The winners for the inaugural Tampa Bay Business Journal "Ultimate CEO Awards" were named Thursday, May 29th at a reception at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Tampa, attended by more than 300 guests. The accounting firm Cherry Bekaert & Holland sponsored the event.
The winners, by category included:
§ Government: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio
§ Nonprofit Organization: Edward C. Peachey, executive director of WorkNet Pinellas Inc.
§ Large Private Company: Crawford Ker of Ker's WingHouse
§ Medium Private Company: Joy Gendusa of PostcardMania in Clearwater
§ Small Private Company: Kevin V. Hourigan, CEO at Bayshore Solutions
§ Public Company: Sherrill W. Hudson, CEO at TECO Energy
As reported in the TBBJ, “Gendusa, a high-school dropout, has grown the company without the help of outside investors. There have been plenty of offers of cash infusion in recent years. Offers from private investment firms multiplied after PostcardMania made Inc. magazine’s 500 fastest-growing private firms in 2005.
“ ‘My ability is in hiring amazing people,” said Gendusa. ‘I’m just so good at it. I know who I want to surround myself with and I do it.’
“The company is building a 23,000 square-foot building with a gym, infant care center and cafeteria that she expects to open next year, in time for PostcardMania’s 10th anniversary.”
About Joy Gendusa:
Using a powerful, simple, extremely cost effective way of communicating with customers has earned Joy Gendusa Inc Magazine’s recognition as the nation’s fastest growing direct mail postcard-marketing firm with year 2007 revenues estimated at $19,000,000. Gendusa began in 1998 with zero investment capital. Today, her Clearwater, FL firm called PostcardMania, employs over 150 people and prints 4 million and mails 2 million postcards representing over 31,000-plus customers in more than 350 industries each week.
