Ocean State Job Lot Wins National Awards for Workplace Excellence
Job Lot stands alone as the only company to achieve recognition on all three lists, earning honors from U.S. News & World Report, Inspiring Workplaces, and Deloitte Private along with The Wall Street Journal
NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI, – July 1, 2026 — Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL), a leading closeout retailer known for its Crazy Deals®, with 175 locations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, is proud to announce it has been named to three national award lists for demonstrating workplace excellence. OSJL 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 OSJL 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, OSJL 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, OSJL 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,” said Bob Selle, Vice President, Ocean State Job Lot. “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.”
About U.S. News & World Report:
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.
About The Inspiring Workplaces Group:
The Inspiring Workplaces Group is a global organization dedicated to recognizing and advancing PeopleFirst culture. Through its two flagship programs: Certified PeopleFirst™ and the Inspiring Workplaces Awards. The organization celebrates and certifies workplaces where people and performance thrive together.
Certified PeopleFirst™ is an independent workplace culture certification powered by anonymous employee insight, measuring belief in leadership, belonging at work and opportunities for growth. The Inspiring Workplaces Awards, established in 2015, recognize organizations demonstrating excellence in culture, leadership, wellbeing, inclusion and employee experience through a rigorous written submission and independent judging process.
Operating across North America, UK & Ireland, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and beyond, Inspiring Workplaces has recognized thousands of organizations and continues its mission to change the world through the world of work. Learn more at: www.inspiring-workplaces.com.
About the Best Managed Companies Program:
The Best Managed Companies program is a mark of excellence for private companies. U.S. designees have revenues of at least $250 million. Hundreds of private companies around the world have competed for this designation in their respective countries through a rigorous and independent evaluation process. U.S. program sponsors are Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal. For more information, visit www.usbestmanagedcompanies.com.
About Ocean State Job Lot:
Founded in 1977, Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) is a growing, privately held discount retail chain with 175 stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, nearly 7,000 employees, and annual sales exceeding $900 million. OSJL shoppers find an ever-changing array of brand-name, first-quality merchandise at closeout prices, including household goods, apparel, pet supplies, seasonal products (holiday, gardening, patio, pool and beach supplies), and kitchen pantry staples at a fraction of their typical price.
The company was named a five-time “Best Employer” by Forbes® Magazine*, a six-time U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte, one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families 2024 by Newsweek, a five-time winner of the Inspiring Workplaces in North America Award, and three-time Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces winner. Ocean State Job Lot is not affiliated with Forbes®.
The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation has a long history of philanthropic leadership, supporting numerous causes, including feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, assisting veterans and military families, aiding animal rescue, caring for children, advancing healthcare, supporting the arts, and promoting learning. The Foundation’s operational, administrative and overhead expenses are covered by Ocean State Job Lot, not the Foundation, ensuring that 100% of every dollar raised through the Foundation goes directly to helping those in need.
Ocean State Job Lot is headquartered in Quonset Point Business Park at 375 Commerce Park Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Phone: 401-295-2672. Website: www.oceanstatejoblot.com.
