NEW YORK—In its inaugural Hire Power Awards, Inc. magazine has recognized two vision-related companies for creating the most full-time U.S. jobs over a three-year period. VSP Global was ranked number 11 on the list of top job creators in the nation, number three in the health category and number four in California. Starmount Life Insurance ranks as the number seven job creator in the  insurance industry overall and number three in Louisiana.

While VSP would also have been appropriate for the insurance and software categories, in which it would have ranked number one in jobs created in both categories, companies were only permitted one industry category designation, so the health category was determined to be more inclusive of all of its lines of businesses, a VSP spokesperson told VMail. VSP Global includes VSP Vision Care, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits company in the U.S. with 58 million members; Marchon Eyewear Inc., manufacturer, designer and distributor of eyewear and sunwear; Eyefinity, which offers software and technology to improve overall practice management and patient experience; and the VSP Optics Group, a supplier of lenses and finished eyewear.

Starmount is a privately owned and operated life and health insurance carrier in 49 states, and its sister company, AlwaysCare Benefits Inc., is an employee benefits provider of supplemental group plans, including vision, dental, critical illness, accident, life, short and long term disability and limited benefit medical coverage.

In order to qualify for Inc.’s Hire Power Awards, a company had to be U.S. based, privately held, founded prior to 2008, employ at least 50 full-time U.S.-based employees in 2011 and submit an employee verification form.