Best Places to Work 2007: Amberg Entertainment

Scores by Category:

Incentives: 63*

Family Friendly 8

People Development: 33

Corporate Culture: 46

*Top score among similar-size companies

Ted Amberg runs a business that creates fun for clients, so he decided his employees should have fun, too.

Whether it’s a monthly minigolf tournament with prizes, the company “MVP” awards, the annual employee-family floating trip or surprise trivia contests, Amberg wants happy people serving happy customers.

Employees’ children are welcome at the office and may use The Party Place, Amberg’s division that hosts children’s birthday parties.

“I found that the more you do … the happier they are, the more they want to work,” said Amberg, who founded his company that specializes in corporate and private parties in 1996. Amberg has expanded into St. Louis, Denver and Bentonville, Ark., and launched additional divisions.

Amberg is committed to teamwork and making employees – he prefers to call them “team members” – part of the decision-making process, with weekly open-book discussions.

“When we do meetings … it’s everybody,” he said. “Everything is discussed. Nothing is forbidden to talk about. … You’d be amazed how people will open up.”

Fewer than 5 percent of Amberg’s employees left in 2006, but turnover wasn’t always so low, Amberg said.

“We used to have more turnover in the beginning, because I was running a business the way a business is supposed to be run,” he said, referring to traditional means of management. “But we’re in a fun business, and work should be fun.”

Amberg believes it’s critical to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus and the right seat for everybody – a concept he borrowed from the book “Good to Great” by best-selling author Jim Collins.

“If you’re having to micromanage your people, you’ve got the wrong people,” Amberg said.

Everyone fills out regular job reports, which are used to determine who wins the weekly, monthly and annual MVP awards voted on by all staff members.

“I found that productivity level has skyrocketed. … Everyone kind of feels like they’re part of the chain,” Amberg said.

There is no waiting period to participate in the company’s retirement plan; employees are fully vested in less than six months; and the company contributes.

Five personal days are available to entry-level employees immediately, as are six to 10 vacation days and three to four sick days. New parents have six weeks with full pay for maternity and paternity leave. Domestic-partner benefits are offered. All employees are eligible for bonuses, which average more than $1,000 a year.

Most employees are in the business as a career, and promotions come from within, said Adam Brown, vice president.

Many companies use a structured system to promote people, but Amberg prefers to let employees’ performance dictate their path, Brown said. The general manager of the Bentonville office, for instance, began as an event worker three years ago.

“Ted’s a very loyal person,” said Brown, who began as a graphics designer when Amberg Entertainment started in Ted Amberg’s basement. “If you’re loyal to him, he’s loyal to you.”

Amberg said he believes in doing what he can to retain people. “Keep our roster strong, and we’re strong as a company,” he said.

Amberg Entertainment Inc.

Founded: 1996

Address: 2025 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO 65802

Phone: (417) 886-2442

Web: www.ambergentertainment.com

Employees: 43

Services: Corporate and private parties[[In-content Ad]]