...Angie McCarter

...Angie McCarter

...Angie McCarter

 

...Angie Mccarter

Davidson Technologies, Inc. is selected as one of The Principal Financial Group^® 2010 winners of The Principal^® 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security. 

Principal 10 Best Stand Firm on Benefit Commitment
 

August 24, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – For the ninth year running, the Principal Financial Group has named 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security.  

In the midst of a turbulent economy, these “10 growing companies stood firm in their commitment to employee financial security by maintaining, and even adding to, their first-class employee benefits,” according to the announcement. 

And, it appears to be paying off.  According to the Principal, the winning companies have turnover rates that are well below others in their industry and significantly lower than the national average, with an average annual voluntary turnover rate of 7.1%, compared to the national average of 24%. 

The 10 companies honored are: 

• American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington, D.C.—professional association   
• Clif Bar & Company, Berkeley, Calif.—organic health food and drink manufacturer 
• Davidson Technologies, Inc., Huntsville, Ala.— Research & Development Engineering Company for the defense and aerospace industries
• Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.—property and casualty insurance 
• Franklin International, Columbus, Ohio—adhesive manufacturer 
• Red River Credit Union, Texarkana, Texas—federally chartered credit union  
• RLI, Peoria, Ill.—specialty insurer covering niche markets 
• The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Fla.—private college prep school 
• The Delp Company, Maumee, Ohio—wealth, risk management and employee benefits consulting firm 
• The Graham Company, Philadelphia, Pa.—insurance broker and consultant 

Profiles of the winners are available at www.principal.com/10best. 

This is the ninth consecutive year the Principal has sponsored the program that honors growing companies (five – 1,000 employees) for their commitment to employees’ financial security through outstanding employee benefit offerings. 

According to the announcement, the independent panel of judges noted the following top trends among this year’s winners: 

• Well-developed wellness. There was a dramatic increase in the quality and creativity of wellness programs, with more incentives to live healthy lifestyles, including discounts on medical premiums, personal trainers onsite, paid time to work out and subsidies to buy bicycles.  
• Holding health care costs. Winning companies continued to share significantly in the cost of health care, doing what they could to avoid passing along double-digit increases and focusing on helping employees become better health care consumers.   
• Bolstering benefits during the recession. Every winner either added or enhanced benefits during the economic downturn. Two companies added retirement programs: a defined benefit pension plan and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and several companies added insurance and supplemental coverages. Winners also held fast to their generous retirement plan contributions.  
• Expanding education. All companies offer one-on-one meetings with financial professionals or benefits specialists and all but one pays for investment advice, to help employees make the best use of benefits. One company requires one-on-one meetings for new hires and those nearing retirement. 

  Luke Vandermillen, vice president at the Principal Financial Group, noted, “Adversity inspires innovation and that’s what our panel of judges found with this year’s winners. They worked with employees to find creative ways to cut expenses without cutting benefits. They focused on adding and improving benefits that really meet the unique needs of their employees. And they greatly expanded wellness programs to hold down health care costs.”  

While the downturn has impacted every company differently, Vandermillen said that the Principal 10 Best share a common philosophy: investing in employees is a top priority.  “They know that great benefits are a key to getting great work from great people—and all of that can lead to a better bottom line.”    

You can find out more about The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security at www.principal.com/10best

...Pamela Peterson

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce recently named Davidson Technologies as Technology Small Business of the Year at their "Heroes of Small Business" banquet on September 1. Dr. Julian Davidson, Chairman of the Board of Davidson Technologies, accepted the award on behalf of Davidson's employees. "The people who work for Davidson Technologies are the best in the business," Davidson said. "They deserve the recognition, and it's an honor to accept on their behalf."...Angie McCarter

Davidson Technologies (DTI) recently received a contract revision to support Boeing on the GMD program for 10 positions in Information Assurance(IA) and System Security Engineering(SSE) located in Huntsville and Colorado Springs. DTI's Development Accreditation Lead will assist the Information Assurance Manager in assessing National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual(NISPOM) Chapter 8, related regulations in the administration of classified computer systems, and in overseeing Information System Security Officers. DTI's Operational Concepts Analyst will provide compliance monitoring of Network IA/Security and supporting future evolving protection capabilities and strategies. IA Security Analysts are supporting Certification and Accreditation activities related to Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP), including risk assessments. Our IA/SSE Analyst is supporting Computer Development Security(CDS) for Ground Segment. DTI's IA Data Analysts are developing Common Security Configuration, Information Assurance Vulnerability Management, Metrics Reporting, and Incident Response databases and tools. The Systems Security Engineering team provides Computer Network Defense(CND) through lifecycle development of security mechanisms. DTI's IA team is also comprised of Information System Security Officers, and System Administrators. The majority of the team is certified with CISSP and/or other relevant certifications. Other members of the team are pursuing certifications. Lisa Abrams, Dave Stewart, and Steve West were responsible for pursuing these efforts. Lisa Abrams will lead the IA and SSE related efforts for Davidson Technologies. Lisa can be reached by e-mail at lisaabrams@davidson-tech.com...Angie McCarter/Lisa Abrams

Dr. Julian Davidson, Chairman of the Board of Davidson Technologies, recently announced the company has received Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned status. As a result of the rating by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Davidson Technologies will now operate as a SDVO small business. Davidson Technologies is excited to offer our customers and potential customers the opportunity to meet their SDVO small business goals through future teaming and subcontracting opportunities. Founded in 1996, Davidson Technologies provides research and development support to the U.S. Army, MDA, NASA, U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force, as well as various defense and aerospace prime contractors in performance of duties, including, but not limited to the following: System Engineering; Systems Analysis; Space Control; Test and Evaluation; HWIL; Battle Management Command and Control; Modeling and Simulation; Information Assurance; Software Development and IV&V; Program Support; Tactical Communications & Systems; and, Systems Integration....Angie McCarter