Two private firms, both started by N.C. State alumni and with headquarters about two blocks apart in Cary, are the only companies based in North Carolina on Fortune's latest list of "100 Best Companies to Work For."

And making the magazine's annual ranking matters.

Officials at Kimley-Horn and Associates and SAS, as well as other companies with local operations on the list, say that making it helps them recruit and keep workers.

"There are not enough engineers in this country, especially in civil engineering," said Kimley-Horn spokeswoman Julie Beauvais. The Cary engineering and consulting services firm has made the Fortune list for four years running.

"There's a lot of competition for the best and the brightest," she added. "By being able to say we're on the list, it gives us a lot of credibility."

Cisco Systems and Network Appliance, California technology companies with Research Triangle Park campuses, also made the list.

The list is based mostly on employee surveys but also on pay policies and other factors. It's open only to companies with more than 1,000 U.S. employees that have been in business for at least seven years. Google ranked first for the second year.

SAS has made the list every year since Fortune started it in 1998. The software company saw its ranking rise to No. 29, from No. 48 in 2007.

In the past year, SAS added some benefits and collected more information to highlight programs in its application, said spokesman Dave Thomas. New perks include more medical services for retirees, 24-hour on-site pediatric health care and more elder-care services.

For SAS, rich perks help keep worker turnover below 5 percent, about a quarter of the industry average, said Mike Gallagher, a human resources director. That helps SAS cut hiring and training costs.

And yes, SAS, Kimley-Horn, Cisco and NetApp all are hiring locally. But applications jump when companies make such lists. SAS got more than 41,000 applicants last year through its online hiring site. The company hired about 500.