Best Places to Work

As national Engineers Week (February 21-27) kicks off to celebrate the work of engineers, three Illinois employers were named the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers’ (ISPE) “Best Places for Engineers to Work.” Nominated by their employees, Prairie Engineers, Civiltech Engineering and the Illinois Department of Public Health received recognition for their exceptional management in a year of uncertainty.

The competition rankings were developed through a methodology that ranked engineering employers that chose to participate in the competition. Companies were required to self-nominate in order to participate, and nominated employers were required to circulate an anonymous employee satisfaction survey. A panel of staff members of ISPE analyzed anonymous data and ranked the places in three categories: Small Firm, Large Firm and Government.

“The Illinois Society of Professional Engineers is proud to celebrate the outstanding leadership demonstrated by these three Illinois engineering employers in the wake of a global pandemic. Their ability to quickly pivot and adapt, all while keeping employee morale high is truly notable. This competition is intended to shine the spotlight on employers that receive the highest marks from their employees,” said ISPE Executive Director, Kim Robinson. “During EWeek, ISPE congratulates the winning companies and others who took part in the competition. They are advancing the practice of engineering in the state of Illinois.”

These organizations will be recognized among their peers at the 2021 ISPE Annual Virtual Conference in July.

Download the Press Release

Small Firm Winner

Prairie Engineers, P.C.
Year established: 2010
Locations: Columbia, IL, Hazelwood, MO, Keokuk, IA, Washington, IL, Springfield IL
About: Prairie Engineers, P.C. is a full services engineering, geospatial, and environmental science firm with a goal of delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions and maintaining our natural and built environment. It is a woman-owned firm with offices across the Midwest. The firm provides services to federal, state, and local governments, utilities, industries, and private businesses.

Prairie Engineers Video Interview

“Prairie Engineers is a team of forward-thinking engineers, surveyors, and scientists solving problems for agencies that improve and preserve public works across the United States. Since our founding in 2010 we have developed expertise in delivering quality products, built a strong network of teaming partners, and instilled a responsive ‘can do’ culture in our firm. These attributes are just a few examples of what continues to set them apart as a small business delivering big results.”

Large Firm Winner

Civiltech Engineering, Inc.
Year established: 1988
Locations: Itasca, IL, Chicago, IL
About: Civiltech Engineering, Inc. is an engineering firm with its primary focus on transportation and civil engineering. The firm offers a wide range of services while maintaining a high level of integrity and attention to detail on each and every area of the job.

Civiltech Engineering Video Interview

“Civiltech Engineering has done a phenomenal job adapting to the changing times during this pandemic. We not only maintained 100% retention of our workforce, but we even added 10 full-time equivalents. Our growth in this past year is largely attributed to the team culture that we created. Founded on transparency and trust, Civiltech has been able to not only withstand this storm but has come out bigger and stronger than ever before."

Government Winner

Illinois Department of Public Health
Year established: 1877
Locations: Springfield IL, Chicago, IL
About: The mission of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is to protect the health and wellness of the people in Illinois through the prevention, health promotion regulation, and the control of disease and injury. In partnership with other state agencies, IDPH has over 200 programs which affect the lives and wellbeing of every resident and visitor in Illinois. IDPH promotes healthy living through education, science-based practice and by encouraging disease prevention and control.

IDPH Audio Interview

“Working at IDPH provides individuals an opportunity for the betterment of the health of Illinoisans and to effect meaningful change to the entire Illinois design community. IDPH is able to review a wide variety of unique projects, whereas many design firms have a limited portfolio. The flexibility in scheduling has been incredibly helpful to allow for a balance between work and personal life.”