Aquascape owner ranks as a best boss

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

By ROALD HAASE

rhaase@kcchronicle.com

BATAVIA -- It's not every boss who equips his new plant with an environmentally advanced roof, a fitness center, waterfalls and a beach.

Not to mention a giant plastic frog that sits out front, snapping bugs all day with its elongated tongue.

All of this might constitute a reason, moreover, why Aquascape Designs Inc. owner Greg Wittstock has qualified for the exclusive "Best Bosses," as chosen by Fortune Small Business magazine.

Wittstock was one of only 15 company chief executives to gain the recognition in the magazine's October edition. The awards are given jointly by Fortune Small Business and Winning Workplaces, an Evanston-based, nonprofit organization.

In naming Wittstock to its list of top owners, the magazine said he "has built a values-based culture that is reinforced through a weekly internal newsletter, The Froggy Chronicles, and KOI (Kontinuous Operational Improvements), (and) an employee committee dedicated to improving processes, procedures and communications."

The magazine also cited Wittstock for helping employees "to relieve stress and build camaraderie using the company gym, sport court, pool tables and other games."

It didn't hurt, either, that the company on Nagel Boulevard also "positioned itself as the leading provider of water gardening products and services, with an estimated 50 percent of market share for the contractor segment of the industry," according to Fortune Small Business.

The company's current headquarters is a distinctive one, with a giant, three-dimensional model of a frog sticking out its tongue to snare an insect.

But by the end of the year, company officials said, Aquascape Designs will move to its newest location next to Kautz Road in St. Charles. There, Wittstock has built a complex that is even more unique.

It will contain a combined office center, plant and distribution complex that will incorporate the environmentally enhanced roof, consisting of growing organisms. The project initially was projected at about $15 million.

A company spokeswoman, Jennifer Biddle, said a recent example of Wittstock's care for employees was his gift to them when he recently celebrated a birthday -- treating them to his Wisconsin summer retreat.

Among other business owners to gain the recognition were Colin Angle of iRobot in Burlington, Mass., Keith Smith of 180solutions of Bellevue, Wash., Andrew Field of printingforless.com in Livingston, Mont., John Nix and Larry Spear of Go2call.com in Evanston and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-got-junk? of Vancouver, B.C.