MILFORD, Mass., Nov. 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elaine Osgood, president and CEO of Atlas Travel & Technology Group (ATTG), punctuates a pivotal year for her company by ranking #8 in the Boston Globe Magazine/Commonwealth Institute Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts. Osgood's company has made the list each year since 2002, when the key indicator was first tracked to highlight contributions women make to a state economy now ranked the 10th fastest growing in the country.
In addition to breaking into the top 10 of this prestigious list for the first time, Atlas Travel & Technology Group was also ranked on the "Gold Star Innovators," highlighting 11 companies among the 100 who earned the highest scores for innovations they rolled out in 2013.
"I am so proud to be recognized among the top 10 business women in Massachusetts," said Osgood, who launched her company in 1986, with no travel industry experience and a small business loan. "To be ranked with 100 women who run prestigious institutions including Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital and The Greater Boston Food Bank is such an honor. Attending the breakfast announcing the Top 100 at the Boston Seaport Hotel gave me an even greater appreciation for what women can accomplish and it is exciting to see several of our clients on this list."
This latest announcement rounds out a triple crown of 2014 business honors for this woman-owned travel and technology company. ATTG was the only travel company ranked on the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) 2014 list of Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Led Companies, where Atlas has appeared for five straight years including this year's first global ranking. In addition, Atlas was highlighted in February on The Build 100, the inaugural list of "America's Strongest and Most Strategic Growth Firms," created by Inc. magazine editors researching 100,000 mid-sized U.S. companies to find the sustained growth champions.
"Our classification as a certified woman-owned business has helped to open doors," said Osgood, whose company has the Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Women's Business Enterprise (WBEN) certification. "These certifications require a rigorous process and have allowed us to compete for certain corporate and government contracts we would not have had access to without these designations."
According to Osgood, being recognized as a woman business owner is very gratifying, however being included in rankings of all business leaders in the U.S. and globally proves that women are not only adept at competing with each other, but also consistently contribute to the overall health of the U.S. economy.
During 2014, ATTG has taken its success in the United States and has expanded through its first wholly owned global travel office in London. In addition to geographic expansion, Osgood's team has also focused on identifying bright, new talent and is offering internship, mentoring and job opportunities to the next generation of travel industry professionals.
"We are also working to foster a culture of corporate responsibility and community service," said Osgood. "One thing I have learned from other women in business is that we are different in some important ways. In a landscape that is increasingly competitive, one of our strongest assets is the ability to be collaborative. At Atlas, we are always keen on win-win propositions and work to consistently create solutions that will have this outcome."
For more information on Atlas Travel, visit www.atlastravel.com.
About Atlas Travel & Technology Group
Headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, Atlas Travel & Technology Group is an award-winning company, bringing corporate travel management leader Atlas Travel and technology innovator Prime Numbers Technology under one umbrella. Atlas Travel provides global corporate travel management and vacation planning, as well as meeting, incentive, convention and event services. In addition, they provide worldwide assistance to clients through Atlas Travel & Technology Group Ltd., their wholly owned London travel company, as well as through an affiliation with BCD Travel, one of the largest global travel organizations in the world. Prime Numbers Technology is dedicated to helping clients drive significant savings in business spend through industry-recognized data analytics and benchmarking solutions.