“My trip to Phuket, Thailand was absolutely incredible,” said Arthrex Sous Chef Francis Roy. “I practiced boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA at the Tiger Muay Thai boxing camp on 'The Sol' in the Chalong Area, and have come back home feeling empowered. This trip meant a lot to me, this camp felt like a home away from home as I share a love for boxing even right here in the states, at Title Boxing Club Naples. This experience pushed and challenged me, and through it I have become a stronger person and boxer. I am blessed that I was able to have this experience paid for by Arthrex in honor of my five years of service. Arthrex provided the opportunity for me to travel the world and do what I love at an authentic Muay Thai Training camp where professional athletes from all over the world have trained, even UFC superstar George St. Pierre! This milestone not only was important to me professionally, it will also forever be a huge accomplishment for me personally as well.”

One of Arthrex’s most distinctive and valued recognition programs is the Years of Service Awards and “Trip of a Lifetime” program. Employees who achieve five years of service with Arthrex are eligible for a company paid trip just like Francis’ to the destination of their choice and an extra 40 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) in which to take the trip. This “Trip of a Lifetime” benefit is awarded for every additional five years of service at increasing reimbursement increments. Employees look forward to this generous benefit to create a lifetime of special memories.

"This is truly a trip that we will both remember forever, and we couldn’t be more grateful to Reinhold for allowing us this opportunity,” shared Exhibit and Event Supervisor Renee Power, CTSM, about her 20-year Arthrex Years of Service trip earlier this summer. 

Renee and her son Jack visited several cities in Italy over the course of their nine-day journey, such as Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Assisi, Padua, Verona and Lake Como. 

“This was a quality bonding experience with my teenage son," she added. "There were places and monuments that he had studied recently in school that were turned into reality in a fun and stimulating environment."

"It was an absolutely amazing 'Years of Service' trip for my wife and for me," shared CNC Crew Coordinator Marcus Rosado about his five-year Arthrex anniversary trip last month. "We had a wonderful time at Atlantis Paradise Island Royal Tower in beautiful Nassau, Bahamas."

As one of the first employees who had the opportunity to bring the new Arthrex traveling flag on his trip he added, "It was a blast to be able to take some pictures with the Arthrex flag and have the opportunity to answer questions about its meaning and mention how awesome Arthrex is.

Thank you, Arthrex, for making this trip of a lifetime a dream come true! Furthermore, for making it possible to enjoy this unique experience as a couple to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary as well."

Working out is a way of life for Elissa Power and her family, especially now that they live in sunny Southwest Florida. During the week, Elissa leads the Program Management Office in Global Information Services at Arthrex. On the weekends, she works out in her home gym with her husband and two children Chloe, 7, and Lane, 6.

Elissa says, “I’m grateful to be a part of Arthrex, where I can make a difference, do exciting things and live in the most beautiful place in the country.”

She decided she needed a change after 11 years of long commutes, a lot of travel and a hectic lifestyle in Washington, D.C. It was after a hospital stay following Chloe’s birth that she took a hard look at their life and the prospect of raising children in D.C. Together, she and her husband decided it was time to move to Southwest Florida where she continued to work for her previous employer until an exciting opportunity came along at Arthrex.

“Arthrex is doing so many amazing things other organizations don’t have the funding or talent to do,” she says.

But moving had its challenges. Elissa’s husband, Chris, had to find a new job. So, he decided to go back to school to realize his dream of becoming an EMT and firefighter. Now, Chris happily works for the North Collier Fire Department.  

Elissa says she understands moving is risky when a spouse has to find a new job, too. But she says, “If you get into a stable company like Arthrex, it really allows the other person to explore what they want to do.”

Elissa says the move has been great for her kids, too. They love school, enjoy being outside more and go to the beach nearly every weekend. “You have a better attitude when the sun is shining,” she says with a smile.

It was a leap of faith that brought Elissa and her family to Southwest Florida. Her advice for anyone else contemplating the move? “Jump! You will never regret it.”

 “My dad used to polish these years ago,” Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Bioengineering student Jeffrey Seaman exclaimed as Knee Arthroplasty Engineering Manager Scott Sherman passed around an iBalance® total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implant to his class about four years ago. He remembered seeing knee implant samples like this when he visited his dad, Daniel Seaman, at work as a child.

It had been 20 years since Dan last polished orthopaedic implants at Hand Industries Inc. in Warsaw, IN, but when his son told him about Arthrex, he was intrigued. In that time, he and his wife Linda moved the family to Ft. Myers and worked in the steel building and trucking industries.

“That started the chain of events that led to my being hired at Arthrex," said Dan. “I truly believe God orchestrated all this!”

Dan was hired on as the company’s first Total Joint Finisher and has since trained five additional team members. His experience in blasting has come in handy over the last five months as the team has been focused on that stage of the process. His keen eye for spotting potential hazards earned him the role of chairperson of the AMI North Safety Team.

An interest in orthopaedics continues to run in the family as Dan’s youngest son, Joel, is now a bioengineering student at FGCU and had the opportunity to intern at Arthrex last summer in Metrology. He’s since stayed on part-time in Pilot Production and hopes to continue to build his career at Arthrex.

“I love Arthrex and what it’s been able to do for me and my family," shared Dan. "It has been the best job I have ever had in my 63 years of being on this earth and I look forward to the future years that lay ahead with Arthrex as my employer. The atmosphere is very much a family culture. It’s truly a pleasure to work here. I love what I do and am so happy Arthrex brought me back to this field!”

Arthrex hosted its annual Years of Service awards ceremonies on Friday, October 28 and recognized an impressive total of 276 employees celebrating five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service!

Two employees hit special milestones this year, Sr. Vice President of Human Resources Kathy Sparrow and Vet Systems Project Manager Tony Gawaldo, each celebrating 25-year-long careers at Arthrex.

Kathy first learned about Arthrex when she spotted an index-sized job posting tacked on a bulletin board at Champlain College in Burlington, VT in the winter of 1991. She was looking for a second part-time job while in school and the 12-15 hours Arthrex needed for packing and shipping help fit the bill.

“When I first started in the original Vermont office, all inventory could fit in one double-door office cabinet,” she shared. “I was one of just three on staff and I was willing to do anything to learn what I could – packing, shipping, answering the phone, entering customer orders.”

Reinhold was still working from Germany at the time, but that was about to chance. On his first back day in the Vermont office since Kathy had joined the team, he announced he was moving the company to Naples, FL.

The idea of going to Florida was exciting for Kathy but she second-guessed if she, as a part-time employee and college student, would be offered the opportunity to move.

“Yes! Can I go?” she thought. “I ended up being the only one free and willing to move.”

The decision was easy, she says, thanks to Reinhold’s advice to “follow your instincts. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll send you back home.” He reassured Kathy and really treated her like part of his family.

So off they went, packing the entire office into one small U-Haul in June 1991. Twenty-five years later, the rest is history.

“It mostly feels like it’s been a blink,” Kathy shares. “One day we were a small team pushing orders out and then about ten years ago it hit me how huge Arthrex had grown when I wasn’t able to personally interview all new hires anymore.”

Under Reinhold’s leadership, Arthrex at its core has always been family-oriented she says. “He expects a lot but has always offered and continues to offer all of his employees great support.”

Kathy’s most inspired by Reinhold’s drive and passion for a truer purpose and sees this dedication carried out by all employees through the company’s mission – from the early days to now.

A few months after moving the company to Naples in 1991, Vet Systems Project Manager Tony Gawaldo came to Arthrex as a part-time temporary warehouse clerk. Soon he was hired on full time and he never imagined where the company would take him 25 years later.

“When I first started, the shipping area was just two desks back to back, with two metal racks where we housed all products,” he says. “There might have been five to 10 boxes shipping out a day. Once we made it to 25 to 50 a day, we had a big celebration party in Charlie Cremin’s garage!”   

Now Tony manages the more than 30 Arthrex Vet Systems (AVS) medical education courses and exhibits that take place throughout the year all around the country.

Being part of Arthrex’s tremendous growth has been “an experience of a lifetime,” he says. “Not many people have the opportunity to see a company grow like this – let alone be a part of it.”

Like Kathy, he credits Arthrex’s success to Reinhold’s leadership style of treating his employees more like family. “Reinhold always encouraged me to take risks, to try new things, to change for the better. He likes for his employees to be able to learn and grow. He’s not just your boss, he’s a friend.”

When Lisa Taylor first started thinking about moving from Chicago to Southwest Florida, Arthrex hadn’t been on her radar, but learning more about the company’s unique culture through social media piqued her interest.

“I wanted to work for a company that was headquartered in Naples to be closer to family and when I found Arthrex, it seemed like the perfect fit,” says Lisa, Marketing Project Management Office (PMO) Manager. “I started following Arthrex’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages and saw really great pictures of community events the company participated in and an infographic that showed the tremendous job growth Arthrex was experiencing.”

She continued to follow Arthrex and when the right opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance to apply to work for such a well-cultivated, respectable and reputable company.

“I saw an opportunity to come in at a time of great growth,” she says. “I wanted to take my project management skills and utilize them to help the Marketing department."

At the time of their decision to move to Naples, Lisa and husband, Kirk, were also weighing the option of moving to the suburbs of Chicago with their three-year-old daughter, Clara, where they would have had to join a country club to enjoy the amenities that Naples has readily available for families in almost every community.

“For a family, there’s so many activities to take advantage of – the beach, of course, the Naples Zoo, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, movies in the park, Naples Botanical Garden, etc.” says Lisa. “Naples is so much easier to get around and we’re able to be outside all year-round.”

Besides the draw of the warmer weather in Naples and proximity to family, Lisa ultimately wanted to find a job within a company that would enrich her knowledge and challenge her to grow her talent, she says.

“I had looked at other companies hiring in Naples, but the growth, culture and mission statement of Arthrex really appealed to me,” she shares. She came to Arthrex for an interview and knew she had found her new home. “Everyone was so warm and welcoming and they genuinely meant it. I remember thinking to myself that ‘these are the kinds of people I want to surround myself with.’”

Lisa encourages others living out of the state to consider the move to Naples to join one of the “Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.”

“You need to keep your eyes and mind open – you will soon realize there is much more to offer after first glance,” she says. “Arthrex is looking for the right person – not just someone to fill the job. Being open to taking on responsibility and contributing to making a difference is the type of mentality Arthrex is looking for. The mission statement is set by the company's President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding and followed through with every employee.”

She adds, “There’s so much opportunity to embrace and grow in a lot of different areas. Why would I go anywhere else? I can’t imagine not having this environment in the future.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lisa Gardiner, Communications Manager

                  239-643-5553

                  Lisa.Gardiner@Arthrex.com    

NAPLES, FL – December 9, 2016 –  Arthrex is one of the 2016 Best Workplaces for Latinos, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work® and Fortune.

Arthrex ranked No. 6 on the list, which is based on employees’ assessments of workplace fairness, opportunities for training, and access to senior leadership, as highlighted in the Great Place to Work survey.

“As a global company, having a diverse employee base has been integral to our success,” said Kathy Sparrow, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “We work hard to be inclusive, providing opportunities for everyone to advance in their careers, regardless of who they are or where they started. It’s not just good for our employees, it’s also been good for customers and our business results.”

“We congratulate this year’s winners for showing that diverse workplaces are good for ALL employees,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Bottom line? Our research shows that the most inclusive workplaces enjoy significantly higher revenue growth than less-inclusive workplaces—evidence that these organizations are cultivating the full human potential of all their people.”

To see the full list of the 2016 Best Workplaces for Latinos, click here.

For the last two years, Arthrex has also ranked as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and has received other Great Place to Work designations such as:

• 15 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production 
• 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials
• 50 Best Workplaces For Diversity
• 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back 

About Arthrex

Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, FL, is a global leader in orthopaedic product development and medical education for orthopaedic surgeons. More than 11,000 products for arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopaedic surgical procedures have been developed by Arthrex and are currently marketed worldwide.

About The Best Workplaces for Latinos

Published together with our partner, Fortune, The Best Workplaces for Diversity ranking is based upon feedback from 448,456 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified^TM companies who completed our Trust Index© Employee Survey. Employees from all backgrounds answered 58 questions about how frequently they experience the behaviors that create a great workplace, considering everything from how comfortable they are being themselves, to the degree of favoritism or insider politics they observe in the workplace, the fairness of promotions, the feeling of honest connection with co-workers, their access to senior leadership, and who receives information and professional development and who doesn’t. 

To determine the winners, Great Place to Work analyzed how positively women, minorities and LGBTQ employees reported experiencing their workplace overall, paying special attention to an index of factors where these employees tend to have a less positive experience than their colleagues. Rankings take into account how favorably women, minorities and LGBTQ employees experience their workplace relative to their male, Caucasian and heterosexual colleagues' experiences. The list also considered the degree of representation women and minorities enjoy within the workforce as a whole, as well as in management and executive roles. Organizations needed to have at least 50 employees to be considered and were compared to peers of similar size.

About Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and a series of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industries.

Follow Great Place to Work online at www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US.

Well-being is reaching new heights at Arthrex, a global leader in orthopaedic product development and medical education for orthopaedic surgeons. The Naples-based company recently became a Blue Zones Project Approved™ worksite, joining more than 54 Southwest Florida businesses engaged in the Blue Zones Project® movement—a community-by-community, well-being improvement initiative designed to support longer, better lives through permanent changes to environment, policy, and social networks.

To become a Blue Zones Project Approved worksite, Arthrex created a wellness committee with representation from all departments. The company also developed a campaign to educate employees about the benefits of Blue Zones Project’s Power 9® principles—habits shared by the world’s longest living people. Those principles include moving naturally, eating with a plant slant, and having a healthy social circle. Lastly, Arthrex exceeded its employee pledge goal, with an individual commitment from hundreds of employees to live a healthier lifestyle.

In addition to the awareness campaign, Arthrex hosted a bimonthly farmer’s market on site on to make healthy, fresh produce accessible to employees. The company also worked with its culinary staff at all locations to serve a plant-based meal once a week and plans to start Walking Moais®, small groups of individuals who walk together to remain active.

"As a Blue Zones Project Approved worksite, Arthrex is proud of its employees who have committed to this community effort,” said John Schmieding, Senior Vice President, General Counsel at Arthrex. “There are obvious commonalities between the Blue Zones principles and Arthrex’s community mission of Making People Better. We are internally-focused on giving our employees the most effective and innovative wellness opportunities, and also helping our community in general to live better. The science-based Blue Zones principles are focused on helping people live better, happier lives without diseases, not simply just living longer. This is synergistic with our goals, and we fully support the community’s efforts at Blue Zones adoption.”

Wellness Coordinator Monica Dubroja added, “After receiving the American Heart Association’s Platinum Award for being a fit-friendly worksite for the last several years, this was the natural next step. We’ve created a culture of health in the workplace through progressive leadership and employee wellness initiatives and we look forward to further aligning our efforts with the community.”


Brought to Southwest Florida by NCH Healthcare System, in collaboration with Healthways®, Inc. and Blue Zones®, LLC, Blue Zones Project is a vital part of Southwest Florida’s well-being improvement initiative that encourages changes to the community that lead to healthier options. For more information about Blue Zones Project - Southwest Florida, visit southwestflorida.bluezonesproject.com.

On March 13, Arthrex employees kicked off the Arthrex Trex Across America six-week walking challenge with an individual goal of 50,000 steps each week. Employees were encouraged to walk daily with tips along the way and a grand prize for the team of employees with the most steps at the end of the six-week period.

Natalie Sterrett, a Senior Operator, has truly dedicated herself to the walking challenge and the benefits have been dramatic. Natalie decided to participate in the challenge shortly after she was told that her blood pressure was high and she may need to go on medication to lower it. Seeking to improve her health naturally, Natalie became part of the Walkie Talkies, the team of employees now in third place in the walking challenge.

“I am so happy about this challenge! It got me moving and it’s exciting to see where your team stands in the competition!” Natalie explained, “You don’t want the other teams to catch up and you don’t want to disappoint your team.”

With one week left in the challenge, Natalie has already lost more than nine pounds and lowered her blood pressure. She shared that walking before work, during breaks or after work every day has helped her in other ways as well, such as affecting her food choices, relieving stress, increasing Vitamin D intake from spending more time in the sun, and providing the perfect time to call and catch up with friends and family that live around the country.

Employees are being encouraged to keep walking as much as possible during the last week of the challenge. Natalie says, “You just feel better all around!”

The challenge's winning team will be announced next week. 

*Patient images, videos, and/or testimonials used with written authorization of the patient or their legal guardian.

While Arthrex’s global footprint continues to grow, its carbon footprint keeps getting smaller. From the way our materials are collected to how our facilities are powered, environmental impact reduction is key to how Arthrex does business around the world. Enormous amounts of energy and resources are required to design, manufacture and distribute our products worldwide. The same passion for innovation defines our commitment to environmental responsibility.

Conserving and preserving resources through energy efficiency initiatives, water conservation and waste reduction measures in all product development and sales stages is promoted and encouraged at all corporate facilities and subsidiaries.
 
Arthrex is committed to being a good steward of our natural resources as well. From featuring native landscaping and advanced technology irrigation, to providing alternatives to disposable cups and using biodegradable cleaning materials, to using energy-efficient lighting and motion sensor switches in all of our offices and facilities, we continue to explore innovative ways to reduce and reuse materials to further minimize the environmental impact of our corporate and manufacturing activities.

Arthrex's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Munich, Germany was built environmentally sustainable inside and out – its concrete structure provides optimal thermal efficiency while its large windows throughout provide resourceful use of daylight to further minimize energy costs and usage. The new headquarters’ unique green garden roof absorbs rainwater, provides insulation for better heating and cooling, helps filter pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air, contributes to the local ecosystem and overall, provides an aesthetically pleasing landscape for all employees to enjoy. 

Did you know?

• The sheer weight of scrap materials and metal chips recycled by Arthrex Manufacturing Inc. adds up to 62,561 pounds a year, which equates to the weight of 20 SUVs

• Motion sensor and/or LED light switches are now used in all offices around the globe. An LED light lasts about five years as compared to just six months with a standard incandescent lightbulb. Arthrex’s total energy saved with motion sensor light switches equates to a 40% reduction in energy usage!

• Arthrex is helping to reduce its employees’ fuel usage. There are currently 19 bikes available for employees to use between buildings on the Inc. Creekside campus and EMEA’s headquarters in Munich, Germany.

• Employees in Munich have a “green car pool” option – a BMW i3 electric car available to use for business appointments, training courses and traveling to other subsidiaries. In addition, employees at the Inc. Creekside campus as well as AMI East also have an electric golf car option for transportation between buildings.

• All Arthrex facilities combined recycle more than 108,000 lbs. of cardboard a month! That’s over 48 tons – more than the weight of nine elephants! Eighteen pine trees are saved per month thanks to these recycling efforts.

• Nearly 5,550 gallons of oil a year is reclaimed at Arthrex Manufacturing facilities by leftover materials being collected and processed through a system which enables Arthrex to recover and reuse this oil. That’s enough oil to get you from Arthrex Inc. in Naples, FL to Arthrex California Technology in Santa Barbara, CA 70 times!
• Arthrex Inc. has consistently been recognized by the State of Florida for its recycling efforts!

As Arthrex works to fulfill its mission of Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better, the company is constantly striving to reduce water, energy and waste footprints throughout the world with a commitment to minimizing its impact on the environment. Arthrex has a “Green Team” committee of employees in place that meets regularly to brainstorm ideas and help facilitate these efforts. 

Arthrex has been recognized by The Florida Department of Environmental Protection for its outstanding recycling efforts, and was also recognized in 2012 by The Collier County Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Department’s Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) with an award for its innovative recycling programs. 

Congratulations to the Arthrex Scorpions hockey teams for winning not one, but two championship titles this season! The two Scorpions teams played in different leagues every Sunday over the past four months at Germain Arena. Each team won its league championship on Sunday, May 28, a first for the B league team, which was ranked in third place going into the playoffs and won back-to-back games for the win. The A league team had an impressive record of 12-2-1, and won the playoffs after coming back from a two-goal deficit in the final minutes of the first game. 

The Scorpions are truly a product of Arthrex’s teamwork and creativity. The team’s logo was designed by Senior User Experience/User Interface Designer Ariel Morejon, and Senior Director of Orthobiologics David Shepard  wears a helmet that represents Orthobiologics, designed by himself and Medical Animation Supervisor Patrick Eckhold. Other employees on the Scorpions teams include: William Blum (Executive Chef), Kevin Fowler (AMI HR Manager), Mark Hill (AMI Packaging Engineering Supervisor), Jared DeAngelo (AMI Labeling Operations Supervisor), Shawn Hart (AMI Production Planning Manager), Tim Thompson (Clinical Medical Education Manager), Timothy Greiser (Territory Manager Field Operations, Inventory Control), Dr. Chris Adams (Global Vice President, Medical Education), Michael Karnes (Senior Product Manager, Distal Extremities), Jay Kaszyca (Medical Education Manager), Zack Day (Product Manager, Distal Extremities), Chase Eberhard (Intern, Orthobiologics), James Gat (Senior Engineer, Manufacturing) and Andy Amendola (Associate Engineer, Distal Extremities).

Congratulations to both teams on being league champs! Go Scorpions!

We’re excited to announce Great Place to Work® and FORTUNE have recognized Arthrex as one of the 100 Best Workplaces For Millennials in the country for the third year in a row. Arthrex now employs 1,023 millennial-aged employees born in 1981 or later, with nearly 350 hired in just the last year alone! 

Biological Safety Specialist Nicholas Christiano said, “Here we have the opportunity to actually make people’s lives better. The projects that we work on at Arthrex have the potential to get your favorite athlete back in the game, or maybe even help fix an injury of someone you care about who could be suffering. It’s truly meaningful work.” 

“Millennial employees thrive at Arthrex thanks, in part, to a highly collaborative approach to doing business and a culture that values input from everyone on the team,” said Senior Vice President of Human Resources Kathy Sparrow.

The 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials is part of a series of rankings by Great Place to Work® and FORTUNE based entirely on employee surveys from published Great Place to Work® reviews. The ranking considered 398,000 surveys that assessed organizations’ fairness, teamwork, benefits and other elements essential to an outstanding work culture.

While many companies report high turnover among younger workers, an average of 85 percent of millennial employees at the Best Workplaces say they want to work at their organizations for a long time. Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, said they learned from the survey, “Millennials expect more from their employers in areas like fair treatment, clear communication, authentic leadership and opportunities for advancement – and rightly so. The Best Workplaces for Millennials are finding that fulfilling all these expectations by building a high-trust culture boosts millennial employees’ intent to stay by 20 times.”

“Contributing to meaningful work is really important to me,” shared Packaging Validation Technician Abel Perez de Alderete. “Being able to earn an income while being a part of such an important industry, helping so many people is great. I’ve worked at Arthrex for six years in various roles and look forward to continuing my career here.”

Arthrex is proud to support our future workforce with positive experiences to learn and grow such as offering internships and co-ops to give students the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience and enhance their professional development. Many millennials also noted Arthrex’s generous tuition reimbursement as a benefit most appealing to them.

National Accounts Administrator Samuel Leconte, who’s celebrating nine years at Arthrex this month, shared, “I was able to take advantage of tuition reimbursement and started college while working at Arthrex and thanks to talking to several managers, made the decision to switch majors to accounting. Senior VP of Finance Jon Cheek encouraged me to follow this path. I’m grateful for that every day!”

Recruiting Coordinator Rachel Irwin was hired on as a full-time employee 2 ½ years ago, following a year-long internship with the Recruiting team in Human Resources. She says, “I appreciate Arthrex’s culture and the opportunities I’ve been given to excel in my position, learn new skills and work with different teams around the organization. I am proud of what Arthrex stands for as an employer and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to intern and eventually become a permanent part of our wonderful recruitment team.”

As one of the 350 millennial employees hired in the last year, Organizational Change Management and Training Specialist Tatiana Medina also feels privileged to work for Arthrex. “Since joining the Arthrex family six months ago, I have had the opportunity to enjoy all the awesome benefits that Arthrex provides. The fact that Arthrex offers such great incentives is testament that it values its employees.”

In addition being a best workplace for millennials, Arthrex has also proudly received the following Great Place to Work designations in recent years:

• 10 Best Workplaces for Latinos
• 15 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production
• 50 Best Workplaces For Diversity
• 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back 

To see the full list of the 2017 Best Workplaces for Millennials on Fortune.com, click here.

On July 13, Arthrex hosted its eighth annual Intern Luncheon for its aspiring young professionals. Internship and co-op programs enhance students’ specialized education and marketable skills by having them work directly with professionals in the field to learn, collaborate and build their professional networks. Attendees were encouraged to get to know each other through a variety of ice-breaker-style games, learn more about the products Arthrex creates and even test their knowledge in a game of Arthrex trivia. This year’s group of interns and co-ops is the largest in the company’s history with more than 84 working in the Southwest Florida locations. ACT and ACI also welcomed nine interns to their teams this summer. It was fun to learn what interns in other departments have been working on and what they hope to take away from the program. I discovered that my very positive experience interning here is one of many.

I have been a Corporate Communications Intern at Arthrex for about six months. I‘ve learned so much about the communications field, the medical device industry and working in a corporate environment. It’s been exciting to take on responsibilities and unique projects that utilize what I learned while earning my degree and challenge me to think creatively. The hands-on training that interns receive is invaluable and makes looking forward to your first job in your field exciting rather than intimidating.

Like many students, I had a few different internships during college. My internship at Arthrex has, without a doubt, been the most rewarding. I’ve been able to work on internal and external communications, social media posts and cataloging, written content creation, software training and much more. I’ve also had the opportunity to job shadow coworkers in other departments to learn everything I can about Arthrex. Interns here are given a seat at the table, which teaches you so much when you’re new to the professional workforce. I’ve been able to attend important meetings, brainstorm with the team and work alongside creative professionals who, despite having years of experience in what I’m still learning, never hesitate to ask for my input or offer advice.

Arthrex’s every move strives to help surgeons treat their patients better, and the success of that mission is supported by its dedicated employees. It genuinely feels like everyone here is committed to helping you learn and grow, just as they’re committed to the Arthrex mission. Not every company takes the time to thoroughly train each intern, help them improve each day and encourage them to explore their interests to find what they’re most passionate about doing. Being in a workplace that values continuous self-improvement and invests in its employees has been truly remarkable.

We’re excited to announce the American Heart Association has recognized Arthrex as a Gold-level company in its Workplace Health Achievement Index, making it one of the nation’s healthiest companies. The index evaluates companies taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace, like Arthrex, by measuring seven organizational best practices: leadership, reporting outcomes, programs, policies and environment, partnerships, engagement and communications as well as a scientific assessment of the heart health of employees.

Wellness Coordinator Monica Dubroja attributes this substantial achievement to employee engagement in the comprehensive wellness program and incentives. Walking challenges, healthy lunch options, easy access to wellness resources, on-site lab draws and preventative screenings have helped motivate employees to make healthy changes.

Wellness Medical Assistant Nicole Randle didn’t just talk the talk, she walked the walk by demonstrating just how these wellness initiatives can make a difference. Arthrex’s adoption of the Blue Zones program inspired Nicole to reevaluate her own lifestyle and make healthy changes to her family’s daily routine. Nicole explained that after just four months of diet changes and walking as a family, they noticed major improvements in both their physical and emotional health. She added, “I feel better than I ever have in my life!”

To learn more about AHA’s Workplace Health Achievement’s Recognition, click here.

We’re proud to announce Great Place to Work® and FORTUNE have recognized our company as #43 out of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women in the U.S.

The list evaluated more than 400,000 employee surveys from hundreds of companies and all types of businesses, taking into account women’s feedback about their organizations’ culture, leadership, fairness and other elements essential for a great workplace. Women at Arthrex noted our great benefits, emphasis on work/life balance, career opportunities and giving back to our community as the top reasons they believe Arthrex is a Best Workplace for Women and also shared:

“In the typically male-dominated field of engineering, Arthrex provides opportunities for all of its talented engineers to grow in the field and make an impact on product development. I’ve learned from working here over the past 17 years that our innovation thrives on having teams with diverse backgrounds and expertise.”

– Karen Gallen, Senior Director of Engineering, Distal Extremities

“I am proud to work at Arthrex because everyone is committed to the company mission: Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better™. As an employee, I receive support from my manager for advancement and work/life balance. I am encouraged to seek professional development. Arthrex provides continuing education through an extensive corporate training curriculum and generous education reimbursement program. Besides professional fulfillment, Arthrex also provides volunteer opportunities so that I can give back to the community.”

– Janet Chow, Agile Coach-Sr. Scrum Master

“In the eight years I’ve worked at Arthrex, I have been able to work in three distinct areas of the company, enabling me to hone varied expertise that will help me perform to the highest level.”

– Abigail Freigang, Distal Extremities Product Manager

“I feel very recognized and valued at Arthrex and am proud the company’s been named a Best Workplace for Women.”

– Morgan Rouleau, Surgical Outcomes System™ Manager

In addition to being recognized on the prestigious Best Workplaces for Women list this year, Arthrex has also proudly received the following Great Place to Work designations in recent years:

• 100 Best Workplace for Millennials
• 10 Best Workplaces for Latinos
• 15 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production
• 50 Best Workplaces For Diversity
• 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back 

To see the full list of the 2017 Best Workplaces for Women on Fortune.com, click here. 

Employees celebrated Lee Denim Day on October 6 to show their support for the American Cancer Society and the fight against breast cancer by wearing denim with pink or their favorite jersey. With a $5 donation to the society, employees received a pink ribbon pin to signify their support and raise awareness. We're proud to help fight for the cure. 

Arthrex employees and their families joined the community at the annual Moe’s Corporate Run on October 5. The 3-mile run/walk gave employees from local companies a fun opportunity to be physically active with their families and co-workers. Each runner’s registration fee benefits the Shelter for Abused Women and Children and the Collier Harvest Foundation.

More than 100 employees registered for the race, making Arthrex the company with the most participants. Medical Education Coordinator Karina Westberry came in first place in the women’s category, clocking in at 22 minutes and 38 seconds! 

• At the end of 2012, there were 3,022 Chefs with the CEC designation
• 189 Chefs were designated in 2012
• 74.6% of applicants pass the written examination
• 70.9% of applicants pass the practical examination