The PENTA Building Group, a construction company founded in 2000, has been named the top midsize workplace in Nevada.
PENTA won the distinction in the category of 150 to 499 employees. A year ago, it placed in the top five of those companies with fewer than 150 employees. It is listed with 198 employees in Nevada in the 2024 survey and 290 nationwide. PENTA has an office in Las Vegas, Phoenix and two in Southern California.
In its Nevada Top Workplaces application, PENTA said its mission is to strengthen the company’s foundation by focusing on its people, culture and communication, managing growth and remaining open-minded in a dynamic market.
“Excelling in company culture should be the top priority in every successful business,” said John Cannito, president and CEO of The PENTA Building Group. “PENTA strives to encourage and empower all of our team members to ensure they feel valued and respected each day that they come into work.”
In the Top Workplaces recognition,PENTA won a special award for the direction of its company as described by employees in a survey.
“I like that we have so many great projects and work ahead of us,” said one employee.
“PENTA wants to see growth and expansion but not at the expense of the people,” said another. “PENTA includes the impact on company culture in its decisions for business plan development and ensures the culture is left intact.”
A third employee said PENTA has a vision of growing the company without taking on more than it needs. “We have expanded our project’s menu — medical, education, public works, university and yes, we build casinos,” said another employee.
PENTA touts itself as an active supporter of community causes and that giving back is ingrained in the company culture. Its employees and their families regularly support local nonprofits.
“There are endless examples of the support PENTA provides to people,” the company said in its Top Workplace application. “Over the past 24 years that PENTA has been in business, we have donated over $10 million in charitable donations to more than 350 nonprofit organizations in the areas where we work and do business. PENTA culture cherishes relationships, cares about the well-being of its surrounding communities and strives to channel philanthropy through its charitable arm, The PENTA CARES Foundation.”
Not only does the PENTA give back to communities by donating capital, it also empowers a charitable-minded staff, consisting of hundreds of employees, to lend their helping hands through community volunteer opportunities throughout the year, the company application said.
PENTA calls itself a family-oriented commercial general contractor that maintains a very people-centric approach to personnel, clients and relationships. For every executive-level company decision, the first item discussed is the effect the decision will have on PENTA personnel and their families, the company said in its application.
“At PENTA, we are committed to putting people first,” Cannito said. “Without the immense expertise and dedication from our team members, we wouldn’t be able to be successful and have the privilege of working on an incredible roster of projects year after year.”
The company’s application addressed job safety: “Carrying our focus on people to the field, safety is our No. 1 priority for everyone who steps foot on a PENTA job site. Everything we do on our projects centers around ensuring our people return home to their families in the same condition they arrived at work each day, and this is ingrained in our culture.”
As for its benefits, PENTA covers 100 percent of the premium cost for all employees, for medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, life insurance and flexible spending accounts. It supplements up to 40 percent of the employee’s income for the period their doctor approves, There’s short-term disability up to a maximum of six weeks. For paternity leave, PENTA provides five days of paid time off without having to use vacation or sick time.
PENTA offers additional voluntary benefits for legal services through MetLife. It also offers identity theft protection, as well as a dependent care FSA, where PENTA will fully fund an employee’s dependent care account up to $5,000. Wellness benefits are also provided for up to $150 per month.
Additional incentives include tuition reimbursement for advanced or post-graduate degrees, business education workshops and/or conferences, professional certifications and work-related courses.
For high-potential employees who accelerate in their roles, the company offers an equity program providing for the employee to be a partial owner.
Diversity and inclusion play a very important role. PENTA said it’s committed to ensuring the company offers a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for an increasingly diverse and talented pool of employees.
“We ensure every employee, industry partner and client we do business with has the opportunity to feel valued, respected and heard,” the company application said. “It’s important for PENTA and its employees to embrace diversity and demonstrate caring and fairness for everyone. PENTA’s culture of excellence provides opportunities for incorporating different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds to drive innovation and growth.”
PENTA’s internal Diversity &Inclusion Committee researches, plans and implements inclusion training for all employees. Training programs recently established and rolled out company-wide focus on unconscious bias, mentor training and inclusion and diversity awareness.
“PENTA believes every individual has the right to a work environment free from harassment, hazing and bullying,” the company application said. “We will take action to ensure every employee at our company has the opportunity to reach their full potential by building a culture that is diverse, safe, welcoming and inclusive.”
