REI Ranks Number Eight on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” List

REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), a national retailer providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, announced today that it is number eight on FORTUNE magazine’s 2012 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The recognition marks the highest-ever ranking for REI and 15^th consecutive year of being named to the list.

“We are humbled to once again be named to FORTUNE’s ‘100 Best’ list, especially because it is largely based on candid employee feedback,” said Michelle Clements, senior vice president, Human Resources for REI. “Our more than 10,000 employees maintain an unwavering commitment to our values and culture – which is the reason why we remain an employer of choice and are successful in helping others lead healthy active outdoor lifestyles.”

The company is one of only five companies to be on the list each year since its inception in 1998, including two previous book versions. REI also ranked highest of the Washington state-based companies on the 2012 list, which includes six others.

REI offers a unique benefits program to its employees, such as healthcare options for full- and part-time employees, generous retirement plan contributions, gear and apparel discounts, employee gear grants, free equipment rentals, a public transit subsidy, adoption assistance and paid sabbaticals after 15 years of service.

The full list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” is available at www.FORTUNE.com/BestCompanies and will appear in the early February issue of FORTUNE magazine.

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 280 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For information on how to apply, visit www.greatplacetowork.com.

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