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Palmer said the company's activism, made possible by its leader's willingness to be open about who he is, has changed minds in the community. "It's really hard for people to think gays and lesbians are monsters when they know you and know you are nice people," Palmer said.

Impressing the mayor

Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson said, "I think they have had an influence."

She noted that the National Conference for Community and Justice recently recognized Page as a citizen in the Piedmont Triad who has made significant contributions to creating a community free of bias, bigotry and racism.

"I would venture to say a few years ago that may not have happened," said Johnson, who lauded the company for its "caring and sensitive" atmosphere.

In addition to nondiscrimination policies and offering domestic-partner and adoption benefits, Replacements employees have access to out-of-the-ordinary perks designed to improve their health and wellness.

The company employs a full-time counselor and a full-time occupational health nurse, who manages its wellness programs, performs health screenings and helps employees with nutrition information and weight-loss support.

Friendly to pets, too

The company also allows workers to bring their pets to the office. It's a popular perk, based on the number of dogs seen romping through the executive offices and snoozing behind baby gates inside cubicles.

These policies are important to employees such as Micheal Smith, an Internet marketing specialist who has lost 130 pounds over two years through exercise, diet and support from on-site nurse Carol Harris.

"It's awesome to come to work and feel like your superiors and co-workers care about you and want you to be happy," said Smith, bending down to greet Tucker, a 6-month-old boxer who shares her cubicle.

Harris, the occupational health nurse, said her screenings have caught at least four cases of prostate cancer, 14 thyroid conditions and a number of elevated cholesterol counts.

Inventory manager Michael Quinn was one of the prostate cases. A blood test at work led to surgery a year ago that eliminated a condition that might have shortened his life.

"If it wasn't for doing the free wellness program here, I probably wouldn't have caught it for a while," said Quinn, who joined Replacements 12 years ago after touring the place while on vacation from his job in Toronto.

He moved his wife and two children to Greensboro and hasn't looked back.

"When I came down here, that's the first thing I picked up on," Quinn said. "People accept people for who they are. It's a very respectful place."

Inclusion is affordable

Indeed, Page wonders why more employers don't create an inclusive and supportive corporate culture.

Offering domestic partner benefits isn't that expensive, he said, in part because few people, at least at Replacements, take advantage of them.

Salaries for a full-time counselor and nurse do cost money, he acknowledged, "but we want this to be a great place to work."

Ben Rosen, professor of management at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, said one reason more employers don't offer these benefits is that many companies have to answer to stockholders.

"Private companies have way more flexibility than public companies," Rosen said. "Part of that is they don't have investors micro-managing how they spend their human resources dollars."

And though it might seem unusual to find such forward-thinking policies in what is often seen as the conservative South, Rosen said it's the leadership, not the location, of a company that dictates its corporate culture.

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