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Awards

Best Places to Work: #45 – Gemline

Find out what makes this supplier a top promo industry workplace.

Gemline ugly sweater party

Gemline logo

Company Size: Large (100+ employees)
Location: Lawrence, MA
Work Model: Hybrid
Year Founded: 1980

Company Culture: At the heart of the culture at Gemline (asi/56070) are the values of trust, integrity, truth, humility and inclusion. “This is the foundation for our motto, ‘pride in people, pride in product,’ which means being proud of who you work with and what you’re working to achieve,” explains Susan Kamacho, vice president of human resources. “We’re a team, working together to deliver exceptional experiences to our customers.”

This culture is the single biggest reason employees enjoy working at the firm – though they also appreciate the frequent celebrations and Gemline-logoed merch.

COVID Changes: Gemline operates on a hybrid model, with a mix of in-person and remote work (for non-production positions that are possible to do off-site). “Our work environment is focused on engagement and problem-solving, so we find that a hybrid work schedule gives us the best of all worlds,” Kamacho says.

Beyond merch giveaways, Gemline has kept traditional celebratory activities going on-site, just with adaptations to account for COVID. “We utilize more food trucks, for instance, for some events, since they’re outside,” Kamacho explains. “We’ve also continued our tradition of celebrating milestones, such as years of service or becoming a U.S. citizen.”

Parting Tip: People want to feel welcomed and valued. Create a culture that does those things, and you’ll attract and retain quality employees, says Kamacho.