There’s no place like… work?

"Location, location, location" is a mantra all too familiar to anyone working in real estate. That's one reason no one at Toll Brothers was surprised to hear that their Horsham location was a big factor in earning the organization a high ranking in Top Workplaces of 2015: Toll Brothers came in at #4 for the Large Companies category.

Horsham is home to five high-end office parks that house over 600 businesses — with many Fortune 500 and 1000 companies among them.

Jay Lehman, vice president of talent acquisition for Toll Brothers, has been with the company for 18 years. Lehman stays mostly due to the close-knit work community, but little perks don't hurt either. "We provide luxury vacation houses for our employees and their families that are located in our communities in resort destinations around the country," he said.

It isn't only Toll Brothers — Horsham is also home to Kreischer Miller, our #4 Midsize Company winner, #8 Small Company winner SofterWare, and Dudnyk and Reed as well. What's more, eight other top workplaces have locations in Horsham. So what's the secret?

Lehman cited the easy accessibility of the area to provide a centralized location for Toll Brothers divisions in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties. Job growth, affordable housing and easily accessible healthcare led to CNN Money magazine naming Horsham as one of the Best Places to Live for 2013.

But you don't have to be in real estate to know the value of an excellent location. Bobbi Kelly, PHR, SHRM-CP, director of human resources for Kreischer Miller, says that a combination of culture and outdoor interests make the difference for employees at their company.

"Having our firm in Horsham provides us with a great return on our investment for our office space," said Kelly. "Horsham provides us with easy access to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, plus an abundance of restaurants, shopping, and fields and tracks that our team members use after work for leisure activities."

While the location can't be beat, once Lehman and other Toll Brothers employees are at work, they enjoy a job satisfaction ratio that's equally hard to top.

"In a recent survey administered by a third-party agency, 87 percent of employees said they often or almost always enjoy their colleagues and find their workplace to be fun and cooperative," Lehman related.

Another 10 percent said they 'sometimes' benefit from these qualities, equaling a combined 97 percent of Toll Brothers employees giving the company a positive rating.

And these days, there are more coworkers with whom to enjoy the collegial atmosphere. Lehman says that since the recession ended, Toll Brothers has been able to rehire over 1,000 talented former employees.

Meanwhile, employees at Kreischer Miller enjoy an environment with an impeccable dedication to community. The KMCares outreach program is seen in monthly volunteering initiatives, support for organizations such as Fox Chase Cancer Center, and the annual Day of Service each May, where the office closes so that team members may participate in community-enriching activities around the Greater Philadelphia area.

The firm prides itself on providing excellent benefits — both directly through medical, dental and 401(k) plans and indirectly through an optimal work-life balance.

"I'm given the flexibility I need to pursue outside interests," said one employee. "The firm has an entrepreneurial spirit that is contagious and drives team members to constantly improve."