LIVONIA, Mich., – Valassis, one of the nation's leading media and marketing services companies, announced today that it has recently received a number of awards, totaling 17 to date this year. The company has received recognition for workplace practices, innovation and printing from a variety of national, industry and local organizations.

"We place a strong focus on strengthening our culture and being a place where our employees are proud to work," said Todd Wiseley, Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "Many of these awards include employee survey components and the recognition we receive is a direct reflection of what our employees have to say. We have a passionate workforce that drives our success."

Among the most notable awards are:

• inclusion on Advertising Age's "Best Places to Work in Marketing & Media;
• the company's return to Working Mother's list of its 100 Best Companies; and
• inclusion for the second time on InformationWeek 500's List of Top Technology Innovators Across America.

Earlier this year, Working Mother also named Valassis to its list of the Best Companies for Hourly Workers. These national awards recognize the organization as an industry leader and for its workplace practices and technology advancements.

Valassis once again earned recognition for its adoption benefits. The company has been named to the Dave Thomas Foundation's Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces List since the list's inception five years ago. Rankings are based on the combination of financial assistance and paid leave offered to those who adopt. Valassis ranked second in the advertising, marketing and public relations industry.

Earlier in the year, the company received three Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility in:

• Louisville, Kentucky;
• NCH Marketing Services in Deerfield, Illinois, a Valassis subsidiary; and
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin (honorable mention).

The site-based Sloan Awards are part of When Work Works, a research-based initiative to highlight how effective and flexible workplaces can yield positive business results and help employees succeed at work and at home. Winners rank in the top 20% of U.S. employers in terms of their programs and practices for creating effective and flexible workplaces.

Valassis also is the recipient of nine Gold Ink Awards in the 2011 annual competition, which is recognized as North America's most prestigious print competition and is co-sponsored by Printing Impressions and Publishing Executive.

The Anderson Printing Division in Livonia, Mich. was recognized with one Gold, one Bronze and seven Pewter Awards. This year, the competition attracted more than 1,000 entries across 50 different categories.

In Michigan, where Valassis has its headquarters and is home to approximately 1,200 employees, it recently received two workplace awards:

• Crain's Detroit Business "Cool Places to Work" - Valassis was named to thislist of top workplaces for the seventh time. Crain's conducts its list of top workplaces every two years and Valassis has been named to this prestigious list since its inception in 1999.Communicating, attracting talent and creating a positive environment are among the determining factors for this award program.Winnerswill be honored at a Cool Places to Work event on Nov 10.
• 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For - The Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA) recognizes "Metropolitan Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For." This is the sixth time Valassis has been named to this list. An independent research firm evaluates each company's entry based on key measures in areas including compensation, benefits, diversity, work life balance and communication. The MBPA is the largest small business trade association in Michigan. The award honors companies in southeastern Michigan that acknowledge associates as their greatest asset. The MBPA is hosting an awards ceremony on Sept. 29.

A similar top workplace award was presented to Valassis in the Hartford, Conn. area where it has two offices and approximately 460 employees. Inclusion on the Hartford Courant/FOX Conn. Top Workplace list is based on a comprehensive analysis conducted by Workplace Dynamics. The companies included in the Hartford Courant's Top Workplaces list were selected from an employee survey measuring qualities such as company leadership, career opportunities, workplace flexibility, compensation and benefits. A special section featured top workplaces in the Hartford Courant on Sept. 25. Earlier this year, Valassis received a similar top workplace award from the Area News Group in the Bay area of California.