Honored
Leader: Patricia W. Karter, President
Company Name: Dancing Deer Baking Co.
Location: Boston, Mass.
Nature of Business: Baked goods.
Founded: 1994
Revenue: $4.8 million
Growth Rate (2004): 17 percent
Number of Employees: 52
Average Tenure: 3 years
Dancing Deer Baking Co. is an 11-year-old private company guided by the
philosophy, "When people love what they're doing, it shows in the food."
President Patricia Karter values hard work, the Golden Rule, and good communication.
She does not ask anything of a team member that she would not do herself
and continually stresses employee development. All 52 employees are encouraged
to discover and develop key strengths and capacities and all jobs and developmental
plans are designed to help them succeed. Management is open-book; employees
are stockholders and therefore, stakeholders. The entire staff participates
in operational reviews of the company throughout the year in order to prepare
for the holidays, the busiest time of year. This has paid off, allowing
the company to grow revenues an average of 25 percent in recent years. Dancing
Deer also gives back to the community and encourages customers to do so
through stores and its Web site.
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