COMPANY RANKING: 13
8180 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
ABOUT THE TOP PLACE TO WORK
In 2018, the Brown family—which has owned Aldon since its founding in 1947—brought in new management. Now, “there’s a lot more support, there’s a lot more training…people get listened to,” says Leslie Gutierrez, who joined Aldon as a leasing agent nearly a decade ago.
Aldon, which has 58 employees, owns and manages residential and office buildings in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C., the Carolinas and Texas. These days, the entire organization—from site-maintenance staff to leasing managers to the corporate team—gathers to “kick off” the first quarter and meets again for an end-of-year “rally.” Since the start of the pandemic, most of the events have been virtual, but everyone is still able to chat with CEO Todd Bowen and learn about the operations.
There’s “more structure, better technology and a lot of transparency,” says Gina Junio, vice president of human resources. She describes staff gatherings as “parties with a purpose” because so much information is shared by management.
Benefits have also improved, Gutierrez says, including the addition of “floating holidays,” an employer-funded health reimbursement account and a flexible spending account. “My plan is to continue to grow and learn,” says Gutierrez, now a community marketing manager.