Honored Leader: Matt Bowen, President and CEO
Company Name: Aloft Group, Inc.
Location: Newburyport, Mass.
Nature of Business: A marketing/advertising firm.
Founded: 1996
Revenue: $6-10 million
Growth Rate (2003): 107 percent
Number of Employees: 15
Average Tenure: 4 years
Aloft is an eight-year-old marketing/advertising firm with 15 employees that gains creative inspiration from its offices in a restored movie theatre – and focus from its leader, Matt Bowen. Bowen has created an environment with open spaces and a sense of teamwork in which employees are engaged in both client issues and business challenges. In response to the dramatic drop off in business after 9/11, Matt led the group in a sales blitz that engaged every employee in business development. The outcome was that Aloft avoided layoffs, and revenue has grown in the last two years. Employees share in both the risks and the rewards: Bonuses and pay raises for all employees are based on profitability.