A Patagonia on the Back

Gearheads have reason to feel smug about their Patagonia fleeces these days. Once again, the company appears among Fortune Magazine's top 100 places to work in the U.S. -- and this time it moved up 17 places in the rankings, to number 41. The company sold $223 million worth of outdoor gear last year, but it's not just the money that's green: Patagonia offers its workers everything from financial rewards for buying eco-friendly cars to two months paid leave for working for an environmental nonprofit to organic food in its cafeterias. Plus the company pledges 1 percent of sales or 10 percent of pretax profits -- whichever is higher -- to conservation efforts. To top it all off, the California-based company offers on-site childcare, flexible work schedules, and yoga and surfing classes. Heck, maybe Grist employees will defect.