3. Build a Culture Deliberately

In 1997, when Pasin made his first hire, Radio Flyer had no hiring process or HR function. That continued until around 2004, when he began looking at lists of best places to work and set out to get on those roundups by building what he calls "a culture of excellence." This includes an onboarding and assimilation process for new employees that encourages them to build internal relationships, and internal classes to grow talent (called Wagon U). Communicating was key. "Before," says Pasin, "we never had company meetings unless we were announcing bad news." He also implemented an internship program to entice all-star students in engineering, industrial design, and other fields to join the team. "That's a significant feeder of talent into our company," Pasin says. Radio Flyer offers nice perks: flex time, parties for employees and their families, a wellness reimbursement program, an exercise room, and a garden with a walking path at Chicago headquarters. Last year, Crain's Business Chicago ranked the company the seventh-best place to work in the city, calling out its employee incentives and philanthropic efforts: Radio Flyer donates thousands of wagons to local and national charities.