ArborOne Financial Named A Best Place to Work in South Carolina by SCBIZ Magazine

Florence, SC (PRWEB) August 26, 2008 -- ArborOne Financial (http://www.arborone.com/services/loans/index.jsp), the local Farm Credit cooperative established in 1917, is proud to be named by SCBIZ magazine as one of the top 28 places to work in South Carolina among employers with 15-249 employees. The recognition comes after extensive independent research into ArborOne's employment policies and procedures, as well as a 65-question employee survey.

When asked to describe what makes ArborOne a great place to work for in thirty words or less by the magazine, the company responded: "With conviction and dedication, ArborOne works together as a family; celebrating success, providing support during trials and believing in each other and our purpose to improve life in rural America."

Jack Shuler, CEO of ArborOne, says, "It's a tremendous honor for us to be recognized on a state-wide level like this. We've seen a lot of growth and transition in the last year, but we haven't lost sight of what's important--our people and our relationships. I'm proud that the great team we have assembled here to serve the families and farmers of the Pee Dee region are getting some of the acknowledgement they deserve for providing an exceptional place to work."

The "Best Places to Work in SC" program is a partnership between the S.C. Chamber of Commerce; the S.C. Society for Human Resource Management's S.C. State Council; SC Biz News, operator of SCJobMarket.com and publisher of the Charleston Regional Business Journal; the Columbia Regional Business Report; GSA Business and SCBIZ magazine. The initiative came together to help South Carolina employers have a "looking glass" into their own employee relationships with the goal of benchmarking and improving employee relationships across the state. The benchmarking material is made available to winners and non winners alike.

ArborOne's recognition comes on the heels of a dramatic hiring initiative in 2008 (http://arborone.com/news.jsp?articleId=24), with a particular focus on attaining new talent from the Pee Dee Region. Shuler attributes the "Best Places to Work Award" as a result of a focus throughout the Farm Credit Association on employee satisfaction. "We treat our employees like we want them to treat our customers, and this award is an indication of just that," he says.

ArborOne recently opened a brand-new facility based partly on feedback from employees, and consistently fosters open communication from employees regarding everything from employee health programs to strategic planning for new market opportunities.

On October 16th, the companies acknowledged as Best Place to Work in SC will attend a special recognition event at the Embassy Suites hotel in Columbia, where each company's rank will be announced.

ArborOne is a local, member-owned cooperative that returns profits to its member-customers while charging a competitive loan rate. "Everyone here is dedicated to serving rural America and to making life better for each other," says Shuler. "Awards like this one show that we're getting some very important things right--service to our customers, service to our community, and service to our employees. We're all neighbors."

About ArborOne:

ArborOne Financial provides a full line of lending solutions in the 12 county area of South Carolina. For the last 91 years, ArborOne has provided agricultural and South Carolina home loans (http://www.arborone.com/services/loans/home-country.jsp) for people all across the Pee Dee region. A long-standing Farm Credit lender, ArborOne operates as a cooperative and pays an annual patronage refund (http://www.arborone.com/about/cooperative-principle/patronage.jsp). For more information, visit www.ArborOne.com.

###