Deadline Nears For Companies To Enter National Employee Benefits Recognition
April 5, 2006 (Des Moines, Iowa) — Time is running short for companies to enter a competition that rewards winners with national recognition as one of the best in employee benefits. Companies have until April 21, 2006, to submit entries for The Principal® 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security competition. Hundreds have already been nominated. Organizations can find out if they qualify at www.principal.com.
Now in its fifth year, the prestigious program, which is sponsored by the Principal Financial Group®, honors growing companies (five to 1,000 employees) for excellence in employee benefits programs. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges and are showcased nationally as role models.
"Being recognized by such a respected group of industry experts and a leader like The Principal® along with national and local recognition in the media are tremendous endorsements of the benefits we work so hard to provide to our employees," said Krista Howland, human resources administrator for Flexible Steel Lacing Company, one of The Principal 10 Best Companies-2005. "Our employees are one of our greatest assets. This recognition reinforces that we are taking good care of them."
"The recognition sparked an invitation from the Department of Labor to speak at their prestigious National Summit on Retirement Savings," said Rob Zeldenrust, general manager of Fremont Co-operative Produce Company. "And now I am also being asked to speak locally and even at the state level. Being named one of The Principal 10 Best has been rewarding in ways I would never have thought possible."
A blue ribbon panel of judges has been assembled to work with Mathew Greenwald & Associates, a premier market research company, in evaluating entrants and selecting winners. This year's judges include: Dallas L. Salisbury, president and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute; Nevin E. Adams, editor-in-chief, PLANSPONSOR Magazine Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP); Corey Rosen, executive director and founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership; David Wray, president, Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America; Dan McCarthy, Consulting Actuary Milliman USA and several recent winners of The Principal 10 Best.
"Now in our fifth year, The Principal 10 Best award is recognized as a significant achievement and is a tremendous tool for attracting and retaining high performers," said Renee Schaaf, vice president, The Principal. "As a leader in the financial services industry, we understand that financial security is a critical element in any employers' success in hiring, keeping and motivating employees. Winning companies are held up as shining examples; providing inspiration to other employers and gaining recognition among their employees and potential recruits as employers of choice."
The innovative strategies of The Principal 10 Best winners are published in an annual Best Practices Guide made available at no charge to any organization at http://www.principal.com/theprincipal10best/index.htm.
In addition to being showcased in a best practices guide on The Principal Web site, www.principal.com., winning companies receive other national and local media recognition as well as an opportunity to share a gift with their community. The Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc. will make a donation in the name of each company to a local charity of each organization's choice.
To enter, companies can visit http://www.principal.com/theprincipal10best/enter.htm and complete the entry form. Companies are not required to be clients of The Principal to enter. Qualifying companies may submit entries without having been nominated.
About The Principal 10 Best Companies Program
The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security is a nationwide program that searches for and recognizes small and medium-size companies that excel in providing for employee financial security. Entries for the 2006 search will be accepted through April 21, 2006. The program is open to any company with between five to 1,000 employees. To qualify, all entrants must have been based in the United States and have provided a broad range of employee benefits for at least five years. Qualifying companies must have, at a minimum, offered "traditional" employee benefits, such as those relating to retirement, health, life or disability. No entry fee is required, and employees of The Principal are not eligible to enter. For more information, visit http://www.principal.com/theprincipal10best/index.htm.
About The Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group®
(The Principal®)1
is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $195.2 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 15.6 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
1) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
2) As of December 31, 2005.
Editors' Note: To obtain a copy of The Principal Best Practices Guide for Employee Financial Security or to arrange an interview with winners from The Principal 10 Best Companies-2005, call Terri Hale at 515/283-8858.
Insurance issued by Principal Life Insurance Company. Securities offered through Princor Financial Services Corporation, member SIPC and/or independent broker dealers. Securities sold by a Princor Registered Representative are offered through Princor. Bank Products offered through Principal Bank®, member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Principal Life, Princor® and Principal Bank are members of the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines IA 50392.
Insurance and securities are not insured by the FDIC; are not obligations or deposits of Principal Bank nor guaranteed by Principal Bank; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested.
