WEARING MULTI-COLOURED sashes and cutting an engagement cake, employees at Bauder reconnected with seven key company values last year. The specialist flat-roofing firm invited its 122 staff to take part of an initiative called “I am engaged”. Voting Bauder a Best Company for the third time, they gave an 84% positive score to the statement “I love working for this organisation.” Part of a family-owned European business run by the Bauder brothers, Paul-Hermann and Gerhard, Ipswich-based Bauder sells all kinds of flat roofing, waterproofing and insulation, including green roofs. Many people have never had a bad day at work here (43% positive), which is impressive considering that the average length of employment is more than six years. “Once employees join they rarely leave,” the company says. “We have individuals whose entire careers have been built, spent and continue at Bauder.” Accordingly, the firm gets its best score for people's sense of job security (84%, and 31st highest). Staffers feel particularly good about Giving Something Back (79%). Last year, the firm donated £16,000 to the nearby St Elizabeth Hospice and to Crash, the construction and property industry's charity for homeless people. It provided low-maintenance roofing for the Step by Step centre in Aldershot, a residential and training unit for young homeless people, and encourages people to volunteer during work hours. Employees feel the company does a lot to support its community (72%) and genuinely cares about the environment (80%). Bauder has ISO 14001 environmental accreditation for offsetting its carbon emissions. Andrew Mackenzie, who joined in sales and worked his way up to managing director, runs Bauder on sound principles (89%). He oversaw a tripling in employee numbers through the recent recession. www.bauder.co.uk
