Great Rated! is excited to announce its 2015 People's Picks in manufacturing and production. These 15 companies stand out as the top workplaces in these sectors, based on anonymous surveys of their employees:

Large Companies:

1. Hilcorp
2. Stryker
3. Devon Energy
4. Arthrex Inc.
5. L. Gore & Associates
6. EOG Resources Inc.
7. JM Family Enterprises Inc.
8. Mars Inc.
9. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
10. Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Small Companies

1. Tactical Electronics
2. Field Fastener Supply Company
3. FONA International Inc.
4. Clif Bar & Company
5. American Transmission Company

As you can see in their individual Great Rated! employer reviews, these companies make a point to support their people in a range of meaningful ways. Among the strengths common to these workplaces are a genuine commitment to safety and an overall culture that inspires a sense of pride. For example, the share of employees who feel they have a safe work environment averages 96 percent among the large companies above. While among the smaller companies, the share of employees who say they're proud to tell others where they work also averages 96 percent.

“This company has found the perfect combination of serious business in the defense industry and a fun, light-hearted place to work,” says an employee at Tactical Electronics. Leading the small employers list, this company helps build up its team with scavenger hunts, trampoline dodgeball tournaments and an all-expenses-paid vacation for its employee of the year.

At the business topping the large-employer category, one employee says, "The compensation plan at Hilcorp is the most unique and rewarding plan I have ever experienced or heard of." The company takes employee buy-in literally, with both profit sharing and an additional program that allows team members to buy a further stake in the organization's projects. At the same time, Hilcorp makes a point to share its financial and performance information with employees on a regular basis.

Many of these companies are undertaking strategic initiatives to retain current employees as well as to attract new ones. As I've argued before, companies that offer great workplaces recognize the fact that employee happiness will, in turn, lead to higher productivity, better customer service and an elevated reputation.

How We Ranked the Companies:

The 15 Great Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production is a “best of the best” ranking. Of the 600 companies recently surveyed using the Trust Index© employee survey, 44 self-identified as manufacturing and production companies. Over 34,000 employees from these companies completed the survey and answered 58 questions about how frequently they experience the behaviors that create a great workplace.