JACKSON, MS, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PARKWAY PROPERTIES, INC. (NYSE:PKY) announced today that for the second time, it has been named one of the 50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America.
(Photos: top right, Steven G. Rogers, Parkway Properties president/CEO; middle left, J. Mitchell Collins Parkway Properties CFO; middle right, Warren L. Speed, Senior Vice President)
The list was announced June 23rd before an audience of more than 15,000 human resource professionals at the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) 60th Annual Conference &
Exposition in Chicago.
This annual list, now in its fifth year, ranks the top 25 small a
nd top 25 medium-sized companies in America that use smart people management strategies to develop successful organizations with highly productive and satisfied workforces.
The organizations, ranging in size from 50 to 999 employees, were announced by SHRM and selected and ranked by the Great Place to Work(R) Institute (GPTW).
The results were based on a randomly distributed employee opinion survey. Each company evaluated was given a score based on employees' responses to a detailed questionnaire about the organizations' workplace cultures. Stories about the winning organizations will appear in the July issue of
HR Magazine, the Society's flagship publication with a circulation of 210,000 (available at http://www.shrm.org/h
rmagazine ). The winning organizations will also be listed on GPTW web site at
http://www.greatplacetowork.com/.
Steven G. Rogers, (top right photo) President and Chief Exe
cutive Officer of Parkway, stated, "Over the past several years we have received a number of awards, recognitions and accolades, but I am proudest of this one because it comes from the heart of our Company, our people.
"We are humbled by this award, which reflects the level of trust, pride and camaraderie within the Parkway team."
(Middle left photo, NAREIT 2007 Light Silver Award won by Parkway Properties)
"Small and medium-sized companies make up the majority of the American economy and workforce," said SHRM President and CEO,
Susan R. Meisinger, (middle right photo below Steve Rogers photo) SPHR. "These winning organizations demonstrate that making effective use of their workforce is key to their success, and their accomplishments deserve recognition."
Great Place to Work Institute co-founder, Robert Levering, (bottom left photo) said, "These companies stand out because their employees find them to be places where they can trust the management, take pride in their work and have fun. Other companies have much to learn about how to be productive and do right by their people."
(Bottom right photo, ULI 2007 Award of Excellence for Toyota Center, a five-story, 175,000-sf property converted from the former William R. Dry Goods Building.)
SH
RM is the world's largest association devoted to human resource manag
ement. Representing more than 225,000 members in over 130 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession.
Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India.Great Place to Work Institute Inc. is an international research and consulting firm dedicated to building great workplaces.
Great Place to Work Institute uses its employee survey and assessment process to select the companies appearing on the annual "Best Small & Medium Companies to Work For in America" list and FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For (C) list.
In addition to its global headquarters in San Francisco, Great Place to Work Institute has 29 affiliates in countries throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Parkway Properties
, Inc., a member of the S&P Small Cap 600 Index, is a self-administered real estate investment trust specializing in the operation, leasing, acquisition, and ownership of office properties.
The Company is geographically focused on the Southeastern and Southwestern United States and Chicago. Parkway owns or has an interest in 69 office properties located in 11 states with an aggregate of approximately 14.1 million square feet of leasable space as of June 23, 2008.
Included in the portfolio are 21 properties totaling 3.8 million square feet that are owned jointly with other investors, representing 27.2% of the portfolio. Under the Company's GEAR UP plan, which started January 1, 2006, and ends December 31, 2008, it is the Company's strategy to transform from an owner-operator to an operator-owner.
The strategy highlights the Company's strength in providing excellent service in the op
eration of office properties in addition to its direct ownership of real estate assets. Fee-based real estate services are offered through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Parkway Realty Services, which also manages and/or leases a
pproximately 1.6 million square feet for third-party owners as of June 23, 2008.
Parkway Properties, Inc.'s press releases and additional information about the Company are available on the World Wide Web at
http://www.pky.com/.
CONTACT:
J. Mitchell Collins, (top left photo) Chief Financial Officer, or Warren L. Speed, (middle right Photo) Senior Vice President, both of Parkway Properties, Inc., +1-601-948-4091
Web sites:
JACKSON, MS/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Parkway Properties, Inc. (NYSE:PKY) has closed the fee simple sale of the Capitol Center (top right photo) office property, located in Columbia, South Carolina. 
Parkway received net cash proceeds from the sale of approximately $45.8 million, which were used to prepay the $18.1 million first mortgage plus related mortgage prepayment expenses and reduce amounts outstanding under the Company's line of credit.
