The Wonderful Company Named No. 1 for its efforts to revitalize communities in Central California
PEOPLE reveals its ninth annual list of the PEOPLE® 100 Companies that Care, spotlighting employers that have gone above and beyond to support employees and local communities to thrive.
The Wonderful Companywas named No. 1 on this year’s list, achieving this distinction for its remarkable investments in local communities where it operates in California’s Central Valley.
An agriculture leader known for its citrus, nuts, and other products, the company is heavily invested in the well-being of its employees, building health care clinics and creating services that would otherwise be unavailable. Five wellness centers are staffed with full-time bilingual doctors, nurse practitioners, and other providers. Employees can also access healthy food from the company’s cafes in the Central Valley and Los Angeles.
When the company learns about challenges that employees and their families face, it takes action. The company went door-to-door in places like Lost Hills, where more than half of the households have one or more Wonderful employees, and conducted 40-minute interviews to learn about community issues and how the company could help. These conversations led to investments in a new community center, improved city infrastructure, affordable housing units built in partnership with local nonprofit partners and government agencies, and more.
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Read more about The Wonderful Company and other featured companies that made the list online and in the September 1, 2025 issue of PEOPLE, which hits newsstands nationwide on Friday, August 22, 2025.
And, hear directly from The Wonderful Company’s Stephen Howe on the importance of creating a great place to live for its employees, on a recent episode of The Great Place To Work podcast.
PEOPLE once again partnered with global workplace culture authority Great Place To Work® to identify the top U.S. companies that best fit the criteria, analyzing 1.3 million survey responses that represent the experience of 8.4 million U.S. employees.
Companies that Care is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on the level of care and concern for employees, local communities, and the environment. Winning companies outperform on their ability to create great employee experiences that cut across job level, work status, geographic location, or other demographic identifier. Great Place To Work also assessed the level of generosity of each organization’s benefits, as well as philanthropic and community support.
PEOPLE’s TOP 10 COMPANIES THAT CARE for 2025
- The Wonderful Company
- Hilton
- Delta Air Lines
- Wegmans Food Markets
- Cisco
- Synchrony
- Marriott International
- NVIDIA
- American Express
- Sheetz, Inc.
Other themes from this year’s list include efforts to create economic opportunities for vulnerable people around the world, such as the work of Hilton (No.2) and the Hilton Global Foundation. Companies like American Express (No. 9) also invested more in employee well-being, going above and beyond for employees who are facing life-changing medical events.
Winning companies have also invested in employees’ financial well-being, like Delta Air Lines (No. 3), which maintained its profit-sharing program, even amid rising economic uncertainty.
“Businesses are vital pillars in the communities where they operate,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. “Caring for your people and your community isn’t something you do after you build a successful business; it’s how to make your business successful.”
“Witnessing the innovative spirit with which these companies invest in their employees, communities, and the world is truly invigorating,” says Charlotte Triggs, PEOPLE GM and editor-in-chief. “Their commitment reflects our mission, to feature what happens when ordinary people do extraordinary work.”
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