When Steven Santo started Avantair Inc. six years ago, he based the company’s culture on a foundation of employee empowerment.
The company, which was positioned to bridge the gap between flying privately and flying commercially, started off slow. But thanks to an economy that sent private fliers searching for better value, Avantair has taken off.
“Whenever there is a tough economic environment, the value players are always the ones that do well,” says Santo, founder, president and CEO of the company. “We are the value player in our market segment. Despite the fact that we have a high-end product, the people who fly privately are forced to look for value, which they didn’t really have to look for awhile ago.”
The company is booming right now with total revenue of $136.8 million for fiscal 2009 — an increase from $115.6 million for fiscal 2008.
While the company is growing, Santo doesn’t want to get away from what put the organization in the position to succeed — maintaining an open and fun environment where employees are involved and motivated.
“I have employees tell me all the time that the best thing about this company is that we stuck with what we believed in,” he says.
Here’s how Santo developed and maintained the culture that led to his success.