
DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230550

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL  

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   78 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: * USAA Property & Casualty Insurance Co. is in Norfolk. A story and photo caption in Thursday's Business News had the wrong location. Correction published Friday, October 24, 1997 on page D2 of THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT. * EMPLOYEE-ORIENTED FIRMS HONORED FOR EXTRA EFFORTS

An insurance company that built its own child-care center on site garnered recognition Wednesday.

So did a computer firm that offers free prenatal classes to its working mothers-to-be.

A holding company with eight subsidiaries and a family atmosphere gained praise, too.

The honors came from the Tidewater Business & Professional Women, which hosted its 1997 Exemplary Employer Awards Program at the Omni Waterside Hotel, Norfolk.

``The goal of this event is to build awareness in the business community of which companies are making the extra effort for their employees,'' said Yvenne King, Tidewater BPW president and chairwoman of the event.

The organization, which bills itself as a leading advocate for working women, chose three companies, out of 12 nominees, to receive awards.

NWC Holding Company and Subsidiaries in Norfolk was named Exemplary Employer among area firms with fewer than 500 employees. USAA Property & Casualty Insurance Co., Virginia Beach, and Gateway 2000, Hampton, tied among large employers.

Shirley Blackwell, senior marketing consultant for Taylor Document Management Co., one of eight subsidiaries of NWC Holding Co., said the firm has a family atmosphere in addition to perks such as reimbursement for tuition and books.

Two of Hampton Roads' better-known organizations tied for the large employer award, said Marylou Sambora, Tidewater BPW vice president and membership chairwoman.

Gateway 2000 and USAA ``both presented unique benefits packages for employees and really demonstrated they're very employee-friendly businesses,'' Sambora said.

Beyond pay, the two employers' fringe benefits are ``really dynamic,'' Sambora said. She listed USAA's on-site Child Development Center, which opened this year, and Gateway 2000's ``Babies and You'' prenatal program as distinctive programs.

All 12 nominees had impressive credentials, King said.

Women hold 33 percent of Piedmont Aviation's executive positions. Earl Industries, Norfolk, offers a home computer program for single parents with sick children. And several offer flexible schedules. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

LAWRENCE JACKSON

The Virginian-Pilot

Children of employees at USAA Property & Casualty Insurance Co. in

Virginia Beach use the playground in a new on-site day-care

facility, which opened in September.

Exemplary Nominees

NWC Holding Co. & Subsidiaries

USAA Property & Casualty Ins. Co.

Gateway 2000

Beach Bully Inc.

Cederquist Rodriguez Ripley Maddox

Chesapeake General Hospital