Jan. 23--RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Network Appliance, a California technology company with about 1,000 employees at its RTP campus, ranks No. 1 on Fortune magazine's latest list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For."

Cisco Systems, which employs about 4,400 people in RTP, is No. 6.

Several other Triangle-based companies made the 2009 list: Cary-based software maker SAS is No. 20, up nine spots from last year. Consulting engineering firm Kimley-Horn & Associates, also based in Cary, ranked No. 35.

The magazine and the Great Place to Work Institute survey workers on factors such as pay and benefits, advancement policies and more. Company officials have said that making the list helps recruit new workers.

Other companies on the list include Edward Jones, Google, Starbucks, CarMax, REI and Whole Foods Market. Law firm Alston & Bird, which has offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, is No. 26. And Novo Nordisk, which makes insulin at a factory in Clayton, is No. 57.

Staff writer Alan M. Wolf

-----

To see more of The News & Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsobserver.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NASDAQ-NMS:CSCO, NASDAQ-NMS:GOOG, NASDAQ-NMS:SBUX, NYSE:KMX, NASDAQ-NMS:WFMI, NYSE:NVO,

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.