Patagonia Listed in Best Firms for Moms

For the 10th straight year, Working Mother magazine named Ventura-based Patagonia Inc. as one of the 100 best companies in the country for working mothers.

The October issue of Working Mother rates companies on pay, opportunity for women to advance, child-care help, flexible work arrangements, work / life assistance such as counseling and support groups for employees, and other benefits such as extended maternity and parental leave.

More than 200 companies competed to win a spot on this year’s list, which is not ranked. The companies that were included range in size from 70 employees to more than 200,000 in industries such as banking, insurance and technology.

Patagonia is one of 14 companies to be named this year that have made the list before. Between 55% and 60% of the outdoor clothing company’s employees are women, said Lu Setnicka, Patagonia spokeswoman.

“It is a great honor that we received this,” Setnicka said. “We value that struggle to maintain the work-life balance.”