Pro Motion Has the Best Boss
New York, September 21, 2005: Fortune Small Business announced today its 2005 list of Best Bosses, 15 entrepreneurs in various industries - from homebuilders to junk removal and robot construction - who are particularly well-rounded, with the vision, creativity, focus, and great people skills to get the best out of their employees. St. Louisian, Steve Randazzo, President of Pro Motion, Inc., an event, field, mobile experiences agency located in the Westport area, is a recipient of one of the 15 awards.
His employees got together and secretly filled out the nomination to thank their CEO for his commitment to make Pro Motion such a rewarding place to work. Recognizing the pitfalls that can come with growth, he established an internal Culture Club to provide a way for employees to continuously improve their work environment. "Pro Motion is a direct reflection of my career as an employee," said Steve. "I've taken the best, and tried to avoid the worst, of every place I have worked. To be successful, I need to surround myself with people who enjoy what they do."
To enhance morale, Pro Motion has quarterly team-building days, like a scavenger hunt at Six Flags, and an annual holiday getaway for both employees and spouses - 5 days in Jamaica in 2004 and a Bahaman cruise in 2005. "I ask a lot of my people and they over-deliver all the time. I am always looking for ways to show them how much I appreciate their dedication and passion."
Managers who don't effectively address the needs of this generation will struggle, says one workplace consultant. "The Best Bosses have crafted business practices to satisfy the demands of twenty-somethings, treating them more like consumers than employees," says Fortune Small Business writer Ellen Spragins. "In return, workers put in high-energy performances and rarely entertain other job offers all of which translates into lower turnover and faster growth."
Pro Motion hasn't had any management turnover in five years. "We've been around long enough to build real relationships with our Clients," says Stafford Warneke, Account Manager of PMI's Bosch Power Tool business with 5 years tenure at PMI. "We know each other's families, are in each other's office pools, and socialize together away from the office. In this industry, it's hard to get away. But, it's not so bad when it doesn't feel like work."
Cathi Kennedy, Pro Motion's office manager and a 10 year veteran, summed it up. "We are proud of what we have created together here at PMI. We wanted to let Steve know how much we appreciate his leadership and thank him for letting us be responsible for the environment in which we work."
This year's Best Bosses had to sweat a little harder to prove themselves winners. FSB expanded the judging criteria to cull the finalists from a group of 100 nominees. A panel of judges evaluated employee satisfaction, investment in workers, benefits such as medical insurance and retirement plans, as well as other measures. The business owners were subjected to a 360-degree performance review by talking with customers, financial and legal advisors, board members, investors, and randomly selected employees about the nominees management style and philosophy. "What's most heartening is to see leaders from a wide range of industries and from across the country all find ways to create workplaces where employees are gratified and rewarded, and the businesses and the employees both benefit," says Kenneth Lehman, chairman of Winning Workplaces.
Pro Motion, Inc. is an independent, event marketing agency based in St. Louis. It was founded in 1995 and has managed hundreds of projects, for dozens of clients throughout the United States.
Contact:
Cathi Kennedy
Pro Motion, Inc.
314-997-0101, ext. 217
cathi.kennedy@promotion1.com
Susan Brown Williams
FORTUNE
212-522-0133
susan_williams@timeinc.com
