The Association of Washington Business last week gave three of 10 awards for workplace excellence to Spokane firms.

The awards sponsored by Davis Wright Tremaine LLC, a Seattle law firm, recognizes workplace safety, job training and advancement, and innovative benefit and compensation programs.

CTX Inc., the Spokane Valley maker of concrete railroad ties and other products, won the award for workplace safety among companies with 101 to 250 employees.

Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest was the innovative benefit and compensation winner for companies with fewer than 26 employees. Skils'kin won the same award for companies with more than 250 employees.   

Two first-time winners, along with a previous winner, have been selected to receive Alfred P. Sloan Excellence in Workplace Flexibility awards for companies in the Spokane area.

Associated Industries; CH2M Hill; and Humanix Staffing and Recruiting were the winners, a release from Greater Spokane Incorporated said. 

This is Humanix’s third year in a row to win a Sloan Award. For more on the awards, go to the When Work Works site.

Six other firms won honorable mention: BDO USA, LLP; Career Path Services; Matrical Bioscience; Principal Financial Group; St. Luke’s Rehab Institute; and Spokane Teachers Credit Union.

The  awards honor companies that embrace workplace flexibility.

The Association of Washington Business Tuesday recognized the volunteerism and community service efforts of 21 Washington companies, including five based in Eastern Washington.

The Spokane-area corporate winners were: Associated Industries, for its Bright Promise Scholarship program; PAML, for raising $339,527 for charities such as Shriners Hospital and the Make-a-Wish Foundation; Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. of Pullman, for its work on behalf of United Way, the Corporate Angels Program, and Haitian earthquake relief; and Sterling Savings Bank, for employee incentives that generated 24,000 volunteer hours in 2009.

Also, State Rep. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman, received the Judy Coovert Award for her work on the AWB Health Care Committee.

AWB President Don Brunell said the winners sustained their charitable work during a deep recession.

“Giving back is integral to who they are and what they do. It’s part of how they do business,” he said.

PAML also received one of 10 AWB Environmental Excellence Awards for upkeep and updating of its 162-vehicle fleet, and implementation of route-mapping software. Coupled with handheld devices for couriers, PAML has reduced travel by 1.5 million miles, or 30 percent.