FONA International — the family-owned creator and manufacturer of complete flavor solutions based in Geneva, IL — has been named one of the country’s best medium workplaces by Fortune magazine and consulting firm Great Place to Work. FONA was ranked 36 out of the 100 best medium-sized companies in the country.

“There’s a generosity of spirit that infuses the Best Small and Medium workplaces — one that has a measurable return,” said Kim Peters, executive vice president of Great Place to Work. “Whether it’s funding employee ‘passion projects’ or giving surprise gifts to customers, the best workplaces give it away. And they get it back in the form of inspired people who innovate harder and generate higher revenue.”

FONA won based on employees’ anonymous responses to an extensive survey about their levels of trust, pride and camaraderie at work. The independent review shows that 99 percent of FONA employees say the company’s communication is excellent and 98 percent rate the atmosphere, challenges and pride at FONA as “great.”

The full review is available on this page of the Great Places to Work website.

“FONA leadership takes great pride in fostering personal and professional growth for our amazing people. Seeing employees thrive at work and in their personal lives is truly rewarding,” said Tonya Hubbartt, director of human resources.

“I am so proud to work for a company that highly values and trusts its employees, who openly and honestly express their gratitude, who are dedicated to their own success as well as FONA’s. They make FONA the awesome, ‘dare to be different’ company we are. That strong commitment allows FONA to provide the highest level of quality and service to our customers.”

Great Place to Work reviewed the survey results of more than 52,000 employees from hundreds of companies in the ranking process. Among the findings: Trust fuels business performance. The firm says that, for example, the Best Small and Medium Workplaces enjoy roughly three times the revenue growth of their peers, even as they provide a better experience for their people.

“We’re so honored to be named one of the country’s greatest places to work,” said Joe Slawek, FONA’s Founder and CEO. “Our people embody the company’s core values in action. I see them reflect it daily, whether it’s through generosity, innovation or stewardship. It’s tremendous to see their personal and professional growth. They relentlessly pursue excellence every day.”

FONA’s excellence has been recognized by other organizations this year as well. The company was awarded the 2016 Food Quality and Safety Award by Food Quality and Safety magazine.

Additionally, the National Association for Business Resources recently named FONA one of the 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For. NABR also awarded the company an Elite Award for Employee Compensation, Benefits and Solutions.

It is the 11th year in a row FONA was recognized as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For in Chicago. In 2015, FONA was named the No. 3 best small/medium workplace nationally for Manufacturing & Production by Great Places to Work and Great Rated.

ABOUT FONA INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Founded in 1987, FONA International creates and produces flavors for many of the largest food, beverage, and nutritional companies in the world. It offers flavor solutions for the confection, grain, beverage, performance nutrition, OTC and emerging markets from its state-of-the-art, 33-acre campus in Geneva, IL. FONA’s seven core values drive it to pursue excellence and foster incredible partnerships. More than just great flavors – FONA provides complete market solutions.

ABOUT THE AWARD

Published together with Fortune, the Best Small & Medium Workplaces rankings are based entirely upon feedback from more than 52,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified companies. Employees completed the anonymous Trust Index© survey, answering questions about how frequently they experience the behaviors that create a great workplace, including, for example, their assessment of the honesty and quality of communication by managers, degree of support for employees’ personal and professional lives and the authenticity of relationships with colleagues.

Results from the survey are highly reliable, having a 95 percent confidence level and a margin of error of 5 percent or less. Winning a spot on this list indicates the company has distinguished itself from peers by creating a great place to work for all — not only do the majority of their employees experience the company as a great place to work, but this experience is consistent across the organization, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, job role, or other personal characteristics.

The companies with the highest employee ratings compared with organizations of the same complexity in size and scope were selected for the list. Companies with fewer than 100 employees compete for placement on the 50 Best Small Workplaces list, and companies between 100 and 999 employees compete for placement on the 100 Best Medium Workplaces list.