Two Memphis companies named to Top Workplaces USA in award's inaugural year

Two Memphis companies have earned 2021 Top Workplaces USA honors, recognizing companies receiving high marks from their employees.

Evolve Bank & Trust and Cornerstone Systems received the awards in the national program's inaugural year. Top Workplaces USA is built on the program’s 14-year history surveying more than 20 million employees across 54 markets — including Memphis — for the regional Top Workplaces awards.

Cornerstone Systems, a logistics provider with 191 employees, provides services including warehousing, transporting imports and exports within the U.S. and truck brokerage.

“I enjoy what I do and (being) able to provide our customers with a solution to their pain points and assist in improving their supply chain is my ultimate goal,” an employee said in the Top Workplaces survey.

President and CEO Tim Clay said the first half of 2020 felt like the Great Recession in terms of the economic downturn. But since the Fourth of July weekend, the company has been as busy as it is during the peak holiday shipping season.

“Our people handled it so gracefully, so easily, and our business in the fourth quarter was up 20% over a year ago,” he said.

Clay said the award validates Cornerstone's commitment to providing a better place to work and mindset that a business can both treat its employees well and be profitable. Company leadership has said its 100% employee ownership sets Cornerstone apart.

“People now understand that their work directly impacts the stock value of our company,” he said. “This has impacted our employees' work and it has also helped us in the recruiting process. Being a 100 percent employee-owned company is an additional benefit not many other companies can offer.”

Evolve Bank & Trust, which operates retail branches in the Mid-South and mortgage production offices throughout the country, has 351 employees.

"It is a great honor to be named a Top Workplace USA," President and CEO Scott Stafford said. "This achievement would not be possible without the hard work, commitment and determination of our employees across the country. Evolve would not be where it is today without our extraordinary team, and I am extremely thankful for their unwavering dedication and passion."

An employee said working for the company "is both challenging and rewarding."

"The family atmosphere and support are genuine, and the chemistry among my colleagues is second to none," the employee said. "I'll be able to look back on my career and feel I made a difference."

Top Workplaces USA offers national recognition for large organizations, those with more than 150 employees, and those that may have operations in multiple markets. Winners are selected based on employee feedback through an employee engagement survey issued by the organization Energage. More than 1,100 organizations participated in the survey.

“During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance,” Energage CEO Eric Rubino said in a statement. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.”