The Indiana Chamber uses the Best Places award to recognize companies that demonstrate a commitment to fostering workplace cultures that instill pride in their employees, a press release from Franklin Electric said. In addition to company input, the nomination review process includes an employee survey component. This survey helps identify each company’s strengths and weaknesses and weighs heavily as the winning list is decided.

The Workforce Research Group handled the selection process.

“The fact that this award utilizes our employees’ input makes this recognition especially meaningful,” said Gregg Sengstack, board chairman and CEO at Franklin. “We’re proud to call Indiana home, and we always strive to create a workplace culture that is positive, supportive, and valued.”

Winners were selected from four categories: small companies of between 15 and 74 U.S. employees, medium companies of between 75 and 249 U.S. employees, large companies of between 250 and 999 U.S. employees, and major companies with 1,000 or more U.S. employees.

Franklin Electric was one of only two major companies based in Fort Wayne named to the year’s list.