GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Matthew Buccilla admits he didn’t immediately jump at a job offer from Herman Miller.

It had less to do with the iconic furniture maker, and more to do with the company’s location.

“I had to consider what it would be like moving to West Michigan,” said Buccilla, 43, who is gay. “That was the biggest hurdle.”

Buccilla says he was wary of relocating from Chicago to a region where he could be more likely to face discrimination.

Michigan ranks as one of the five worst states for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in the country, gay rights advocates recently told Rolling Stone.

The Mitten State, the only Midwest presence on the list, was highlighted for being one of 15 states in the U.S. that doesn’t recognize same sex marriage, and does not have state laws that protect people from being fired or otherwise discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.

The magazine noted the anti-gay rights environment is heightened by a disproportionately high hate crime rate against the LGBT community.

NEAR FLAWLESS RECORD

Despite a lack of legal protections, several of West Michigan's largest employers have made gay rights a priority in their workplaces.

Herman Miller's reputation on gay rights issues, and diversity in general, is nearly flawless, according to a national evaluation. Since 2008, the Zeeland manufacturer has scored 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index.

It’s the only West Michigan company — and one of four in the state — with that track record, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The group launched the index in 2002 to rate U.S. businesses on their treatment of LGBT employees, consumers and investors.

Herman Miller offers same-sex partner benefits and includes sexual orientation and gender identity in its employee nondiscrimination policy.

While the gay rights debate divides Michigan politicians, Herman Miller says its stance hasn’t generated backlash from employees or customers.

Treating people fairly makes good economic sense, and it is key to attracting a talented workforce, said Michael Ramirez, senior vice president of people, places and administration at Herman Miller.

When potential customers are looking at doing business with Herman Miller, most want to know about the company’s commitment to supplier diversity and overall inclusiveness.

“The last thing that most businesses want to do is be seen as a business that isn’t open to everyone,” said Ramirez. “The minute you say, 'I don’t like this person and I don’t agree with that,' you do limit your consumer base to a degree.”

This open-minded approach began with DJ DePree, the company’s founder, who talked about employing the “whole person” in contrast to Henry Ford’s famous quote that he only needed workers’ hands, and they should leave the rest at home.

Herman Miller’s ability to innovate and create over the years has been a direct result of the company following DePree’s mantra of acceptance, according to Ramirez. That commitment continues under current CEO Brian Walker, who has insisted the company continue to be out front on diversity issues, Ramirez said.

“We don’t want you feel that you need to hide who you are and not be who you are, because that is a tough way to go through life,” Ramirez said.

MORE THAN BENEFITS

Steelcase wants to convey a similar message of acceptance in its workplace.

The Grand Rapids furniture maker also scored a 100 percent on the 2015 index, which will be be touted in its annual corporate sustainability report.

“We are excited about the score but if we didn’t have the index, we would probably do the same things,” said Brian Cloyd, Steelcase’s vice president of global corporate relations and chief diversity officer.

The world’s largest office furniture maker has offered same-sex partner benefits since 2008.

Last year, the company expanded its health insurance coverage to include gender reassignment surgery for transgender employees.

“The idea is that there is no differentiation based on sexual orientation,” said Cloyd, adding that transgender surgery is “as important as any other medical related benefit.”

He considers the efforts the company makes to create a welcoming environment is leveling the playing field for LGBT employees.

“The focus is really on hiring diverse people, and creating an environment in the company that is inclusive to people from all walks of life,” said Cloyd. “The only way you can do that is to make sure you eliminate obstacles that bar people from wanting to be part of the organization.”

MEIJER IMPROVES RATING

Meijer had its strongest showing to date on the 2015 index with a rating of 70 percent, after scoring 25 percent a year earlier. The Midwest retailer began participating in the survey in 2009, when it had a score of 15 percent.

Meijer's rating rose after adding gender identity employment protections, domestic partner benefits and transgender-inclusive health care coverage, according to Rena Peng, workplace equality program coordinator for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

To get a perfect score, the company would need to extend its diversity training to include sexual orientation, have an LGBT employee resource group and actively recruit gay workers.

Meijer, which employs 60,000 workers in five Midwest states, declined to discuss its participation in the index. But the Walker-based company did knowledge that the changes are intended to make the company more attractive to applicants.

“As we expand our footprint throughout the Midwest, it’s important that we are competitive in our benefits offerings so we can recruit and retain the talent we need to continue our growth,” the company said in a statement.

WHY AMWAY WON’T PARTICIPATE

Only three West Michigan companies were among the 781 companies rated by the index because HRC identifies and surveys businesses from Fortune magazine’s 1,000 largest publicly traded businesses. Employers with 500 or more employees can also request to participate, Peng said.

HRC has not yet invited West Michigan-based global companies Wolverine Worldwide or SpartanNash to participate, but it has extended an invitation to Alticor, parent company of Amway, in recent years.

The lack of participation reflects the Ada-based direct selling giant's policy of skipping surveys in general to focus its attention on other issues.

In 2012, a gay rights advocate launched a a boycott of the company after Amway President Doug DeVos donated $500,000 to an anti-gay marriage group.

The privately-held company says its benefits packages are highly competitive and are inclusive of all employees and their spouses, including same-sex marriages performed legally in other states.

“Amway believes that people are its most valuable resource,” the company said in a statement. “In order to attract the very best – to employment opportunities and roles as Amway Business Owners worldwide – we provide an inclusive environment that places great value on diversity. It’s the basis for all that we do and we accomplish it in a variety of ways, including formal programs, offering a business opportunity that is open to anyone, etc.”

A business commitment to diversity against the backdrop of the state’s reputation for being an unwelcoming place for LGBT workers makes recruitment efforts tough.

Although Buccilla accepted Herman Miller’s offer to join its global experience marketing team two years ago, the company’s reputation as a great place to work isn’t enough for others.

“We have all these statements of inclusiveness in our policies and the way we walk and talk — the moment I step outside the doors of Herman Miller, that protection changes instantly,” Buccilla said.

Herman Miller has been out front in lobbying both local and the state governments to adopt ordinances and laws that make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people.

RELATED: Businesses worry Holland's anti-gay vote could hurt efforts to attract and retain talent

Both Herman Miller and Steelcase were among 10 employers in Michigan that last year called on lawmakers to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's civil rights protections.

Despite the prodding, legislation that would have updated the Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 to ban discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals didn't make it out of committee.

Shandra Martinez covers business for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.