Company Surprises Employees With $10 Million in Bonuses

Employees at a Baltimore-based commercial real estate firm might not have a White Christmas this year, but they’ve certainly got plenty of green.

St. John Properties surprised its 198 employees at a company party Saturday with $10 million in bonuses.

Each of the company’s workers received a payout, based on their tenure at the company, with the average payout being $50,000. The bonuses come on top of the workers’ annual year-end bonus and other benefits.

“To celebrate the achievement of our goal, we wanted to reward our employees in a big way that would make a significant impact on their lives,” said Edward St. John, founder and chairman of the company. “I am thankful for every one of our employees, for their hard work and dedication. I couldn’t think of a better way to show it.”

That goal he mentions was the company hitting a milestone of developing 20 million square feet of office, flex/R&D, retail, and warehouse space in eight states. That portfolio is valued at $3.5 billion.

It’s an act of corporate generosity toward employees that is exceedingly rare. Four years ago, Houston-based Hilcorp, an oil and gas company, gave each of its workers $100,000 for reaching certain goals.

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