Thought Leadership

Celebrating 10 years as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Company to Work For

This year marks Progressive AE’s 10^th consecutive year on the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list. Being acknowledged is a great honor and we’re thrilled to be listed among other great employers as one of the best places to work in West Michigan.

Who we are is shaped by the people who work here. While we obviously take our work and our clients very seriously, we love to have fun, to learn and to explore our outside interests together. After all, we work with some of the coolest and most innovative people we know!

As an employee-owned company, our board of shareholders is made-up of current staff members. These employees also lead five committees that are dedicated to advancing our missions and creating a better place to work. They help make up our culture. The five committees are focused on learning, wellness, diversity/inclusion, community outreach and fun. They seek out and plan events throughout the year so staff and their families can engage in fun activities, participate in volunteer opportunities and go on learning adventures.

Progressive AE’s Wellness program let me attend exercise classes for free- onsite right after work.

Wellness – Our “Wellness by Design” program includes fitness classes, company-wide wellness challenges and occasional special guests that speak on subjects like meditation, how to make the best green smoothies and healthy eating habits. We have an on-site fitness room and health coaching through the McCahill Group. We offer a variety of lunchtime group exercise classes, including yoga taught by AM Yoga. During the warmer months, you’ll find staff walking, biking and running during lunch and after work. Look out for our corporate running team at the Spectrum Health Irish Jig, Brian Diemer Family of Races and the Huntington Reeds Lake Run.

Diversity/Inclusion –This year we’ve hosted students from Grand Rapids Innovation Central High School. Students were able to talk with our engineers and learn about the different types of careers available to them in the field. We have an ongoing mentoring partnership at the Academy of Design & Construction where staff meet with students to work through projects and discuss career paths. Additionally, Progressive AE has funded college scholarships for local minority students who have an interest in pursuing a career in the AE industry.

Learning – The learning committee aims to provide continuing education opportunities to employees. This ensures we’re staying ahead of current trends and providing the best possible solutions to our clients. The learning committee has presented guest speakers and other opportunities to gain industry insights.

Community Outreach – We take pride in giving back to the community. In 2015 we did a number of events to support local non-profits including United Way, Kids Food Basket, Mobile Food Pantry, D.A. Blodgett – St. Johns, In the Image and Homework and Hoops, among others. We’re proud to call Grand Rapids home and we love giving back to our community. In fact, ‘building community’ and ‘leading by serving others’ are two of Progressive AE’s core values.

Fun – Also known as CREW, this group plans all of our “fun” activities throughout the year. From Whitecaps games to March Madness happy hours, and bowling outings to trips to Skyzone, this group is always thinking outside of the box of ways to have fun inside and outside the office.

[Leadership] encourage and empower employees to do their job, provide value in meaningful ways and embrace innovation.

We are so thankful to be listed as one of the best places to work in West Michigan. Because, it’s something we always have known to be true. Perhaps it’s our value on collaboration and creativity. Perhaps it’s our strong entrepreneurial culture that lets people shape their future. Perhaps it’s that our team members believe they can make an impact here and see their good ideas come to fruition, or know their coworkers have their back or know their hard work is valued. And that life outside of work is equally valued.

Whatever the reason, it’s why for 10 years running, we’ve been named one of the 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in West Michigan.

Interested in becoming part of our team? Check out our careers page.