A Nice Business Built On Being Nice

A lot of experts tell Andrew Wilson he doesn't understand business: His prices are too low, his pay scale too high. But the 41-year-old founder of Boston Duck Tours, which offers land/water sightseeing trips in World War II-era amphibious vehicles known as DUKWs, or "Ducks," has built a flourishing company in just four years by swimming against the current. "Other businesspeople don't get it," he says. "Why argue with success?"

Why indeed? Buoyed by Boston's recent tourism boom, Wilson has made his entertaining tours stand out--even in a market so cutthroat that tour-ticket vendors have been known to fight over customers on Boston Common. His colorful flock of 16 Ducks, bearing proud local names such as Kenmore Carla and Fenway Fanny, take visitors on a fun yet fact-packed trip that cruises along the Charles River as well as around the city's fabled sights.