It’s About the Bottom Line

TJX Cos. Framingham, Mass.Financial snapshot: In August the retailer announced
that its sales in the second quarter reached $4.6
billion, up 7% from the second quarter of 2007.

At a time when a
number of major retailers are retrenching or even
fending off bankruptcy, this Massachusetts-based
merchandiser, known for its bargain pricing, has kept
its finances in order. The company, which is parent to
department stores T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s, among
others, recently sold its Bob’s Stores unit to
private equity firms, raising some eyebrows. (Why sell
an asset in a down market?) Still, its stock is up,
and analysts believe that the company is well-positioned to
add customers as long as consumers remain
bargain-minded.

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Taylorsville, N.C.Financial snapshot: The privately held furniture
company has $100 million in annual sales. Though it
does not disclose income, a spokesperson says the
business remains profitable despite the current
economic downturn.

This upscale
furniture retailer is smaller than the other businesses on
this list, and it’s in an industry that’s
struggling. Still, corporate and retail job openings
are listed on its website. And the company boasts a
credential of particular interest to LGBT job seekers: two
out gay co-owners, a former couple (in a red state, no
less) who have run the business for nearly 20 years.

Covington & Burling Washington, D.C.Financial snapshot: This law firm is private and does
not disclose gross billings.

A number of
white-shoe law firms have received a 100 score on the HRC
Corporate Equality Index. These elite firms are usually
impervious to economic conditions, and many of them
actively recruit gay law students. But just because
they treat you fairly doesn’t mean they won’t
ask you to sleep on the floor behind your desk once a
week. If you have a choice, consider Covington. The
firm has clients like Procter & Gamble and IBM,
and it got a major lift this summer when Barack Obama tapped
partner Eric Holder Jr. to help assemble his vice
presidential short list from a suite of offices in
Covington’s headquarters at 1201 Pennsylvania Ave.