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Southern California News Group | Inland Empire | Section S | Sunday, January 25, 2026

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2025 Inland Empire Top Workplaces Here’s how a company earns Top Workplaces honors By Bob Helbig Energage

f you want to really know what’s happening at work, ask the people on the front lines. That’s the foundation of the Inland Empire Top Workplaces awards. For the 12th year, employee survey company Energage has honored the best places to work in the Inland Empire region in partnership with the Riverside Press-Enterprise, the San Bernardino

Sun, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the Redlands Daily Facts. This award can’t be bought; it has to be earned, based on employee feedback. Winners are chosen through a scientific survey process. Positive employee feedback equals recognition. Workplaces that don’t have strong feedback are excluded from the winners list. Energage crunches the data based on a 26-question survey that takes just a few minutes to complete. The survey asks employees for their feedback on such factors as pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness, and appreciation. Energage scores compa-

nies based on the responses. Employers earn Top Workplaces recognition if their aggregated employees feedback score exceeds national benchmarks. For the 2025 winners list, 2,653 organizations were asked to survey their employees. Among those that participated, 43 employers have earned recognition as Top Workplaces in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, as well as Los Angeles County’s eastern San Gabriel Valley/Pomona Valley. “Top Workplaces awards are a celebration of good news,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “They exemplify the significance of a people-first work-

place experience, reminding us that employees are the heart of any thriving organization.” To qualify for Top Workplaces recognition, employers must have at least 35 workers in the region. Beginning this year, employers are grouped by the overall size of their organization, and the number of employees invited to survey. They are ranked within those groups based on the strength of the survey feedback. To participate in the 2026 Top Workplaces awards, or for more information, visit pressenterprise.com/nominate.

THE 2025 WINNERS LARGE BUSINESSES

MID-SIZE BUSINESSES

SMALL BUSINESSES

1. Gate City Beverage Distributors

1. Coyne & Associates Education Corp.

1. Hospice Of The Valleys

2. Beazer Homes

2. Western Municipal Water District

2. Behavioral Autism Therapies

3. Main Electric Supply

3. Toward Maximum Independence

3. San Bernardino Valley, A Regional Water Agency

4. City of Ontario, CA

4. New World Medical

4. Aragon Construction

5. Springs Charter Schools

5. Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District

5. SOAR Charter Academy

6. Restoration Management Company

6. Albert A. Webb Associates

6. Citrus Counseling Services

7. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

7. Options For All

7. Across America Insurance Services

8. Seabreeze Management Company

8. Jurupa Community Services District

8. Perera Construction

9. Chaffey Joint Union High School District

9. Cedar House Life Change Center

9. Applied Statistics and Management

10. Panda Restaurant Group

10. Boudreau Pipeline Corporation

10. Standard Drywall

11. Graybar

11. Mayesh

11. Ruhnau Clarke Architects

12. VITAS Healthcare

12. Erickson-Hall Construction Co.

12. Professional Community Management

13. Sun Communities & Sun Outdoors

13. Hirsch Pipe & Supply Co.

13. El Clasiﬁcado

14. Rancho California Water District

14. City of Eastvale 15. Raincross Hospitality Management Corporation 16. Thermal Electronics

Southern California News Group | Inland Empire | Section S | Sunday, January 25, 2026

Congratulations to the 2025 TOP WORKPLACES

Honorees!

ADVERTISING TEAM Kyla Rodriguez SVP Advertising

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Carla Asmundson Regional Classified Manager

Jennifer Barry Multimedia Advertising Representative

Laura Padilla Multimedia Advertising Representative

Claudia Villar Project Manager

Mary Anne Rozinsky

Thousands of innovative business leaders, passionate entrepreneurs and world-class companies call the Inland Empire home. These organizations operate with a clear mission, strong leadership and vision for success.They also genuinely care about their employees, and in turn, their employees care about the well-being of our Inland Empire communities and neighbors. It is an honor to introduce you to these inspiring companies through our 12th Annual TopWorkplaces Awards and publication. This year, 43 local businesses and organizations have been recognized as best-in-class places to work. The Inland News Group is committed to shining a spotlight on the local people and businesses that strengthen our communities. We hope you enjoy this special publication celebrating the top-ranked businesses within TopWorkplaces.

Project Manager

SKYLINE TEAM Reggie Estrella Director of Creative Services

Ron Hasse Publisher, The Inland News Group President, Southern California News Group

Melanie Marshall Editor

Amie Lam Graphic Designer

Congratulations

Thank You

to the 2025 Inland Empire

Top Workplaces Sponsors

Top Workplaces Award Winners

to the 2025 Inland Empire

Partnership Sponsors

Southern California News Group | Inland Empire | Section S | Sunday, January 25, 2026

5 trends at work: What new statistics are showing By Bob Helbig Energage

Across industries, here are five major themes shaping the modern workplace, according to Bucketlist, a Vancouver-based employee recognition company, which just released a treasure trove of interesting data around the workplace.

Flexibility is here to stay: Hybrid and remote work aren’t just pandemic-era solutions; they’ve become foundational to how people work, Bucketlist says. Employees are seeking autonomy over when and where they work, and organizations that offer flexibility are seeing stronger retention, higher productivity, and broader talent pools. The office hasn’t disappeared, but its role has changed. Among employees who are exclusively remote, 6 in 10 said they were “extremely likely to change companies” if not offered remote flexibility. Another interesting data point: Remote and hybrid roles attract 60 percent of job applications, yet they account for just 20 percent of job postings, suggesting many companies are not offering what employees are seeking.

Recognition has moved beyond ‘nice to have’: Recognition of workplace accomplishments is no longer seen as a soft benefit. It’s directly linked to engagement, performance, and retention — and employees are asking for more of it, Bucketlist says. Employees want recognition that is timely, meaningful, and visible across the organization. When done right, recognition can create a culture of appreciation that drives real business outcomes. And here’s a remarkable stat: Employees who feel recognized are 73 percent less likely to experience burnout, Bucketlist says.

Well-being demands real investment: Mental health and well-being have taken center stage. Stress, burnout, and disengagement are at all-time highs, especially among younger generations and frontline teams, Bucketlist says. Employees expect more

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than surface-level perks; they want to feel genuinely supported. This means rethinking workloads, building psychological safety, and giving people permission to unplug, Bucketlist says. Another compelling data point: 92 percent of workers say it is very important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.

Growth is a two-way commitment: Workers want more than a paycheck. They want clear paths to growth, Bucketlist says. Whether through reskilling, upskilling, or

cross-functional learning, development is becoming a make-or-break factor in retention. Organizations that invest in their people signal that they care about their future — and that builds trust, loyalty, and long-term performance. Consider this: 68 percent of workers are aware of coming disruptions in their fields and are willing to reskill to remain competitively employed, Bucketlist says.

Culture still wins: The most resilient organizations are those with strong cultures rooted in trust, recognition, purpose, and

adaptability, Bucketlist says. These aren’t things that happen by accident. They require systems, commitment, and a willingness to evolve. The best companies do it right, Bucketlist says: 71 percent of highly engaged organizations recognize their employees for jobs well done.

Bob Helbig is media partnerships director at Energage, a Philadelphia-based employee survey ﬁrm. Energage is the survey partner for Top Workplaces.

Southern California News Group | Inland Empire | Section S | Sunday, January 25, 2026

THE WAY 025

A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE 20 0 0 020

20 0 021

20 0 4 024

California’s Wastewater Collection System of the Year

Accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies

Association of California Water Agencies Excellence in Innovation Award

Plant of the Year Southwest Membrane Operators Association

Seven Consecutive Awards from the Government Finance Officers Association

Agency Award for Excellence in Public Sector Human Resources