Tec Labs Ranks #7 Worldwide in The Scientist Magazine’s "Best Places to Work in Industry"

The Albany, Oregon pharmaceutical manufacturer is one of 10 companies from 21 countries to be recognized in the "fewer than 5,000 employees" category

Albany, OR –Tec Laboratories, Inc. (Tec Labs) has been recognized by The Scientist magazine as one of the top companies to work for in their annual survey. Tec Labs ranked 7th out of 10 in the Small Company (fewer than 5,000 employees) category. The company's focus on a truly family-friendly work environment, flexible time for employees, a well equipped and maintained lab, and high corporate ethical standards helped push Tec Labs into the top 10, according to feedback from the magazine.

One of a Kind Corporate Culture

"The honor from The Scientist magazine is one that we are all extremely excited about," said Steve Smith, president of Tec Labs. "We learned long ago that to attract and retain the best employees we needed to create and nurture a corporate culture that sincerely focuses on employees and family. If you couple that with our new state-of-the-art facility and financial stability, a very positive situation is created for getting and retaining superstar employees." Smith also said that, earlier this year, the company launched the "Volunteer for Pay" program in which employees could receive their regular pay for doing up to 40 hours of volunteer work per year.

For evidence of the positive effects of Tec Labs' corporate culture, one can look to Wendy Langley, Tec Labs regulatory affairs manager. "I honestly can't imagine myself not working at Tec Labs," says Langley. "I've been here for 16 years—through much growth and change. One thing has always stayed constant; Tec Labs cares about me and every single person that works here. For instance, I just had a baby. I was given an office setup at home so I can work there until my husband gets home from work each day."

Brandon Richards, quality control technician echoes his associate. "The other labs I've worked at just don't compare to the lab here," says Richards. "Other labs I've worked in have the employees working like robots, doing one job over and over. The atmosphere here is more hands on. I also like the basketball court and the bonus programs."

Becky Langford, Tec Labs quality control laboratory analyst, points to Tec Labs' flexibility with work schedules as one of her favorite company policies. Becky's husband, Tim, is a pharmacy student at Oregon State University that will have to travel to fulfill his pharmacy internship requirements. "Over the next few months I will be taking time off to go with Tim to Alaska and Hawaii. I am very fortunate to work at a company that is letting me come back to work in between locations, and after my husband's internship is finished."

List contains world-renowned companies

Tec Labs was joined on the list by some highly respected and extremely well known companies. Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subsidiary of Du Pont, took the number one spot among large companies for the second year in a row.

The top ten large companies for scientists
1. Pioneer Hi-Bred	6. Aventis
2. Proctor & Gamble	7. Johnson & Johnson
3. Genetech	8. Abbott Laboratories
4. Phizer	9. AstraZeneca
5. Amgen	10. Eli Lilly

The top ten small companies for scientists
1. OpenEye Scientific Software	6. TransForm Pharmaceuticals
2. Diversa	7. Tec Laboratories
3. Infinity Pharmaceuticals	8. BD Biosciences
4. Asterand	9. Promega
5. Lexicon Genetics	10. Invitogen

About the Survey

The Scientist asked industry-based readers in the Life Sciences field to assess their experiences and work environments against 45 criteria. The Life Sciences are generally recognized as the sciences that have to do with "organisms" like plants, animals and humans. The magazine used an in-depth web based survey and conducted follow-up phone interviews. Companies were separated into two categories; small (fewer than 5,000 employees) and large (more than 5,000 employees). The survey results appeared in the June 21, 2004, issue. To view the article, log onto www.the-scientist.com

About Tec Labs

Tec Laboratories is an innovator of over-the-counter dermaceutical products. The company manufactures topical skin protection products that have been protecting outdoor workers and consumers for 27 years. The company's brand names include Oak-n-Ivy Brand® Tecnu® Outdoor Skin Cleanser, CalaGel®, IvyStat! ™, CortiCool®, Licefreee!® and The 10-Hour Insect Repellent™ with 100% DEET. Tec Labs has been named to Oregon Business magazine's annual "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" list for six of the last seven years. For more information on Tec Labs and its product line, call 1-800-ITCHING or visit www.teclabsinc.com.

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