The Top Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts: 2006 Results
Professor Nan Langowitz DBA, Professor I. Elaine Allen PhD

The Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson College and The Commonwealth Institute recently released the findings from their sixth study of woman-led businesses in Massachusetts, The Top Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts: 2006 Results. Qualified participant companies have a woman chief executive who is the senior executive decision maker of the firm, are headquartered in Massachusetts, and are either independent businesses or legal subsidiaries of larger corporations. Medical, law and banking firms as well as non-profits were not included in the study.

The Top Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts: 2006 Results study found that woman-led businesses are key drivers of Massachusetts’ revenue and employment as well as strong sources of philanthropic activity. The companies reporting revenues in the survey generated $10.2 billion, and together, all of the companies surveyed employed more than 24,000 people in Massachusetts. The study also identified the Top 100 Woman-led businesses in Massachusetts based on 2006 revenues. The listing is necessary to highlight women CEOs of high performing companies in a state in which woman-led firms make up just 2.7 percent of the business population. The top five companies are: Cumberland Farms Inc. in the number one spot; followed by Agar Supply Co., Inc.; Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Axcelis Technologies; and Garber Travel.

For a complete listing of companies and an executive summary of the 2006 findings please click here. 

For past research reports from the Top Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts study please click here.