Company News | June 17, 2026

VAA Recognized as 2026 Top Workplace, Receives Multiple Awards in Consecutive Years

Following the results of multiple employee surveys, VAA is a recipient of the following top workplace awards for 2026:

USA Today’s Top Workplaces 2026 as well as a recipient of Cultural Excellence Awards in categories of Compensation & Benefits, Leadership, Purpose & Values, and Work-Life Flexibility
Star Tribune’s Minnesota Top Workplaces 2026
Engineering.com Top Workplaces in 2026

VAA has earned top workplace honors in consecutive years with both national and local recognition. VAA has been named one of USA Today’s Top Workplaces in 2024, 2025, and 2026, while also capturing repeat Cultural Excellence Awards in various categories, such as leadership, work-life flexibility, and purpose and values. Locally, the Minneapolis-based firm has been recognized as one of Star Tribune’s Minnesota Top Workplaces for five years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

This is the first year VAA was specifically awarded a top workplace among engineering firms by engineering.com, a digital publication that covers engineering and design professionals.

Award winners are determined solely by the results of an anonymous employee engagement survey issued by Energage, an independent research firm that administers the award programs. Over 42,000 companies were invited to participate in the survey. Considering these numbers, VAA’s distinction as a top workplace is immense.

“We strive to uphold a workplace centered around mutual respect, integrity, and service to each other and clients,” said VAA CEO Jeff Schrock, “It’s now been a few years in a row that we’ve received such an honor. I’m proud to see our employees acknowledge that we are, together, committed to these values and try our best to live up to them every day.”

VAA thanks its employees for not just recognizing the firm’s culture, but for their own contributions to help create a workplace deserving of such recognition in the first place.

What are the values of VAA?

Integrity: Be honest and respectful with our clients and each other. Confront tough issues directly and remain accountable. Build trust through high ethical standards.

Excellence: Strive to exceed expectations in every task. Approach challenges using expertise, knowledge and creativity.

Service: Work together to achieve our collective best on every project. Address needs and desires proactively and with flexibility. Communicate promptly and clearly.

Relationships: Value employees and clients more than projects. Seek to understand the core meaning in all communications. Have fun together while building mutually beneficial relationships.

About VAA

VAA is a growing mid-sized engineering, planning, and design firm based in Minneapolis with branch offices in New Orleans and Sioux Falls. Working across the supply chain—from fertilizer and grain to entertainment and hospitality—VAA offers clients across North America a genuine partnership to accomplish their business objectives and help with their long-term growth. Since the firm’s inception nearly five decades ago, the key to succeeding in this endeavor remains the same: the collaboration of the right people in the right positions. The VAA team, working across ten integrated disciplines and several areas of specialized expertise, are bounded by our Vision & Values, upholding our business philosophy and client relationships.

What’s it like working at VAA?

Hear first-hand what it’s like to work here, the range of opportunities you can find and the wealth of resources that will support you professionally and personally. Explore careers at VAA. Let’s get growing.