Murphy & Associates

Boutique staffing agency Murphy & Associates may be not be so high profile, but it sends IT contractors to some of the biggest fish in the Puget Sound area, such as Microsoft, Boeing and more than 20 other companies in the region. (It also won our category for "Favorite Temp/Recruiting Agency.")

The family-run consulting firm in Kirkland was started by Ray and Donna Murphy nearly 30 years ago and is now run by their sons, Erik and Joel. They begin by being up-front with their contractors about how much they're billing their clients for their services - taking a smaller cut to ensure that the contractor is the one getting the biggest piece of the pie. And they make sure to stay accessible from the beginning of a job to its end. "Great employer," one worker tells us. "The staff is easy to reach, and actually cares about their employees. Rare in today's hectic body-for-hire atmosphere."

Other top finalists*

• AdaQuest
• Alder Biopharmaceuticals
• Brooks Sports
• Chameleon Technologies, Inc.
• Guidant Financial Group
• ImagiCorps
• RealCom Associates
• Stay In Home Mortgage
• Voldal Wartelle & Co.

*Listed in alphabetical order