NO. 2 SMALL COMPANY
2-TIME WINNER
Cooperative/mutual wholesale energy firm based in Rockwall, with one local location and 86 D-FW workers.
“The status quo is not company policy” is a mantra you often hear at Rayburn Electric Cooperative. And the Rockwall-based generation and transmission cooperative providing whole- sale electric energy backs that up.
Rayburn, which offers its workers such perks as tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules, earned our special award for best benefits in 2023. But after listening to its employees, the company hasn’t rested on its laurels. In recent months, Rayburn has added a parental leave benefit. It’s made Veterans Day an official company holiday. And it’s implemented a “buddy system” for new employees, teaming them up with seasoned staffers to make sure newbies feel a sense of belonging from their first day on the job.
This year, Rayburn earned the special award for leadership among small companies by scoring highest on this statement: I have confidence in the leader of this company. Gentry Ewing, Rayburn’s director of strategic affairs, said the company’s “great leadership” is a key to its top workplace culture. The result: a “kind of locked-arms united front” where everyone understands Rayburn’s vision, goals and values, Ewing said.
Employee comments reflected the company’s mantra as well as the quality of its leadership:
- “I’m not pressured to maintain the status quo. I’m able to present new ideas and know that they’ll be well received.”
- “Rayburn is constantly adapting to tackle new projects.”
- “Great leadership from the executive team all the way down to my boss.”
- “I get to do meaningful work with people I respect, who care about the members we serve.”
- “The pay and benefits are above industry standard.”
Ewing said that while not every employee can be a member of Rayburn’s executive management team, the company is committed to providing everyone with opportunities for growth. They might be made the leader of a small team, for example, or assigned a special project to complete.
“We look for A players,” Ewing said. “Then, once they come here, we figure out, ‘How do we make them an A-plus?’”