Plante & Moran Named to Fortune Magazine’s List of “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 11th Consecutive Year

Firm’s leaders say that employers who demonstrate high regard for their staff members are even more important to clients and customers in tough economic climate
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Southfield, Mich., January 22, 2009 —Plante & Moran, PLLC, the nation’s 12th largest certified public accounting and business advisory firm, has been named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the 11th consecutive year. The full list – which ranks Plante & Moran 42nd, the highest ranking of any certified public accounting firm on the list –will appear in the February 2 issue of FORTUNE magazine (www.fortune.com).

“In tough economic times like these our clients need and depend on us more than ever, and it’s important to respond to that need withclient service teams who are smart, trained, motivated, and happy to serve,” said Managing Partner Bill Hermann. “In our client-service culture, we always respond with forward-looking advice and counsel when our client’s needs change. We couldn’t do that without staff members who feel valued, and who make clients feel valued in return.”

“We have worked with Plante & Moran for more than 20 years and find their staff to be good people who are interested and informed about our business and always there when we need them,” said Dave Lutton, President, Charles Reinhart Company Realtors. “When working with the staff it’s evident they enjoy working for Plante & Moran. This is important to us because it means we see the same staff year after year and that consistency allows them to gain a deep understanding of our business.”

Hermann said that Plante & Moran’s culture which has been built over the firm’s 85 year history, has been critical to its success and growth. “We strive to be 100% jerk-free, and that has allowed us to find and retain talented staff who provide quality service to our clients.” Plante & Moran’s training systems, community outreach activities, performance management processes, and special firm-wide events like the annual Firm Conference, highlighted in the FORTUNE award application, exemplify the firm’s client-service philosophy.

In the 11 years since Plante & Moran first appeared on the FORTUNE list, the firm has more than tripled its revenue and has nearly doubled its staff, all while maintaining a culture that promotes staff development, retention, and focus on client service. The result is lower turnover, which promotes unparalleled longevity and trust and drives exceptional client results.

About Plante & Moran
Plante & Moran (www.plantemoran.com) is among the nation’s largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms, providing clients with tax, audit, risk management, financial, technology, business consulting, and wealth management services. Plante & Moran has a staff of more than 1,600 professionals in 18 offices throughout Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Monterrey, Mexico and Shanghai, China. Plante & Moran has been recognized by a number of organizations, including FORTUNE magazine, as one of the country’s best places to work.

About the FORTUNE list
To pick the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” FORTUNE works with Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work® Institute—a global research and consulting firm with offices in 30 countries—to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. More than 81,000 employees from 353 companies responded to the 57-question survey created by the Institute. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the survey, which is sent to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees. The remaining third is based on a company’s responses to the Culture Audit questionnaire, which asks detailed questions about demographics, pay and benefits, and open-ended questions on philosophy, communication and more.

Any company that is at least seven years old with more the 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible to be included on the list.