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October 10, 2005
Who's the (Best) Boss?

A robot builder, a homebuilder, and a junk remover are among the individuals on a list of this year's best bosses by the magazine Fortune Small Business.

The magazine collaborated with Winning Workplaces, a non-profit organization that works with small businesses to create successful workplace practices. To cull the finalists from a group of 100 nominees, FSB, Winning Workplaces, and a panel of judges evaluated employee satisfaction, investment in workers, benefits such as medical insurance and retirement plans, and other measures.

The evaluation included a 360-degree performance review with customers, financial and legal advisors, board members, investors, and randomly selected employees about the nominee's management style and philosophy.

FSB's 2005 List of Best Bosses, which appears in the October issue of the magazine, follows:

  • Greg Wittstock (Aquascape Designs, Batavia, Illinois) At this maker of pond kits and supplies, workers vet each other's ideas.
  • Larry Weinberg/Josh Baker (BOWA Builders, McLean, Virginia) This homebuilder aggressively recruits from Latin American communities.
  • Diane Hessan (Communispace Corp., Watertown, Massachusetts) Workers at this supplier of customer surveys can gripe online, anonymously.
  • Bob Cutler (Creative Consumer Concepts, Overland Park, Kansas) This seller of promotional items for kids encourages employees to volunteer.
  • Trish Karter (Dancing Deer Baking, Boston) Inner city, immigrant workers at this baking company have 360-degree reviews.
  • John Nix/Larry Spear (Go2Call.com, Evanston, Illinois) Employees at this provider of VoIP services are reviewed every two weeks.
  • Colin Angle (iRobot, Burlington, Massachusetts) The robot builder offers a distinct career track for its engineers.
  • Pamela Davis (Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group, Santa Cruz, California) Employees can earn small gifts at this nonprofit insurer of other nonprofits.
  • Tom Raffio (Northeast Delta Dental, Concord, New Hampshire) This nonprofit dental-insurance provider measures employee satisfaction.
  • Patty McManus (Olsson Associates, Lincoln) Employees at this engineering-services firm share in 85 percent of company profits.
  • Andrew Field (PrintingForLess.com, Livingston, Mont.) Employees hired at this company must meet 25 criteria.
  • Steve Randazzo (Pro Motion, St. Louis) This event-marketing firm helps temporary staffers find their next outside job.
  • Margie Traylor/Bret Giles (Sitewire Marketplace Solutions, Tempe, Arizona) Workers at this Internet marketer praise colleagues at weekly meetings.
  • Brian Scudamore (1-800-Got-Junk?, Vancouver, B.C.) This junk-removal franchiser makes one dream come true for every employee.
  • Keith Smith (180solutions, Bellevue, Washington) At this online marketing firm, employees play dodgeball and volleyball.