Dragon Edge Group gets Best Place to Work winning streak

Dragon Edge Group’s fearless husband-and-wife founders Emily and Dennis Balajadia receive their second Best Place to Work award from Yones Candra, Best Places to Work Customer Success Manager.

Dragon Edge Group (DEG), the company behind the popular Beach Hut Sunscreen and Cycles Laundry Detergent, once again received the Best Place to Work award for the second year in a row, recognizing its excellence in the workplace, making it one of the top companies in the Philippines.

This award, given in collaboration with Best Companies Group by the well-known Best Places to Work, recognizes businesses that excel in employee experience and human resource (HR) procedures. The organization evaluates the treatment and culture of employees in businesses all over the world, taking into account factors like working conditions, pay and benefits, relationships, motivation, training, well-being, career development, and culture.

“We are truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve our customers and work alongside amazing teams. This award belongs to the DEGsters, who are passionate, hardworking individuals committed to our mission in spreading joy, excellence, and positivity through our products. This is just the beginning. We have set the standard with our Best Place to Work awards, and it is now up to us to uphold and surpass it.” ~Dennis Balajadia, Dragon Edge Group Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

The back-to-back win is a testament of DEG’s commitment to excellence and sustaining a positive employee culture, which is beneficial to creating remarkable brands and products.

Excellence in leadership and employee culture

The Dragon Edge Group has been making amazing brands that make people's lives happier since 2005. The company's success is a result of a driven workforce under the direction of equally driven executives who make sure that only the highest-caliber goods make it into our homes and stores.

Beyond the products it offers to clients, DEG cultivates an environment at work and a distinctive corporate culture that stimulates fresh concepts and creative thinking among staff members. As a result, "DEGsters" grow their creativity and potential in line with their core values to work with integrity and excellence, practice tamang diskarte and making sure things are done on time, take care of customers, and to grow as a company. This has become a cornerstone of success for DEG employees and leadership, also known as "DEGsters."

DEG offers leadership initiatives and programs for staff members, enabling them to foster their development into capable company leaders. Additionally, DEGsters have the opportunity to earn master's degrees from esteemed colleges like Wharton School and Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

Another essential component of DEG's success is open communication with its staff. The company was able to enhance some aspects of its corporate culture by speaking with staff members and getting helpful feedback. For example, it added a retirement package to its benefits for DEGsters who are getting close to this stage of life.

“We listen to our employees and we take note of feedback that would help us improve as a company, as long as it’s aligned with our values.” ~Emily Balajadia, Dragon Edge Group Co-founder and Mother of Marketing.

Producing remarkable brands and innovations

Dragon Edge’s first product was a bottle of Beach Hut Sunblock in 2006, which was the first and only local spray-on sunblock at the time. This innovation pushed them to create other brands that challenged the status quo, and became the pioneers of many products, such as the first baby detergent Cycles and the first natural baby bottle and nipple cleanser, Cradle.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, DEG quickly responded by creating and distributing COV-X alcohol in just 11 days to help communities to stay safe and healthy.

The top priority is letting DEGsters’ express their creativity. Founders Dennis and Emily Balajadia believe that the best ideas come from “relaxed, informal settings.” This encourages the team to think outside the box to come up with attention-grabbing campaigns for their brands. This has led to some of the wildest ideas, like Beach Hut becoming the first sunblock to fly to space in 2017, which was crafted during a company drinking session.

Additionally, the business has grown across the country and has been selling goods in Indonesia since 2006. This not only made it possible for DEG to expand even further, but it also gave staff members lots of chances to advance both inside and outside the organization.

Dragon Edge Group founders Dennis and Emily Balajadia talk about what they’ve done to improve employees’ wellbeing, and how DEGsters were key in their decision-making process.

Doing good work for the community

DEG’s fearless approach allows the company to tackle challenges head-on through innovative solutions that elevate customer experience. As part of Beach Hut’s brand initiatives, the brand opened Beach Hut Bar in Boracay in 2012. It gave vacationers a spot to enjoy the beach vibe with good music and signature cocktails, while protecting them from the sun’s harmful rays. Beach Hut also introduced the first sunscreen vending machine in Caticlan Airport and Boracay to keep tourists protected from the sun.

The company also takes a creative approach in implementing CSR initiatives for communities. Running for five years, Beach Hut Sunscreen is on a mission to support and develop grassroots women’s football, empowering young girls to follow their dreams both on and off the field. 

This year, the brand hosted the first-ever Women's Beach Football Festival, showcasing the brand's dedication to empowering Filipina athletes.

DEG is also leading the way in sustainability with the thrust of saving the earth for the younger generation with the launch of eco-friendly packaging, recycling bins, and Cycles and Cradle refilling stations.

Dragon Edge Group wins Best Place to Work again! Founders Dennis and Emily Balajadia and the edgy, hardworking DEGsters.celebrating their back-to-back Best Place to Work win.

Dragon Edge Group goes beyond creating game-changing products. Being recognized as a two-time Best Place to Work awardee emphasizes how they prioritize a culture of joy and celebration, translating into a passionate team that thrives on achieving and spreading positivity. This ultimately creates a ripple effect into DEG's employee benefits, CSR initiatives, and how they push to improve the quality of life of their customers and communities. 

For more information about Dragon Edge Group and its brands, visit their official website.