DPR Construction's raison d’?tre is to build great things--and that includes creating an enjoyable workplace for its employees. Ranked at No. 10 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list, the Redwood City, Calif.-based company employs 1,600 people in nine states and Washington D.C. and has set a goal to become one of the world's most admired companies by 2030. On multiple occasions, DPR has consulted with Stanford business school professor Jim Collins, the author of bestselling books Built to Last and Great by Choice. Collins has helped the company’s leaders create a mission and values statement, as well as set a strategy for achieving its goals. In addition to DPR's oft-touted wine bars, here are just a few of the many perks that make it one of the best employers in America.
Free use of company-owned vacation property
In terms of vacation getaways, DPR has got its employees covered. The company owns property by Lake Tahoe and Mammoth that it lets its employees use free of charge via a lottery system. Anyone is welcome to escape for some R&R.
Sabbaticals
Need a break? After five years on the job, employees can take a paid sabbatical of up to six weeks. Last year, 14 employees took advantage of the perk.
Free breakfast
Once a week, DPR employees don't have to worry about their first meal of the day. Every Friday, the company treats employees to free breakfast in the office.
Decks of cards
A few years ago, DPR designed playing cards featuring the company's construction projects on their faces. The decks have been distributed to employees, customers and to others at industry events. One employee's daughter asked to take the cards to school to show classmates what her "Daddy built."
Net zero offices
Three out of DPR's 18 offices are "net zero," meaning they produce at least as much energy as they consume each year. Employees were proud when the company built its Phoenix, Arizona office, defying skeptics who believed the city's climate too extreme for such sustainable design. DPR has also helped Facebook build data centers in Oregon, North Carolina and Sweden, which are widely regarded as some of the most energy efficient in the world.