Dallas Market Center makes "Top 100 Places to Work" list

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 11/13/2012 2:12:45 PM

DALLAS -- The Dallas Morning News recognized Dallas Market Center as one of the "Top 100 Places to Work" in Dallas-Fort Worth for 2012. The best places to work list includes 30 large companies, 35 midsize companies and 35 small companies. Dallas Market Center falls under the category of midsized companies and has climbed 10 spots from number 27 in 2011 to 17 in 2012.

DMC was also honored for "The Next Big Give," an annual contest which searches for independent retailers who give back in their communities. Whether spending time serving at a local food bank, holding a fundraising event to benefit a worthy cause or collecting goods for an organization in need, The Next Big Give seeks retailers who make a difference.

"To be included in the Top 100 list for a second year is an enormous honor and privilege," said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. "To inspire others, we must first inspire each other. We are thankful to our team for their dedication and contribution to making us the best wholesale marketplace."

Each year, Dallas Market Center welcomes 200,000 buyers and holds more than 50 trade and special events. The marketplace, founded in 1957 by real estate developer Trammell Crow and managed by Market Center Management Company, brings together specialty and department store buyers, wholesalers, manufacturers, product designers and interior design professionals from all 50 states and 78 countries.

The corporate culture at DMC permits employees to dress casually during non-market weeks and listen to music as they work, and encourages the creative flow of ideas through an open-office design, according to a company release. Many associates have been with the company for decades. Employees receive holiday pay, which includes each associate's birthday, in addition to the monthly office celebrations designated for employees with recent birthdays and/or company anniversaries, the release states.

To qualify for the Top 100 list, an individual must first nominate a company. Once nominated, company employees are asked to fill out a survey to gauge how they feel about their job and workplace. More than 72,000 workers from companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area filled out questionnaires from this year's Top 100 list.