It Can Pay to Be a Bad A**

The company's Web site still gets hate mail from offended Web browsers and concerned parents, but as the brand becomes more established, enthusiastic blog posts and virtual high-fives are a lot more common.

A glance at the company's sales figures shows why Smith isn't losing sleep:

• 1999 Revenue: $1.2 million
• 2007 Projected Revenue: $37 million
• Average Annual Growth: 30%

The Big Idea

When I called the company and the secretary chirpily answered: "Hello, Big A** Fans," I laughed and felt immediately at ease.

The company's focus on friendly customer service and a laid-back work environment apparently pays off: A look at their fan mail page shows people eager for jobs.

"Any marketer, regardless of size, can have fun with their ads yet still remain in good taste," says Smith, referencing the recent foldout Wonderbra ads from Hanes(HBI Quote) as a clever example.

His industrial fans, which are made in the U.S., are winning out over industrial outsourcing in the states, and more than 20,000 have been sold worldwide.

"We think we're in danger of genericizing the name -- like Kleenex," says Smith.