the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Marketplace Trust in the Large Business category; and a recipient of the City of Golden Rotary Ethics in Business Award.
