Marquette Named Among Kentucky’s ‘Best Places To Work’

Marquette Transportation Company’s river division is among the best places to work in Kentucky, according to information collected by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Society of Human Resources Management.

The company was included in the top 30 in the organizations’ annual Best Places To Work in Kentucky in the large (500-plus employees) division, announced March 11. Across all three divisions, 100 companies were named.

The final award rankings will be announced during an awards dinner June 18. Marquette has been ranked in the top 15 every year since 2023.

Based in Paducah, Ky., Marquette is one of the largest employers in far western Kentucky. It employs more than 1,800 people and recently committed to an office expansion in Paducah.

Best Places to Work in Kentucky was created to identify and recognize companies across the state with leading workplace cultures. Companies choosing to participate in the program complete comprehensive employer surveys. Employees complete anonymous surveys. The program evaluates companies based on both employer policies and practices and the employee feedback.

“At Marquette, we strive to remain a leader in the industry, and, to us, that means not only in making miles on the river but also having a strong company culture and continuously working to improve our employees’ experience,” said Frances Hagan, Marquette Transportation’s senior human resources development specialist for talent development. “Honestly, that’s why we first started looking into participating in the Kentucky Best Places to Work program/process. We recognized it as an established and credible program that could show us and others how our culture compares to those of other leading Kentucky-based companies.”

The data the company receives from participating is valuable, she said, from allowing Marquette to compare its policies and practices to other top companies in the state to better understanding employee viewpoints and even assisting in recruiting. Hagan said the program showcases the company’s culture in a more tangible and measurable way.

“It really brings a sense of pride to our company, knowing that we are recognized as a Best Place to Work in Kentucky,” she said.

Hagan noted that each year the company has ranked strongly in the categories of core employee experience, workplace culture, safety, leadership and employee benefits.

“It’s a testament to the people we have working across our organization,” she said. “Our people are the reason we have a strong culture.”

She said what she thinks has stood out most for employees is Marquette’s continued growth and innovation in the industry and, in particular, investing in its people, safety programs and equipment.

“One thing I’ve learned since working at Marquette is that there is a real desire to always be better and to improve, and with this process it’s no different,” Hagan said. “Through the benchmark data and employee survey results we get, the leadership team carefully analyzes all of it to see where there are areas of improvement. Over the four years we have participated, we have made improvements and enhancements to our employee benefit offerings, made strides in internal employee communication and launched new technology/systems to better support our employees.”