MULLER BRESSLER BROWN

The real key to creating a great workplace is respecting a work-life balance, say the folks at the Muller Bressler Brown advertising agency. “It’s easy for many employers to say they support that balance; it’s harder to actually do,” says Andrea Hayob, the firm’s public relations director. “At MBB, we do it and we do it well.”

It’s part of a culture that she calls the No. 1 reason people enjoy working at MBB. “We are a fun, creative, energetic place where people are given entrepreneurial freedom with the collaborative support from other MBBers,” Hayob said. Employees expect a lot from each other, and they work hard, she says, “But we still know when it’s 5 p.m.” or maybe a little earlier on Fridays—the 2:30 p.m. getaway during the summer his a hugely popular perk. The keg is always cold, the wine club always keeps the shelf stocked and there are plenty of chances to shag whiffle balls in the firm’s open space.

The latter perks are part of a corporate culture that appeals to creative minds with other goodies like discounts at nearby Park Place retailers, free covered parking, and even surprise gifts based on performance—last year, everyone received a free iPad. The financial side of that culture starts with competitive salaries, performance bonuses, a 401(k) program with agency match, medical, dental and vision plans for employees and their families, flexible spending accounts and employer-paid life and AD&D, plus long- and short-term disability insurance. There’s also a health-club reimbursement to promote employee wellness.

The formula seems to be working: Over the past three years, revenue has increased 35 percent, thanks in part to the creation of Hippo, a health-care marketing subsidiary. Since 2010, overall employment has increased by a healthy 62 percent, from 21 employees to 34; just a year after leaving its Plaza location for Leawood, the company had to knock down a wall in its new digs to add 10 new workstations.

That financial stability, combined with extensive training, a collaborative work environment, strategic staff additions to improve client service and a culture of engaging employees in community and civic service are all reasons why the company has succeeded, Hayob said.

BOB HAMILTON PLUMBING, HEATING, A/C AND ROOTER

He’s had 12 children with his wife Teresa, so Bob Hamilton knows a little something about successfully managing complex organizational structures. And that has carried over to his 30-year-old family business, Bob Hamilton Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Rooter. Over the years, the original Bob Hamilton Plumbing has grown not only its service lines and length of the company name, but the employee headcount, as well. The Lenexa-based company now counts 56 people on the payroll, including some of Hamilton’s grown children.

In the application materials for this recognition, marketing manager Amie Logan listed 17 reasons why her employer should be counted among Kansas City’s Best Companies to Work For. No. 1 on the list—we don’t think this is coincidence—was “Great Work-Life Balance.” So the owner’s personal narrative has become the company’s, as well.

Among the other supporting factors were the workplace atmospherics: The first Wednesday of each month is Cookout Day, there’s a company outing to the Royals each fall and a holiday party in December, and team-building activities like participation in the Trolley Run, Rugged Mania and Spare a Square. In a bit of culinary risk-taking, the plumbers on staff make breakfast every Tuesday. And there’s an officially designated Fun Fairy, charged with showering holiday treats on employees and recognizing employee birthdays.

Those aspects bring a little balance to the hard work that can go into plumbing and HVAC operations, but the traditional, button-down business benefits are part of the package, too: health and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k); paid training, a full kitchen with cookware, an on-site workout room, and a Keurig coffee maker, with coffee and tea provided.

The company also embraces its owner’s belief in supporting community-betterment efforts and regional non-profit causes like Harvesters, Giving the Basics, Redemptorist Social Services and Project Change.

And finally, there’s a perk you won’t find everywhere, as Logan notes: Working for “one of the funniest presidents/owners in the world—just ask him!”

HELIX ARCHTECTURE + DESIGN

Feed. Challenge. Reward. Those are the three building blocks for success at Helix Architecture + Design, which doubled down on its commitment to employees amid the disastrous construction/design climate of 2009–2012, and emerged from it stronger and better, the firm’s principals say.

The feeding and challenge parts, in particular, drew some extra attention during the downturn, as the firm invested in employees in new ways. For new hires, a more comprehensive orientation program, focusing not just on the technical aspects of the job, but the way the work fit into the company culture. For young staff, engagement in deeper discussions about design goals and practices. For veterans, an encouragement—and the tools—for developing additional expertise within their areas of specialty. And overall, the firm reviewed many of the cultural traditions that had been in place for years, and worked to make them more inclusive, more meaningful, and more fun.

And the rewards? Ah, the rewards: How about Happy Hours every Friday? Fresh fruit and artisanal coffee? And, of course, the most popular benefit available: The flexible work scheduling for the firm’s 31 employees. Employees manage their time by deadlines, so they were able to go teach an afternoon class, attend their children’s school plays or soccer games, or give their parents a ride to the airport and later log in from home to catch up on their project’s activities. All of which helps maintain the work/life balance that is an important firm value, principals say. Other program benefits include a traditional PPO health-care plan with medical, dental, disability and life insurance coverages in a cafeteria structure, incentive bonsues for any employee who quits smoking for six months, a 401(k) plan to eligible employees within their first six months of service, and free basic financial planning.

That last should be a snap for a firm that not only has survived the design doldrums, but prospered. After a brief dip in 2010—when virtually anyone in the construction/design realm saw revenues drop—Helix has been rising, up 9 percent in revenue for 2012, with a 13 percent margin. That goes a long way toward underwriting the benefits associated with working there. And that performance allowed the company to buy not only its Crossroads building from the landlord, but to acquire an adjacent building with a potential for a 6,000-square-foot expansion.