Back-to-Back: RNGD Named an Inc. Best Workplace for the Second Year in a Row
There’s something powerful about doing something twice.
The first time RNGD was named one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces, it was a milestone — proof that the culture we were building was something real. This year, being named an Inc. Best Workplace for 2026 means something different. It means what we’ve built isn’t a phase. It’s who we are.
Inc.’s Best Workplaces program is one of the most competitive and credible workplace designations in the country. This year, just 507 companies earned the recognition nationwide. RNGD is one of only 2 companies in all of Louisiana to make the list — and one of just 10 honorees across Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee, where our offices and team members are rooted. Among those 10 regional honorees, RNGD earned the highest Benefits Score on the list — a direct reflection of the investment we make in our people. And in a regional cohort made up almost entirely of tech, software, and marketing firms, RNGD stands as the only construction and design-build company in the group.
Inc. didn’t just put RNGD on the list. They described us as a company recognized “for encouraging unconventional thinking with a culture playbook, rather than an employee handbook.”
That’s not a line from our website. That’s how the outside world sees us now. And it sounds exactly right.
What This Recognition Really Means
Awards like this aren’t handed out — they’re earned through thousands of small decisions made by real people every day. The Renegade who stays late to help a teammate. The project manager who leads with transparency under pressure. The field crew that holds the standard even when no one’s watching.
The Inc. recognition is an employee-driven award. The data comes directly from your responses. Which means this is, in the most literal sense, something you gave to yourselves and to each other.
RNGD’s Renegade Academy, our 97% retention rate, and an 83 Employee Net Promoter Score don’t happen by accident. They happen because of the people who make up this Team of Teams — across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tenneesse — and the shared commitment to building something worth being a part of.
A Year Full of Recognition
The Inc. Best Workplaces honor is the latest in what has been a standout year of external validation for RNGD and the people who make it great. Here’s a look at what we’ve celebrated together:
USA Today Top Workplaces 2026
For the second consecutive year, RNGD was named a USA Today Top Workplace, ranking #63 in our category nationally. Like the Inc. honor, this recognition is driven entirely by employee feedback — making it one of the most meaningful designations we can earn.
ENR Top 400 Contractors — RNGD is #394
RNGD returned to the Engineering News-Record Top 400 Contractors list, one of the construction industry’s most respected annual rankings. This recognition reflects our continued growth in project volume and places us among the top general contractors in the country.
Zweig Group Rising Star — Will Cotten
Will Cotten was named one of just 25 honorees nationwide on the Zweig Group’s Rising Stars list — one of the AEC industry’s most selective recognitions for emerging leaders. It’s a well-deserved nod to Will and a reflection of the caliber of talent growing within RNGD.
ENR Texas & Southeast Top Young Professionals — Stephen Abadie
Stephen Abadie was recognized by ENR Texas & Southeast as a Top Young Professional — a regional honor spotlighting rising stars in engineering and construction across our home market.
Construction Dive Construction Champions — Zakeia Payne
Zakeia Payne was named a Construction Dive Construction Champion, a national recognition celebrating outstanding individuals shaping the future of the construction industry.
Every one of these recognitions tells the same story: RNGD is a place built by exceptional people, and the rest of the industry is taking notice.
Thank you for making this a place worth celebrating — year after year.
