Cornerstone Christian Academy took the top spot for small businesses, followed by Supreme Lending, Golden Rule Hospice, Verusen and Crisp, Inc.
Here is a look at the remaining top five.
2. Supreme Lending Southeast
Pat Flood founded Supreme Lending Southeast in 2011 with a vision to become the best mortgage banking company in America.
Ranked by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as the metro area’s No. 1 Top Workplace four consecutive years (2020-2023), Supreme Lending is headquartered in Alpharetta and employs 142 people at five metro Atlanta locations.
Management puts an emphasis on the company motto of “serving others before self,” and strives to help employees achieve their professional and personal best. All employees meet regularly in small groups to discuss their yearly goals on topics that include faith, family and personal finance. Pastor and author Andy Stanley, University of Georgia former head coach Mark Richt and others have been brought in by management to offer inspirational messages to employees.
The company offers employees access to an associates’ emergency fund for dire situations and created a safety net that ensures a monthly income during this downturn. It’s based on their average earnings before the downturn that began in the second half of 2022 and lasted of 2023.
In addition, Supreme Lending hosts as many cultural events as possible, Flood said, to maintain relationships and strengthen bonds with employees as they work in a hybrid atmosphere. “It’s not business,” he said. “It’s personal.”
Employees are dedicated to community service, completing their 12th and 13th Habitat for Humanity homes in June. With employees who have worked together more than 30 years, it’s easy to build that family atmosphere at Supreme Lending.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
What’s the biggest challenge your industry is facing?
“In the last 24 months, there has been a 70% decline in loan opportunities in the housing finance industry — the biggest downturn in the last 50 years,” Flood said. “As a consequence, the industry has lost money for the past two consecutive years. Prior to 2022, the mortgage industry had never lost money in a single year. We remain radically committed to our associates and focused on providing them the tools and support they need to not only survive but thrive in our current desert season.”
I love my job because …
In an anonymous survey by Energage, the AJC’s Top Workplaces partner, employees were asked to complete this sentence: I love my job because …
Their responses included: … the people I work with; ... the leadership is second to none; ... the culture that is embedded in this organization. I have never seen anything like this; ... the flexibility, entrepreneurial perspective, and leadership; ... an environment that supports personal and professional growth; ... we have the personal and professional best program that promotes health, wellness, and mental health, most importantly; ... every loan is different and challenges me to balance needs of the company with the needs of the customer; ... feels like working for family; ... more than just a job.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Golden Rule Hospice
Credit: Photo courtesy of Golden Rule Hospice
Credit: Special to the AJC from Golden Rule Hospice
Credit: Special to the AJC from Golden Rule Hospice
3. Golden Rule Hospice
Golden Rule Hospice is locally owned and uses the golden rule of “treating others the way one would like to be treated” as its guiding principle. The staff of experienced hospice workers provides exceptional care and support to their patients and families while striving to maintain dignity and compassion in every interaction.
Golden Rule’s leadership team averages 15 years of hospice experience and is well-trained in the principles of hospice and symptom management. The company boasts a 90% retention rate — a priority of leadership — which ensures continuity of care for patients and their families. To avoid the burnout often seen in the profession, management keeps clinical caseloads at or below the industry standards.
Golden Rule has ranked in the top 5% of hospices in Georgia since Medicare began reporting on quality indicators, such as care provided in the last three to seven days of life. Grandfolk named the company best hospice in Alpharetta in 2019, with Gwinnett Magazine designating the company best in Gwinnett County in 2022. Last year, it was rated as one of the top three hospices in the metro area by Atlanta’s Best.
Founded in 2015 by Shelisa Glynn-Kendrick and Don Edwards, two seasoned veterans of hospice care, Golden Rule Hospice has locations in Alpharetta and Atlanta.
What are the challenges facing your industry?
“Two of the most pressing challenges involve timely referrals and the changing landscape of hospice providers,” the co-founders said. “People often equate hospice with imminent death. Health care’s apprehension about having difficult conversations and managing expectations means that patients are not able to take full advantage of the hospice benefit. Fifty-four percent of the patients who elect the hospice benefit transition within the first 30 days. This feeds the notion that hospice and imminent death go hand in hand. Over 50% of people who are not receiving support from hospice visited the hospital at least once during their last month of life. While 75% of people not receiving support from hospice visited the hospital once within the last six months of life. Studies have shown that patients who elect the hospice benefit live longer than patients with the same illness who are not in hospice. Hospice is about quality of life, the patient making the most of their time, and providing support and comfort. When the initiation of services is delayed, it limits the support for patients and families.
“An additional concern is the decrease in locally owned hospices,” they continued. “Initially viewed as a movement, hospice is becoming increasingly managed by publicly traded companies and private equity firms. This is due to an extensive consolidation within the industry. Oftentimes, profits are driving care rather than the needs of the patient. This has resulted in increased patient loads, reduced patient care, and specialized attention. Our goal is to ensure that we provide the highest quality of care for our patients and their families. Being a locally owned hospice agency means that we are truly vested in the health and wellness of our community.”
I love my job because …
In an anonymous survey by Energage, employees were asked to complete this sentence: I love my job because …
Their responses included: … demonstrating care and compassion and empathy. It gives a sense of purpose to my life; ... everyone truly lives and works by “The Golden Rule”; ... everyone works together to make the job happen”; ... having had a parent in hospice, I understand the value of a caring hospice team. I am thankful for the opportunity to give back and serve patients and their families; ... I am allowed to provide the care that each patient needs and deserves with a team that shares the same values; ... I am supported and valued; ... I feel appreciated by management; ... I get to give back to others; ... they care about their patients. They put the best interest of the patients before anything else; ... I love that they are not just a business but one big family. They honestly practice what they preach; ... They are very good about showing appreciation for their employees. A very fitting company name, “The Golden Rule; ... a wonderful place to work with a dedicated and caring team; ... being able to provide comfort, support, and compassionate care brings a deep sense of fulfillment.
Credit: Special to the AJC
Credit: Special to the AJC
4. Verusen
This company, which launched in 2015 in Atlanta, helps big manufacturing companies manage their spare parts and maintenance supplies more efficiently. Using smart technology and artificial intelligence, Verusen cleans up and organizes messy data from various sources, helping companies see what supplies they have, plan better, avoid running out of important parts and save money. In short, Verusen makes sure companies always have the right parts at the right time, keeping production running smoothly and supporting their growth — all without requiring traditional data cleansing methods that are costly, time-consuming and repetitive.
The company has 50 employees who are committed to helping the Atlanta community by organizing donations for shelters, cleaning up parks and pitching in where needed.
For their efforts, employees receive flexible time off, a wellness stipend and flexible work location options with a home office stipend. Leadership has defined the company values as being good humans, being innovative, being accountable to one another based on a foundation of trust, being empathetic as they solve problems and being ready to take action.
At the helm is Scott Matthews, CEO and the person in charge of day-to-day operations. An accomplished corporate strategist, Matthews is known for optimizing business performance while propelling revenue and delivering extraordinary profit margins. He was previously CEO of MRP, the Philadelphia-based global provider of predictive customer acquisition software and services, and of CrowdTwist Inc.
What’s the biggest challenge your industry is facing?
“The biggest hurdle we face is the resistance to change and move past traditional data approach mentalities,” Matthews said. “Asset-heavy manufacturers are often slow to embrace new technology adoption for their Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) inventory management. Addressing MRO inventory management with new technologies like AI unlocks significant, strategic value. While many have allocated a budget for AI adoption, they struggle with how and where to get started. This is where Verusen steps in, offering the solutions they need to overcome these challenges and being a partner in the change management process for the organization.”
I love my job because …
In an anonymous survey by Energage, employees were asked to complete this sentence: I love my job because …
Their responses included: … best leadership team I’ve ever worked for; ... everyone is so cooperative and helpful. Plus, the product is incredible and really helps our customers; ... great people and a good, unique service; ... I feel that I am making a difference; ... I have the autonomy to do my work while having the support and collaboration of my teammates; ... I’m empowered to take initiative, drive collaborative decisions and ensure success through my own means; ... it’s a great group of people and a strong CEO and product; ... the people I work with are incredible. Alternative viewpoints are encouraged, there is room to grow with the company, and they recognize hard work; ... we have built a culture and business that is changing an industry.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Crisp, Inc.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Crisp, Inc.
5. Crisp, Inc.
With about 100 employees and its headquarters in Atlanta, Crisp, Inc. is the top law firm growth company in America. At the helm is Michael Mogill, author of Amazon’s legal bestseller, “The Game Changing Attorney,” host of the No. 1 podcast for legal market leaders by the same name, and founder of the Crisp Game Changers Summit, the largest firm-growth conference. Mogill, who founded Crisp in 2012, has helped thousands of attorneys in solo, small and large practices differentiate themselves from their competitors, improve their leadership and business operations, and earn millions in revenue.
Mogill said Crisp is “the only 360-degree law firm growth solution that solves root issues and equips firms to truly scale and build legacies.”
”Our goal is to provide unparalleled support and guidance to growth-minded law firm owners via superior brand differentiation, world-class video marketing and transformational leadership coaching to generate transformational growth,” he said.
Mogill said his company has become a national leader by using “the same strategies we advise for clients. “We walk our talk,” he said. “What we do is equip them with the tools and resources we have used to grow so they become the experts in running their business. It is the difference between giving someone a pill and teaching them to make lasting lifestyle changes.”
What’s the biggest challenge facing your industry?
“First, market commoditization. The legal industry is increasingly saturated, and people, unfortunately, view lawyers as commodities,” Mogill said. “It’s more important than ever for a law firm to stand out — with its brand, its values, its client service, its results and its leadership. Changing business models are also becoming a huge challenge. As non-lawyer firm ownership enters the legal market, it’s vital that attorneys start treating their law firms like businesses and learning to operate like CEOs. These attorneys are great at practicing law, but no one taught them how to run a business. Those who invest in themselves by learning about building a great team and culture, putting infrastructure into place, and becoming the leader their organization needs them to be are the ones who will survive. So many of the firms we work with are doing incredible work and making a major impact on their clients and communities. But frankly, most of the leaders behind them are not setting their organizations up to run without them. They don’t realize that by reducing their firm’s dependency on them, they can increase the value of their business and ensure their firm’s legacy will outlast them.”
I love my job because …
In an anonymous survey by Energage, employees were asked to complete this sentence: I love my job because …
Their responses included: … I’m pushed to be my best and help my clients push themselves to be their best; .. it’s my absolute dream job; ... We are constantly pushing the envelope at Crisp to go bigger, better, faster. The worse is intense but the rewards make it all worth it.
An earlier version of this story included a photo caption misidentifying Verusan CEO Scott Matthews. It has been corrected.
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