Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric has ranked ninth in the midsize company category in the Denver Post Top Workplaces for 2023. This is the eleventh consecutive year that Applewood has been recognized with this high-performance award.

In addition to ranking ninth locally, Applewood was awarded the national Culture Excellence Award by Energage, which administers the Top Workplaces surveys. This is Applewood’s first time being recognized nationally. Fewer than 3% of eligible organizations earn a Top Workplaces national designation, making this achievement a clear differentiator within the business community.

“We are proud and honored to have our company recognized nationally for our efforts,” said Josh Ward, owner of Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric. “We appreciate our employees as they embody our values every day, ensuring trust with our customers. This award is a shoutout to that commitment.”

Applewood has been recognized in three categories – Leadership, Compensation & Benefits, Purpose & Values. The company has outstanding performance and best practices in these three categories by inspiring confidence in their employees, appreciating employees for their work contributions, and embedding their mission and values into their daily work and company culture.

A comprehensive survey is done to gather insights into company culture from the employee perspective. With seven categories that rank culture, work environment, performance, leadership, company values, compensation, and more, Applewood received praise from their employees. After being selected as a Denver Post Top Workplaces recipient, the company was automatically considered for national recognition.

With more than 190 employees, Applewood provides a safe, enriching work environment and experience for their employees. Through a culture of camaraderie and growth, the company has implemented an apprenticeship program to ensure that the industry trades continue to grow and remain a viable career choice. Applewood also relies on feedback from customers and employees to continue to improve their best practices.

“We are grateful to have helped homeowners for 50 years,” Ward said. “It takes diligence and teamwork to have that kind of longevity. It’s nice to be recognized for all that hard work over the years to build a business that respects its employees, our customers, and the work we do.”

Applewood’s graciousness also expands into the greater community as they support several community efforts and initiatives through their Caring Community Giveaway, which is a $5,000 quarterly commitment to small, local nonprofits nominated by employees and selected through community votes. Other community involvement includes scholarships supporting education in the trades at Red Rocks Community College, support of the Wheat Ridge High School Farmers 5000 and the Littleton High School Lions 5k, Denver Dumb Friends League’s Furry Scurry, and sponsorship of many youth sports teams along the Front Range.