Solar Velocity ranked Atlanta's 'Best Places to Work

Solar Velocity LLC is becoming a regular on a lot of "top" and "best of" lists. Not only does the company top the small employer category of the 2007 Atlanta's Best Places To Work, but last year the Chronicle named it a Top Web Designer and Developer. In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce designated Solar Velocity a Top 25 Business of the Year, and Goldline Research dubbed it one of its Top 10 Most Dependable Web Design Firms in the Southeast.

"Lists are great, but we really want to provide value to the clients," says Jason Swenk, co-founder and CEO of Solar Velocity. Swenk and Solar Velocity's co-founder and chief operating officer, Kirby Winters, launched the technology and marketing company in 1999. Specializing in marketing and Web technologies, Solar Velocity's client list includes Aflac Inc., BellSouth Corp., BP Amoco Chemical Co. and Crystal Springs (owned by DS Waters of America Inc.).

One of the biggest reasons employees like working at Solar Velocity is that Swenk and Winters rely heavily on them to make the company successful. "We're not doing this on our own," says Winters. "We may not pay the most, but the difference they make [in the company] comes back to them." Solar Velocity employee bonuses tend to be more generous than its competitors, and are directly related to the success of the company. If clients are happy, that translates into more money in all 21 employees' pockets.

As one employee indicated in a survey for the Best Places To Work program: "I love working for this company because they make you feel a part of what's going on, not just a hired hand. We are a team here and everyone does their best to make sure the best job is always done." Another added, "I see myself growing as the company grows and see a direct impact and feel valued as a team member."

Swenk and Winters both logged time at corporations — Swenk worked at Arthur Andersen LLP and Winters at GTE (now Verizon) — and both have an appreciation for working hard and for taking time to have some fun.

At Solar Velocity's offices in Smyrna, visitors will find a pingpong table, a talking Donald Trump doll and employees who have been known to, on occasion, relocate their boss' scooter from the back parking lot to the front parking lot as a joke. (Swenk has since graduated to a car.)

Not long ago, four lounge chairs were delivered to the office, each in a separate box. The boxes were large and stuffed with packing peanuts. Employees filled a single cubicle with the packing peanuts. They then took turns jumping into the peanut-filled cubicle. (Swenk and Winters were right there with them.) Static electricity caused the peanuts to stick to participants, who ultimately resorted to informal jumping jacks in the parking lot in an attempt to rid themselves of the pesky peanuts.

Although office antics make for good stories, Solar Velocity is about a lot more than hiding scooters and inventing new indoor sports. The company's focus is to improve its clients' return on investment through Web design, marketing strategies and the like. Given all the accolades the company is getting, they're doing so. Play is important, but it's by keeping its employees up to speed on new technologies and creating an environment where they continue to learn (the company rotates
subject matter experts so that employees can pick up new ideas) that employees can better serve the firm's clients.

Notes Winters: "We have a business focus here, but you've got to love what you do."