Slayden Constructors, a Salem-based heavy construction firm with 182 regional employees, landed a spot on the 2026 Oregon and Southwest Washington Top Workplaces list.

The company ranked No. 40 among 44 midsize employers recognized in the 15th annual competition, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Sunday, Sept. 27. It was the only Salem-headquartered company in the midsize category, which covers employers with 100 to 499 workers.

The award is based on anonymous employee surveys administered by Energage, a Philadelphia-area research firm. For the 2026 list, 5,407 organizations were invited to participate, according to the competition's methodology.

Of those, 139 agreed to survey their workers, and 102 earned recognition. The surveys cover 26 questions on pay, benefits, leadership, direction and appreciation. At least 35% of a company's workforce must respond for results to count. Energage CEO Eric Rubino called the award a recognition of companies that put their employees first.

Founded in 1984, Slayden operates from 550 Hawthorne Ave. SE, Suite 200, in Salem as a regional division of MWH Constructors, a national construction firm. The company specializes in water and wastewater infrastructure, building treatment facilities, pump stations, pipelines, dams and fisheries across the Pacific Northwest. It also opened a newer Salem office designed to house up to 35 people, positioned closer to clients and a major freeway.

The firm builds big. Slayden recently completed a $78 million expansion of the Robert A. Duff Water Treatment Plant in Medford for the Medford Water Commission, increasing capacity from 45 million to 65 million gallons per day. It also won first place in the 2025 Associated General Contractors Construction Safety Excellence Awards in the utility infrastructure category for companies logging fewer than 500,000 work hours.

Locally, Slayden recruits through partnerships with Salem-Keizer Public Schools' Career and Technical Education Center, known as CTEC, and the Northwest College of Construction. The company lists benefits including health insurance, a 401(k) plan with up to 4% employer match, paid time off and paid holidays.

Nominations for the 2027 Top Workplaces competition are open through The Oregonian's website.