Recreation
Equipment Inc.
Consumer co-op and
retailer of outdoor equipment.
Headquarters:
6750 S. 228th St.
Kent, WA 98032
Employees: 6,500
CEO: Sally Jewell
Privately held co-op
Website:
http://www.rei.com
Career
Site
Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) is a
leading outdoor gear and apparel retailer with 82 stores. These
stores range in size from 10,000 square-feet to 95,000 square-feet
and include a variety of facilities for testing equipment including
bike test trails, climbing pinnacles and camp stove demonstration
tables.
REI offers products from all of the top
brands for camping, climbing, cycling, hiking, outdoor fitness,
paddling, snowsports and travel, including its own line of award-winning
gear and apparel.
REI is also the nation's largest consumer
cooperative with more than 2.8 million active members and customers
through its stores and by direct sales via the internet (REI.com
and REI-Outlet.com), telephone, and mail.
Anyone may shop at REI, but cooperative
members - who pay a one-time $15 fee to join - receive a portion
of the cooperative's profits each year based on a percentage
of their eligible purchases. For 2005, members will share a refund
over $50 million. Members may also vote for REI's board of directors.
REI headquarters is located in Kent, WA,
18 miles south of Seattle. The company's Distribution Center
and Contact Center are located in Sumner, WA, approximately 37
miles southeast of Seattle.
Sales in 2005 broke the $1 billion mark
for the first time and net income was $32.7 million.
REI was named one of The 100 Best Companies
to Work For in 2006.
History
In 1938, mountain climbers Lloyd and Mary
Anderson joined with 21 fellow Northwest climbers to found Recreational
Equipment, Inc. (REI). The group structured REI as a consumer
cooperative to purchase high-quality ice axes and climbing equipment
from Europe because such gear could not be purchased locally.
The word quickly spread, and soon many other outdoors people
joined the co-op. As REI grew, so too did the range of
outdoor gear available to the co-op members.
During the past six decades, REI has grown
into a renowned supplier of specialty outdoor gear and clothing.
Benefits
Incentive Pay
Pay at REI is market-competitive
and performance-based. In addition to base pay, all employees
are eligible for REI's incentive pay program, a rarity in the
retail world. Each employee's incentive payout is based on the
performance of REI overall, the employee's store/division and
his or her personal job performance. It's a way to share REI's
success with employees at all levels.
Retirement and Profit Sharing
REI offers an exceptional retirement
plan to benefits-eligible employees. We guarantee a contribution
of 5 percent of your eligible annual earnings, and up to an additional
10 percent, as company profit allows. While the additional 10
percent contribution isn't a guarantee, thanks to REI's company-wide
success, employees frequently receive a 15 percent deferred contribution.
Healthcare
REI's Flex Plan allows employees
to customize health benefits to meet their needs. REI provides
Flex Dollars to help purchase a core set of benefits and subsidizes
coverage for spouses, eligible dependents and life partners.
Flex Plan options include medical, dental, orthodontia, vision;
life insurance, disability and accidental death/dismemberment
insurance; and flexible spending accounts. Alternative medicine
such as massage, chiropractic and acupuncture are also included
in our healthcare plans.
PaTH Plan
Part-time employees working less
than 20 hours per week, temporary employees on the REI payroll
and seasonal employees are eligible to enroll in the PaTH Plan
after 30 days of employment. This health care program has a yearly
benefit limit per enrolled individual and provides coverage for
medical, dental and life insurance. The medical and life premiums
are company subsidized at 60% and 100% respectively.
Healthy Lifestyle Benefit
REI employees can also earn extra
Flex dollars to help purchase Flex Benefits by engaging in specific,
simple "good behaviors": getting regular aerobic exercise
and always wearing a seat belt when traveling in a vehicle.
Professional Growth & Development
The vitality of both our retail
and internet businesses continues to create opportunities for
talented, dedicated and knowledgeable staff. And since REI places
a priority on promoting from within, REI offers significant growth
opportunities for staff members who regularly achieve and exceed
performance standards.
We provide a host of training for employees,
from product knowledge and sales training to leadership and management
training. Training programs are customized to fit the specific
need of a store, work team, department, or individual. Employees
also have access to training resources and guidelines for self-assessment,
job opportunities research, development planning and interviewing.
Tuition Assistance
Our REACH program provides you
with financial support to pursue higher education that relates
to the business of REI. REACH reimburses for the tuition of eligible
courses within a degree or certificate program.
Challenge Grant
REI's all about the difference
that connecting with the outdoors can make in a person's life.
That's the impetus behind the Challenge Grant program. Through
the program, employees can receive up to $300 in retail credit
to help them purchase REI-brand products for a specific outdoor challenge.
Time Away from Work
REI believes time away from work promotes a balanced life, so
employees are provided with the means to get out of the office
without losing pay. This can include vacation and sick pay, sabbatical,
and eight holidays each year.
Leaves
In addition to leaves for family
and medical reasons, employees may use personal leave time for
outdoor challenges, volunteer service projects and educational purposes.
Discounts & ProDeals
Employee Discount and ProDeals
REI employees receive deep discounts via in-store and online
sales. The employee discount also includes free equipment rentals
for personal use from any REI store. Additionally, REI and many
of its vendors offer a personal use ProDeal program to employees.
Under the program, purchases can be made directly from vendors
at a very deep discount.
REI Adventures
REI offers major discounts off
the cost of trips through our adventure travel business, including
last-minute bargains and a monthly employee special. REI Adventures
offers active travel packages, and trips may include group activities
such as hiking, biking, kayaking and climbing.
Recognition
At REI, we want our employees to
be successful and to feel appreciated for their contributions
to the company. Accomplishments are applauded in many ways.
Peer-nominated Anderson and President's
Awards are presented annually to employees whose achievements
exemplify REI's core values. Award winners' names are inscribed
on a pathway at Headquarters, and President's Award recipients
participate in an all-expenses paid adventure trip. Also, Leadership
Awards are granted to recognize the contributions of outstanding
management staff.
Other rewards include an annual holiday gift, usually an exclusive
piece of REI gear or apparel; employee anniversary celebrations;
employee appreciation awards; store and department team-building
staff events; and an Employee Referral Bonus paid to employees
when we hire candidates whom they have referred to REI.
Culture & Work Environment
It all starts with our bedrock
of nonnegotiable values: authenticity, quality, service, respect,
character and balance. REI also supports outdoor recreation,
conservation and community causes. Surveys show that employees
take great pride in REI and have very high expectations of the
company. Employees appreciate a strong set of values that serve
as a foundation for how we conduct business, how we serve members
and how we treat each other. REI is a lifestyle, and our culture
is a primary reason why REI is special.
Work Environment
At REI, employees have fun on the
job and enjoy spending time with each other in and out of the
workplace. In our casual work environment, staff members feel
the freedom and support to do their work. REI encourages work/life
balance for all employees, respecting the diversity and depth
of individuals' passions. These elements contribute to making
employees proud and happy to work at REI.
Additional Benefits
Adoption Assistance
REI offers an Adoption Assistance program to all Flex Benefits
eligible employees who have worked at REI for 12 consecutive
months. The program reimburses eligible expenses up to a maximum
of $3,000 per adoption.
Employee Assistance Program
REI offers a free employee assistance
program to all employees and members of their households. The
EAP is a confidential service that can provide employees and
their family members with phone and/or one on one consultation,
legal advice, elder care and/or daycare referrals, financial
planning, a convenience service and educational materials on
personal and work/life issues.
Alternative Commute Options
REI reimburses 50 percent of the
cost of passes for buses, subways, trains and ferries. These
programs allow employees to use convenient public transportation
at a discount and helps relieve traffic congestion. We also partially
fund a successful local vanpooling program through our Headquarters
in Kent, WA. In addition, we actively encourage employees to
bike to work, offering bike storage, showers and locker rooms.
Relocation Support
We provide relocation assistance
for new hires at our Headquarters and Distribution Center locations
who are relocating to the Seattle area. We also provide assistance
to promoted and/or transferring employees moving between REI locations.
Other
The perks don't stop there. In
addition to the above, the following benefits are also available
to employees: casual dress every day, flexible working arrangements,
retirement investment education, and REI Baby Membership. At
our headquarters in Kent, WA, employees enjoy lunchtime activities
such as bike rides, Ultimate Frisbee, running, yoga and basketball.
Updated April 22, 2006
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