Dallas-based, The Container Store, the nation's leading retailer of storage and organization products, today announced that the company tops FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" two years in a row. As the No. 1 company on the list, The Container Store won high praise from enthusiastic employees, with 97 percent saying "People care about each other here" and recommend the place to friends. In fact, 41 percent of new hires came in that way last year. The magazine's annual rankings of the 100 best companies will appear in the Jan. 8 issue of FORTUNE.

Kip Tindell, CEO and president of The Container Store, and Garrett Boone, chairman of The Container Store, representing the owners said, "We are just so surprised and honored to top FORTUNE's list for the second year. The Container Store's employees truly are the reason that we've received this wonderful holiday gift from FORTUNE. They are the driving force behind the success of our business and, therefore, we strive to create a place where our employees enjoy getting up in the morning and coming to work."

Boone and Tindell added, "Over the past year, we've really been able to expand on what we've been doing for 22 years in cultivating our unique culture, adding new benefits and exploring other creative workplace programs. Creating a great place for employees to thrive is a never-ending journey. Over the next year and beyond, we will continue to raise the bar in making The Container Store an even better place to work."

FORTUNE was assisted in compiling the list by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz, best-selling authors of The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America. The majority of the FORTUNE "100 Best" list is employee-driven, with two-thirds of the scoring based on the answers employees give on the Great Place to Work Trust Index, an anonymous employee survey that evaluates trust in management, pride in work and the company, and camaraderie.

In addition, The Container Store completed The Great Place to Work® Culture Audit©. The Audit seeks information of a factual nature including demographic data about the employee population and whether or not the company has specific benefits or programs. Additionally, it explores what is distinctive about the company's workplace culture, specifically, what is special, unique or unusual about the organization. Companies were also asked to submit supplementary materials such as newsletters, service awards, photos, handbooks and videos. This allowed The Container Store to detail special and unique benefits, opportunities for professional development and personal growth, as well as ways the company shows appreciation and recognition.

In addition to consecutively topping FORTUNE's list, The Container Store has been heralded this year for many of its best practices. The 235 hours of formal training provided for its first-year, full-time employees have garnered national attention - the retail industry average is about seven hours. This training and the profound level of communication shared within the company has been cited as factors for The Container Store's low turnover rate, which historically runs 15 to 25 percent. The retail industry typically experiences more than 100 percent turnover. Additionally, Dr. Leonard Berry, America's foremost expert on service quality, included The Container Store in his most recent book, "Discovering the Soul of Service." The book profiles 14 companies, which provide the utmost in customer service in a variety of industries. And in 1999, The Container Store received the Retail Innovator's Award by the National Retail Federation.

In 1978, co-founders Tindell and Boone originated the retail category of storage and organization with The Container Store. The first location occupied a 1,600 square foot space in Dallas at Preston Road and Forest Lane. The company has grown to 22 stores across the country, which average approximately 25,000 square feet in size. Tindell and Boone's mission has remained steadfast: to offer customers impeccable customer service and innovative products which save space and, ultimately, save customers precious time. Guided by their "do unto others" business philosophies or Foundation Principles, Tindell and Boone have developed a strong culture for The Container Store's more than 2,000 employees to thrive in the workplace.

The Container Store currently has locations in Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, Arlington, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta; Denver; Chicago, Northbrook, Oakbrook, and Schaumburg, Ill.; Rockville, Md.; the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C.; White Plains, N.Y.; Miami, Fla. and in Costa Mesa and San Diego, Calif. Additionally, the retailer's Customer Solutions Department (888-CONTAIN [266-8246]) offers expert product solutions and free space planning for customers' storage and organization challenges via the phone, Web site (www.containerstore.com), fax and mail. The Container Store is slated to open three new locations in 2001. The company will open in Southlake, Texas, on June 2 in Southlake Town Square (a suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex) and will enter two new markets later in the year including, Columbus, Ohio, as an anchor in Phase II of Easton Town Center, and in Plaza Escuela in Walnut Creek, Calif. Sales for 2000 are expected to reach $237 million.

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