Four Missouri companies make Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2010 list. Leading the Missouri businesses is the Edward Jones investment firm, which comes in at number 2. Scottrade brokerage house is number 27, Monsanto ranks 59th on the list, and Build-A-Bear Workshop checks in at number 80. All are based in St. Louis.

Jim Weddle, Managing Partner of Edward Jones, says one of the reasons his company makes the list is that many of the people working for Edward Jones own a piece of the company.

“We’re a partnership, legally but also culturally,” said Weddle in an interview with the Missourinet. “We work in partnership and a lot of our associates – over a third of everyone who works at Edward Jones, and that’s 35,000 people – are owners of the firm.”

Edward Jones is no newcomer to Fortune’s list.

“In eight out of the last ten years we’ve ranked in the top ten,” said Weddle. “It’s based entirely on the feedback and the input from our associates. They’re surveyed anonymously and we don’t know who’s going to be called.”

A lot of pride goes with making the list and being near the top of it, but there is a big advantage associated with it, as well.

“It’s a high visibility recognition and we see an increase in the folks that are contacting us for a professional opportunity,” said Weddle. “Our human resources and hiring areas will see a nice bump in terms of the people that are seeking us out and looking for professional opportunity.”

Weddle says Edward Jones looks forward to receiving the complete data from Fortune to give the company a chance to see where it might make improvements.

Audio: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)