Ingram's May 2023

MID-SIZE COMPANIES

MID-SIZE COMPANIES

BRR ARCHITECTURE For the 288 employees at Overland Park’s BRR Architecture, “work” might not be the right term to describe their jobs. It’s part design-sector excellence, of course—you don’t reach 60 years in busi ness without that—but it’s also part fun, part service, and part profes sional development. For starters. The package for employees includes a compensation plan that’s competitive within the local industry standards for both professional and non-professional staff, adding in paid time off and flexible work schedules, a 401(k)/profit sharing plan with a company match, and access to financial/budgeting education and quarterly updates from financial advisers. Medical, dental, and vision insurance options allow employees to select coverage tailored to their specific needs, and there’s no cost to employees for life and disability insurance coverage. An employee assistance program con nects staff members to various additional services, and there are nice perks like fitness club reimbursement, warehouse-club memberships, and paid time for community service. That last part reflects a core value at BRR. To celebrate that 60-year milestone, the firm intends to positively impact 60 agencies across the country with service hours and donation drives. “We donated more than 1,000 hours of community service firmwide in 2022,” says the firm’s CEO, Mariah Meyer. “To actively support our employees giving back to their com

DELTA DENTAL OF KANSAS Many a company will tell you that its employees are the founda tion of organizational success. But any contractor worth his cement can tell you: The foundation is only as strong as its binding agent, and for Delta Dental of Kansas, that’s a 10-point culture engagement plan. The result, says marketing director Molli LaFrenier, is a culture of “employee empowerment, transparent communication, encouraged collaboration and connection opportunities.” It’s supported by a weekly survey for continuous and timely feedback, allowing employees to contribute directly to improving their work environment and the company’s success.

Pay and benefits are based on competitive wages regularly benchmarked against industry standards, and a company match to 401(k) accounts for 3 percent of eligible compensation, along with a discretionary contribu tion that has contributed an impressive 12 percent of total compensation for each employee for more than five years now. On the insurance menu are medical, life and long-term disability plans, fully paid dental cover age—no shock there, for a company living in that space—as well as vision coverage. In addition to the accrual of paid vacation days, holidays and employee birthdays are paid days off, with additional PTO for sick days, appointments, volunteer work, and funerals. Employees have access to flexible savings, dependent-care saving, and health savings accounts and, to promote personal well-being, reimbursement of gym membership fees. Career development includes a tuition reimbursement program. A robust wellness program that includes on-site vaccinations, incen tives for achieving positive health outcomes, on-site health risk assess ments, biometric screenings, and wellness fairs, plus an employee assis tance program. In the training and development realm, the company has a mentoring community, tuition reimbursement, and annual stipends to attend courses or professional group meetings. Career development and training opportunities, both internally and through partnerships with local and/or regional educational programs, are available, as are career planning and cross-training opportunities. The workspace itself is a stress-buster, with an on-site fitness center and game room, wellness/ lactation room, on-site market with healthy snack options, collabora tive workspaces, casual dress code, hybrid work schedule, flexible work options, and ergonomic workstations with standing desks. A dedicated Culture Committee is allotted resources, educational workshops, and activities around diversity, equity and inclusion, team building, and wellness. “A workforce that feels connected,” says LaFrenier, “is overall happier, less stressed, and more engaged.” The company’s strong finan cial position has produced record growth and profitable expansion into 33 states and fueled the largest sales growth in 14 years as Delta Dental’s provider network is now the largest in a 50-year company history. (Left to right): Bryce Dougherty , Chief Financial Officer; Sarah Patterson , Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer; Dean Newton , President & Chief Executive Officer; Natalie Daney , Chief Sales Officer; Jennifer Bauer , Chief People & Strategy Officer/General Counsel; Patrick Tuttle , Chief Operating Officer.

(Left to right): John Frank , CIO; Andrew Maas , COO; Mariah Meyer , President & CEO.

munities, all team members are given eight hours of PTO annually to use for these initiatives; it’s an important part of our culture.” The firm will extend that with a National Day of Service later this fall and is also rolling out several scholarship programs for students studying architecture. Career development is a key plank in the goal of making team members feel valued and respected. That has prompted efforts like the firm’s Bridge Mentorship Program, classes called “Strategies for Professional Development,” and encouragement for employees to become members of various industry organizations, including NOMA, AIA Women-in-Design, CREW, and others. In terms of organizational stability, “our history in the city and our size has allowed us to make a deep impact across the Kansas City metro and across both Kansas and Missouri,” Meyer says. “We have 50+ projects currently underway across the state of Kansas.” By standing strong as an organization, BRR helps strengthen the architectural industry overall. “Our firm is committed to maintaining standards of care in architecture and emphasizing the importance of ARE testing and licensure,” Meyer says. “We maintain an active study group for those completing their ARE testing and offer mentors to help them navigate their way through the process.” Upon completion of the ARE and after becoming a licensed architect, employees will be in line for an automatic salary increase. That kind of leadership helped make BRR the American Institute of Architects’ 2022 Kansas Firm of the Year.

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May 2023

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