The nationwide financial services firm of Edward Jones and the Naperville-based accounting firm of DiGiovine Hnilo Jordan + Johnson Ltd. have been ranked first in the large and small-medium categories, respectively, among the Best Places To Work in Illinois.

They and other companies and organizations were honored at an evening reception June 13 at Danada House in Wheaton.

Preceding the awards presentations was a keynote address by former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan. (See sidebar story.)

Ten recipients were honored in the large company division (250 or more employees) while 20 were named “Best Places To Work in Illinois” in the small-medium category (25-249 employees.)

Presented by The Business Ledger and conducted by Best Companies Group of Harrisburg, Pa., the awards competition includes a fee-paid survey of all employees in the smaller division and representative samples of employees in the large division as well as an assessment of the results of the survey that the company may then use any way it sees fit.

The recipients in the large company division are:

1. Edward Jones, St. Louis and throughout Illinois;

2. Ernst & Young LLP, Chicago;

3. Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU), Peoria;

4. Delnor-Community Health System, Geneva;

5. Crowe Chizek and Company, LLC, Oakbrook Terrace;

6. Deloitte and Touche USA LLP, Chicago;

7. Quest Diagnostics, Wood Dale;

8. Erickson Retirement Communities LLC, Naperville;

9. Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria;

10. Grant Thornton LLP, Chicago.

The recipients in the small-medium category are:

1. Diovini HNilo Jordan + Johnson, Naperville;
2. Tasty Catering, Elk Grove Village;

3. iCyt, Champaign;

4. Laurus Strategies, Chicgao;

5. Wine Sergi & Company, St. Charles;

6. Duke Realty Corporation, Rosemont;

7. Impact Networking, LLC, Waukegan;

8. ChapterHouse, LLC, Lisle;

9. Comprehensive Therapeutics, Ltd., Glenview;

10. Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC, Chicago;

11. Paramount Staffing, Northbrook;

12. M.A. Mortenson Company, Elk Grove Village;

13. Rust-Oleum Corporation, Vernon Hills;

14. National Futures Association, Chicago;

15. FCL Builders, Inc., Itasca;

16. Engineering Enterprises, Inc., Sugar Grove;

17. Paylocity, Elk Grove Village;

18. The Mueller Companies, Elgin;

19. Rippinger Financial Group of Companies, Schaumburg;

20. Ocean Tomo, LLG, Chicago.

Edward Jones

Top large company recipient Edward Jones, the largest financial services firm in the nation with 9,000 branch office locations, has a client list of more than 7 million people who rely on the firm’s advice and counsel on certificates of deposit, taxable and nontaxable bonds, stocks and mutual funds.

Retired persons and small business owners have become its principal market as they look for conservative buy-and-hold investment strategies and relatively low-risk quality investments.

Founded in 1922, Jones has more than 1,000 employees in Illinois. One sign that it is regarded as a great place to work are the nearly 20,000 job applicants in the last fiscal year.

Coaching and mentoring are part of the culture and financial advisors receive 17 weeks of full-time training. Then a mentor is assigned to coach, advise, encourage and provide essential feedback. In addition to superior training and many other benefits, employees enjoy flexible work scheduling, telecommuting from home and the ability to change locations while keeping their current positions.

DiGiovine Hnilo Jordan & Johnson Ltd.

The 33-year-old Naperville certified public accounting and management advisory firm of DiGiovine Hnilo Jordan + Johnson, Ltd., earned the top spot in the small-to-medium business category.

Originally a two-person operation, this privately-held business now has nearly 60 employees. It has earned a strong reputation for its expertise and customer service for closely-held businesses

Employees value this organization in many ways, including its devotion to professional standards. A peer review every three years by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has given it a perfect score for each of the past 15 years.

There is also a commitment to ongoing education, as employees have mentors, personal marketing plans and regular encouragement to attend training professional training seminars and leadership classes funded by the firm. It has an employee group called “The Young Rainmakers” which identifies business development opportunities and community involvements every year.

Diamond sponsors for “Best Places To Work in Illinois” were Comcast and The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc. Gold sponsors were B.Gunther & Company, Inc., Falkor Group, GlenHill Marketing, Maclyn Group, Tasty Catering and NewsTalk 560 WIND. Partners were Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc., the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois State Council of the Society of Human Resource Management.