Company: Southwest Airlines Co.
Founded: 1971 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King
1996 vitals: $3.4 billion in operating revenue,
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$207.3 million in net income, 108.4 million bags of peanuts
served
Number of job applications received in 1996: 137,504
Number of new employees hired: 4,857
From co-founder Herb Kelleher: "Don't be afraid
to be a maverick. We caution our employees never to rest; they
should always be looking over their shoulders and seeking new and
better ways of doing their jobs.''