Ocean State Job Lot wins national awards for workplace excellence
Ocean State Job Lot, a leading closeout retailer known for its Crazy Deals, with 175 locations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic including Dover-Foxcroft, is proud to announce it has been named to three national award lists for demonstrating workplace excellence. Ocean State Job Lot is the only company recognized across all three prestigious lists.
In June U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, named Ocean State Job Lot as a 2026-2027 Best Company to Work For in the Consumer Products category. Nearly 1,100 privately held companies and non-profit organizations were evaluated for this prestigious honor. U.S. News & World Report ratings evaluate the best privately-owned companies with at least 5,000 employees across 14 industries to help employees and job seekers make decisions about workplaces that may be a good fit. Companies are rated in the following areas: quality of pay and benefits; work-life balance and flexibility; job and company stability; physical and psychological comfort; belongingness and esteem; and career opportunities and professional development.
Also in June Ocean State Job Lot was named among the top 100 winners of the 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards, ranking first in the Enterprise category of 5,000+ employees, and placing seventh overall on the top 100 list. The company also received special recognition for: Inspiring Wellbeing, Inspiring Employee Voice, Inspiring Inclusion & Belonging and Inspiring Employee Experience. Since 2015, Inspiring Workplaces has been honoring organizations that go beyond policies and programs to create environments where people feel valued, included and empowered to thrive.
The awards evaluate companies based on six crucial categories: Culture and Purpose, Leadership, Wellbeing, Inclusion, Employee Voice, and Employee Experience. Organizations of all sizes and industries entered a category defined by how many people are within the business. The top 100 winners were decided by an independent expert judging panel.
In May Ocean State Job Lot was selected as a 2026 US Best Managed Company, an award sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, that recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies. The 2026 designees are U.S. private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people, as well as maintaining financial performance and governance. The organizations are built on a foundation of trust and reflect a sense of purpose that fosters connections with their employees, customers, and communities. Ocean State Job Lot also earned the distinction of Gold Honoree — companies that have been recognized as a Best Managed Company for four to six years — reflecting consistent achievement and a commitment to ongoing development and growth. This marks the sixth consecutive year OSJL has been recognized as a US Best Managed Company.
“Being recognized for our people-first culture by these esteemed national ranking services is an incredible honor and testament to the fact that our company’s strength is a direct reflection of our workforce,” Bob Selle, vice president, Ocean State Job Lot, said. “It is our goal to create a welcoming workplace for people of all abilities and backgrounds, give back to the communities we serve, and continue to grow and evolve with purpose.”