Forbes magazine has ranked Hannaford Supermarkets the No. 1 employer in Maine in its state-by-state list of best employers. The first of its kind by Forbes, “America’s Best Employers by State” was completed by surveying over 80,000 full- and part-time employees.

The survey was sent to companies that employed at least 500 people. The employees were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employer to friends and family. Participants were also asked to evaluate other employers in their region.

Based in Scarborough, Hannaford employs about 10,000 associates in Maine and was ranked by the Maine Department of Labor as the second-largest employer in the state in 2018 behind MaineHealth. In total, the business has 181 stores throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont and employs about 26,000 people.