Booth Machinery overall WPE winner

There were tiki torches, tiki masks, palm trees and hula dancers, but this wasn't a Polynesian luau: this was The Workplace Excellence Awards 2009.

This year, it was a "Survivor" theme, inspired by the rough economic times.

For the thousands of workers across Yuma County, it may seem like it's a game of survival with layoffs and cutbacks in every industry. But at the Workplace Excellence Awards, it's a chance to appreciate the employers that make work enjoyable - even during the dark times.

The annual event honors businesses that adhere to positive people practices. More than 400 people representing the more than 40 finalists attended the event Wednesday at the Schoening Conference Center, on the Arizona Western College campus.

The Workplace Excellence 2009 was produced by the Yuma Sun and the Southwest Arizona Human Resource Association. Sponsors include The city of San Luis, AWC, the Better Business Bureau, Time Warner Cable, Acme Staffing, Cocopah Casino, Southwest Gas, ERA Matt Fischer REALTOR, the Yuma Safety Center and Sun Graphics.

And with more than 70 nominations this year, the judges, made up of five human resource professionals from outside Yuma, definitely had their work cut out for them.

In the end, there could only be one top winner though.

This year, Booth Machinery Inc. took home the award for Overall Winner.

Owner Dennis Booth accepted the award on Wednesday.

"It is a great honor to be recognized by your employees," he said "Because we know we put out a lot more when we're happy."

Success and employee satisfaction at Booth Machinery, he said, is in part because each member of the team respects one another. Along with a business strategy of open book management, where they disclose significant income and expense information to employees, and weekly meetings, it helps make each employee kind of like a stockholder, he said.

"Everyone has a vested interest in our financial success, in terms of an incentive plan," he said. "And that incentive plan is driven by our bottom line net profit."

Booth said it's important to have employees that care and are happy with their work.

He added that the fact that they care means they want to make sure the company succeeds.

"We try to empower everyone that works for us to do the right thing by our customers," he said.

"I sincerely believe that our ability to compete well in this marketplace is by putting together a unique group of individuals who are totally committed to serving our customer base."

But for the winners in 2009, it doesn't stop once the awards have been handed out and everyone leaves the luncheon.

AWC President Marc Nigliazzo spoke on behalf of the college, which won in 2008. And though he said he was not in his current post during the period the award was based on, he offered some advice to employers.

Even after the award is in hand, he said employers should remember their commitment to maintain that level of excellence.

And the winners are ...

Overall -
Booth Machinery Inc.

Large Business Category -
Yuma Parks and Recreation
runner-up Allstate Insurance Yuma Express Claims Office

Medium Business Category -
Arizona Counseling and Treatment Services LLC
runner-up Hampton Inn and Suites Yuma

Small Business Category -
Superlite Block, an Oldcastle Company
runner-up Core Engineering Group PLLC

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.