Honored
Leader: Keith Smith, Co-founder and CEO
Company Name: 180solutions, Inc.
Location: Bellevue, Wash.
Nature of Business: Online search marketing services
Founded: 1999
Revenue: $53.5 million
Growth Rate (2004): 177 percent
Number of Employees: 207
Average Tenure: 1 year
A 6-year-old company with more than 200 employees, 180solutions, Inc. is recognized as one of the fastest-growing providers of Internet search marketing solutions. CEO Keith Smith believes in the management philosophy of working hard, playing hard, and leading by example. This philosophy is visible across the company as performance results are displayed on plasma screens throughout the building, allowing employees to monitor their daily productivity. Each year, the company sets group and individual goals that are published on small, laminated cards and kept on employees' desks. Much of the company's success is also driven by Smith's motto, "Leave your ego at the door." Employees work on a level playing field where each team member's ideas are valued and considered. After hours, they are often found winding down and building teamwork by playing volleyball or having a barbecue on the company's Astroturf rooftop.