The secret is out — niche online retailer JMX Brands, parent company of the largest online retailer of Amish furniture DutchCrafters, is a Best Place to Work in Sarasota-Manatee, according to the 2020 results of the annual survey competition that determines which participants are the best employers in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The list published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune at the end of September ranked JMX No. 14 of the 25 local finalists selected from the survey results. This is the first time the small business founded in 2003 participated. 

JMX Brands CEO Jim Miller said the company has worked intentionally since its founding to build “a robust and dynamic culture of recognition where employees are engaged and challenged, and where excellence is celebrated.” 

“I’ve often said that while our customers are extremely important, our employees are the most important people in our business.,” he said. “This recognition affirms that, as well as the responsive engagement of our employees.” 

Miller plans to keep JMX a best place to work by “doubling down on investments in employee engagement” with an enhanced onboarding process, stronger feedback loops, visits to Amish woodshops for all employees within their first two years of employment, and by marking employee anniversaries in special ways.  

The Best Places to Work competition is managed by the Best Companies Group (BCG), an independent research firm that specializes in identifying and recognizing great places to work. To be considered a Best Place to Work in Sarasota-Manatee, employers complete an online questionnaire detailing company benefits and policies and employees complete an online, in-depth survey with questions regarding employee engagement and satisfaction.

According to the employee survey results, JMX employees ranked the company very highly this year for its proactive leadership when coronavirus cases were first reported in the U.S. and its sustained response as the world continues to grapple with the pandemic.