2018 February/March Issue
4 Things You Buy with Higher Health Insurance Premiums
Health insurance in the United States is expensive. That, by now, is a cliché. This...
10 Quick Steps to Initiate Branding Change to Coastal Virginia
A statewide initiative to rebrand the region from Hampton Roads to Coastal Virginia could strengthen...
Rebranding Hampton Roads to Coastal Virginia
How A New Statewide Initiative Could Strengthen Our Regional Identity To Drive Economic Growth By...
Best Places to Work: 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union
By Barrett Baker 110 Cybernetics Way, Yorktown 757-877-2444 | 1stAdvantage.org Founded: Chartered in 1951 Employees:...
Best Places to Work: Array Digital
By Angela Blue 660 Independence Pkwy., #310, Chesapeake | 888-338-8252 | ThisIsArray.com Founded: Originally launched...
Best Places to Work: Abbitt Realty
By Ryan Miller AbbittRealty.com Abbitt Realty has office locations in Gloucester, Hampton, Newport News and...
Best Places to Work: Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group
By Ryan Miller AtlanticBay.com Atlantic Bay has locations in Chesapeake, Gloucester, Virginia Beach, Yorktown, throughout...
Best Places to Work: Buzz Franchise Brands
By Angela Blue 2829 Guardian Lane, Suite 100, Virginia Beach | 885-275-2563 | BuzzFranchiseBrands.com Founded:...
Best Places to Work: Chesbay Distributing
By Ryan Miller 3928 Cook Blvd., Chesapeake | 757-558-8170 | ChesbayDistributing.com Founded: 1958 as Norfolk...
Best Places to Work: Entercom Communications
By Angela Blue 236 Clearfield Ave., Virginia Beach | 757-497-2000 | Entercom.com Other locations are...
Best Places to Work: GEICO
By Grace Silipigni 1345 Perimeter Pkwy., Virginia Beach | 757-222-3400 | Geico.com Founded: 1936 Employees:...
Best Places to Work: INIT Innovations In Transportation, Inc.
By Grace Silipigni 424 Network Station, Chesapeake | 757-413-9100 | INITSE.com Other locations are worldwide....
Best Places to Work: Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.
By Barrett Baker 150 W. Main Street, Suite 2100, Norfolk | 757-624-3000 | KaufCan.com Founded:...
Best Places to Work: Lions Bridge Financial Advisors
By Angela Blue 2110 William Styron Square S., Newport News | 757-599-9220 | LionsBridgeFinancial.com Founded:...
Best Places to Work: Office Furniture Outlet
By Grace Silipigni 5595 Raby Rd., Building 3, Norfolk | 757-855-2800 | OFOVa.com Founded: 1989...
Best Places to Work: Old Point National Bank
By Barrett Baker Corporate Headquarters: 101 East Queen Street, Hampton | 757-728-1200 | OldPoint.com Founded:...
Best Places to Work: Classic Air’s One Hour Heating And Air Conditioning
By Angela Blue 2680 Production Rd., Virginia Beach | 757-868-7600 | OneHourComfort.com Founded: 1979 Employees:...
Best Places to Work: Pembroke Commercial Realty
By Ryan Miller 4460 Corporation Lane, #300, Virginia Beach | 757-490-3141 | PembrokeRealty.com Founded: 1962...
Best Places to Work: RynohLive
By Ryan Miller 397 Little Neck Rd., #306, Virginia Beach | 877-467-9664 | Rynoh.com Founded:...
Best Places to Work: Taylor Made Diagnostics, Inc.
By Grace Silipigni 801 Poindexter St, Chesapeake | 757-494-1688 | TaylorMadeDiagnostics.com Founded: 1995 Employees: 24...
Best Places to Work: USAA
By Grace Silipigni 520 Independence Pkwy., Chesapeake | 1-800-531-8722 | USAA.com USAA is based in...
Best Places to Work: Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C.
By Barrett Baker 150 West Main St., Norfolk | 757-625-4700 | WEC-CPA.com Founded: 1989 Employees:...
Best Places to Work: Wilson Law, PLC
By Barrett Baker 430 McLaws Circle, Suite 102, Williamsburg | 866-603-5976 | WilsonLawPLC.com Founded: June...
Best Places to Work
Businesses With Fun And Fulfilling Company Cultures By Barrett Baker, Angela Blue, Grace Silipigni and...
VisitNorfolk Receives Grant from Virginia Tourism Corporation Crush Friday Program
VisitNorfolk received a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Crush Friday program fund....
Union Bank & Trust Pavilion Announced as the New Name of Portsmouth Amphitheater
Union Bank & Trust Pavilion is now the new name for Portsmouth’s amphitheater under a...
4 Questions You Should Be Able to Answer About Your Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
Health benefits enrollment is a once-a-year "event" for most folks in a traditional employer-sponsored model....
2018 ODU Lion’s Lair Competition Welcomes Hampton Roads Entrepreneurs
The 2018 ODU Lion's Lair Competition is accepting applications through March 2, welcoming entrepreneurs from...
3 Questions to Ask Your Doctor at Every Visit
The state-of-healthcare is essentially a ubiquitous water cooler conversation these days. Often, the conversation surrounds...
Girl Scouts Of Colonial Coast Receive STEM Grant From Newport News Shipbuilding
The Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast received a grant from Newport News Shipbuilding, a...
BCF Agency Lands Big Clients Under New Ownership
Less than a year after long-term Creative Director Keith Ireland transitioned into the roles as...
Atlantic Shores Retirement Community Partners to Install Technology to Boost Hearing Quality
Atlantic Shores Retirement Community has embarked on a life-changing technology initiative designed to boost hearing...
SOLitude Lake Management Merges with Lake Masters
SOLitude Lake Management, a leading environmental firm specializing in lake, pond and wetland management, fisheries...
Virginia Wesleyan University Honored as Conservationist of the Year
Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) was honored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in February with...
Excellence In Leadership: J.D. Myers, Cox Communications
Senior Vice President And Region Manager, Cox Communications Virginia Operations By Barrett Baker J.D. Myers...
ivWatch Plans to Relocate to Newport News Tech Center
ivWatch, the exclusive provider of medical devices for the early detection of intravenous (IV) infiltrations...
Sentara Healthcare to Build New Cancer Center in Norfolk
Sentara Healthcare will begin a multi-year, $93.5 million construction project to build a cancer center...
Attorneys at Motorcycle Law Group Use Firsthand Experience to Defend Clients
By Chelsea Sherman It was 1992, and Tom McGrath had been practicing personal injury law...
Battling the Cost of Prescription Meds in Hampton Roads
As Spring arrives, we’re just now escaping (hopefully) a pretty ugly flu season. With that...
5 Tips for Managing Your Email Inbox
Many of us have a love/hate relationship with our email inbox. The form of communication...
Norfolk Growler Company’s Handmade Ceramic Growlers for Craft Beer
By Ryan Miller Norfolk Growler Company’s handmade craft growlers for craft beer resemble old fashioned,...
Trader Interactive Moves Headquarters to Norfolk’s Dominion Tower
Trader Interactive, a digital marketing company, moved its corporate headquarters to Dominion Tower in Norfolk...
ViBe District in Virginia Beach Awards Grants to Commune and 1701
The ViBe Creative District in Virginia Beach has awarded the first two matching grants to...
The White Papers
white pa·per (noun): A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs readers...
By Grace Silipigni
801 Poindexter St, Chesapeake | 757-494-1688 | TaylorMadeDiagnostics.com
Founded: 1995
Employees: 24
President of Taylor Made Diagnostics, Inc., Caroline Taylor, affectionately refers to her team of 24 employees as “Team Awesome.” Team Awesome is dedicated to providing quality occupational health services to businesses throughout Coastal Virginia from workers’ compensation and wellness programs to physical exams and drug/alcohol testing. Taylor Made Diagnostics even offers a Mobile Service that brings their exceptional occupational health skills directly to their customers.
Taylor explains that customer service is not simply a department but rather an attitude that she and Team Awesome have worked hard to establish. “Clarifying core values has been essential,” states Taylor. “Our core values are innovation, responsiveness and commitment to customer service excellence. Our core values are used to guide every aspect of our organization, from hiring to firing [and] strategy and performance management.”
At Taylor Made Diagnostics, all employees not only strive to do the very best for their customers but for one another as well. The company’s family environment fosters a positive work atmosphere that ensures each employee feels valued and cared for. “I have always said family first, so when there is an issue requiring one of our team [members] to be away for a hardship or just a sick child at home, I always say, ‘We’ve got your back,’” explains Taylor. “All in all, we celebrate the joys, support the losses and comfort one another through tough times. That’s what makes us family.”
Team Awesome also bonds over a variety of fun workplace activities. They have spent days away from the office zip lining, navigating escape rooms and competing in obstacle courses for skills training. They also host a slew of office holiday parties, to which Taylor always adds a bit of extra cheer. “[This year] I made 24 holiday jokes and cartoons which were hidden throughout the office. When found, each person was required to shout “Merry Christmas” really loud and then tell the joke over the intercom,” says Taylor.
As a word of advice for companies wishing to boost employee morale, Taylor provides this insight: “Get to know your employees personally, learn their strengths, know them as people, and don’t expect them to do something that you wouldn’t do. We all have to accomplish one thing, and that is taking care of business. When we support each other, it makes our job easier and enjoyable.”
Work Perks
- Opportunity for paid education
- Staff appreciation events like parties, escape room adventures and zip lining
- Staff lunches
- Encouraging and kind work environment
- Enjoyment of fellow employees
Why I Love My Job
“Taylor Made Diagnostics, Inc. is a friendly and cheerful workplace where we are encouraged to provide input regarding day-to-day operations. When you actively appreciate and take interest in the qualities, characteristics and work of the people around you, you develop a culture where people love to work and are fully engaged. We are a team, a family.”
—Stella McClain, Operations Director, 19 years with Taylor Made Diagnostics, Inc.
