"100 Best Companies to Work For"

For the eleventh consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine honored REI as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America." This year REI was ranked number 34. We're proud to be one of just 14 employers included every year since the magazine began compiling the list in 1998, and one of five companies included in two earlier book versions. We continue to be recognized for encouraging our employees to balance their work and personal lives.

The Great Places to Work Institute randomly selected 400 REI employees to complete an employee opinion survey measuring workplace pride, respect, credibility, fairness and camaraderie. Two-thirds of the final ranking is based on the results of the employee survey, and one-third is based on company-provided information regarding our culture, policies and benefits.

While we're proud to receive this public recognition, we're also pleased with in-house indicators that show a satisfied workforce: our high employee engagement survey results and retention rates.

An additional recognition we received in 2007 was the highest possible rating on the Corporate Equality Index. This annual survey, developed by the Human Rights Campaign, measures how U.S. companies treat their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and vendors.