Sonoco Named One of the 25 Top Companies for Leaders in North America by Hewitt Associates, The RBL Group and Fortune Magazine
Hartsville, S.C. - Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, has been named a North America Top Company for Leaders by Hewitt Associates, The RBL Group and Fortune, announced Cindy Hartley, senior vice president, Human Resources. Sonoco was ranked number 20 on this year's list of Top Companies for Leaders in North America.
Conducted by Hewitt Associates, a global consulting and outsourcing company, in partnership with The RBL Group, a strategic HR and leadership systems advisory firm, and Fortune magazine, Top Companies for Leaders is the most comprehensive study of organizational leadership in the world. An expert panel of independent judges selected and ranked winners based on criteria including strength and depth of leadership practices, culture, examples of developing world-class leaders, business performance and company reputation.
"Sonoco is extremely honored to be named a Top Company for Leaders for the third consecutive time, and to be the only packaging company on the list," said Hartley. "We have always believed that 'People Build Businesses' and know that at the most successful companies, managers play the primary role in selecting, developing and retaining leaders. That's why at Sonoco, managers, not Human Resources, are responsible for developing their employees. Our managers give their employees ongoing coaching, focused training and exposure to new areas through special projects. They also make sure employees know they're valued, reward them based on their performance
and communicate where they stand in terms of career growth."
When comparing the North America Top Companies for Leaders with 177 other companies, Hewitt identified one distinguishing characteristic that sets them apart from their peers-even during the economic downturn, North America Top Companies for Leaders remained committed to building leadership capability within their organizations. In other words, tighter budgets and fewer resources forced these organizations to think and act smarter and more creatively about what really mattered when it came to leadership, but they didn't lose focus.
"Hewitt would like to congratulate Sonoco on being named one of the Top Companies for Leaders in North America," said Bob Gandossy, global practice leader of Hewitt's Leadership Consulting practice. "All global companies today are facing a number of complex business and economic challenges. Through our research, it's clear that Top Companies such as Sonoco do not abandon key leadership and talent efforts in favor of short-term goals. Leaders at these organizations are passionate and committed. They have an intense focus on talent, and their leadership programs are practical, relevant and aligned with business goals-in both good times and bad. This mindset is not only what sets North America Top Companies apart from the rest, it's what differentiates successful businesses from unsuccessful ones."
Other companies making the 2009 list of Top Companies for Leaders in North America include: IBM, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, McKinsey, McDonald's, General Electric, Colgate-Palmolive, Deere, Whirlpool, 3M, Cargill, Target, Eli Lilly, PepsiCo, American Express, Lockheed Martin, Intel, DaVita, FedEx, Cummins, VF, Capital One Financial, Hewlett-Packard and Raytheon.
About the Top Companies for Leaders Study
The Top Companies for Leaders study includes 537 organizations around the globe, with an average employee size of 31,443. Eighty-two percent of the participating companies have revenues of $100 million or more. Nearly 42 percent have operations in all regions around the world.
Hewitt, The RBL Group and Fortune used a three-step screening process to identify the finalist companies. This included survey responses, conducting in-depth interviews and analyzing financial performance in relation to industry. Hewitt provided this information to a panel of independent judges in each region to select and rank a 2009 Top Companies for Leaders list in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.
About Sonoco
Sonoco, founded in 1899, is a $4.1 billion global manufacturer of consumer and industrial packaging products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 35 countries serving customers in some 85 nations. Sonoco is a proud member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on Sonoco, visit our Web site at sonoco.com.
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