FORTUNE Small Business Names Matt Bowen One of America's Best Bosses; President & CEO of...

CHICAGO -- (UIR:DCD8623) FORTUNE Small Business and Winning Workplaces honored executives who have created innovative and productive workplaces. Among hundreds of nominations nationwide, Matt Bowen, president and CEO of Aloft Group in Newburyport, MA, was

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"I'm truly honored by this award," said Bowen. "There's nothing more satisfying than creating an inspiring workplace where people enjoy what they're doing. I look forward to every day I go into the office with the talented employees at Aloft Group."

The winners were announced at the "Best Bosses" gala, held September 21st at the Mid-America Club in Chicago. The featured speaker was John Edwardson, Chairman and CEO of CDW--one of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For in 2004."

A "Best Bosses" feature article appears in the October 2004 issue of FORTUNE Small Business, the leading magazine covering the owners of small businesses.

Beginning in the winter of 2004, Winning Workplaces and FORTUNE Small Business gathered nominations from hundreds of companies' employees and consultants. Formal applications encouraged organizations to discuss such issues as employees' on-the-job tenure and turnover, as well as management participation and other leadership practices. A team of Winning Workplaces board members and FORTUNE Small Business editors narrowed the field. Random interviews with employees were also conducted during this process.

About FORTUNE Small Business

FORTUNE Small Business is a general interest business magazine published ten times a year as a joint venture by The FORTUNE Group at Time Inc. and American Express Small Business Services. FSB is delivered to 1 million small business owners and is also available on newsstands at major airports and bookstores nationwide.

About Winning Workplaces

Winning Workplaces provides information, training, ideas, consulting, and easy-to-use, affordable tools to help small and midsize organizations create great workplaces through better people practices.

About Aloft Group, Inc.

Aloft Group specializes in helping companies launch new brands--and improve under-performing brands--in North America and Europe. Aloft Group is comprised of three practices: Aloft Consulting, Aloft Marketing Services, and the ideasAloft Creative Experience Center. Established in 1996, Aloft has worked with such brands as Dictaphone Corporation, Georgia-Pacific, Disney, and AT&T. www.aloftgroup.com.