PRESIDENT’S CORNER
10
Almond Facts
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016
almonds and
Almond Breeze
. The quality of our advertising,
the power of the Olympics and synergy of our media
buys created tremendous lifts in sales. Not only did this
increase our business by 16 percent during the games,
after the Olympics our sales lift continued at 12 percent to
23 percent. Kudos to our marketing leaders, Al Greenlee,
Maya Erwin and Suzanne Hagener!
We have become very effective at leveraging sport
sponsorships. Beyond Olympic years, we were looking at
other sponsorships to support our business. For six years,
the Sacramento Kings have been pursuing
Blue Diamond
.
While the sponsorship total cannot be legally shared,
it was to our advantage to play hard to get. We told
them, “
Blue Diamond
is a global business. We need broad
exposure wherever Kings games are televised, including
throughout the U.S. and places like India and China.”
Together we came up with an innovative and competitive
solution that gives our brand global visibility.
We need others to guide and when necessary challenge us
to be our best. It is like the proverb, “Iron sharpens iron,
just as one man sharpens another.” For many of us, our
fathers were our first mentors. At my former employer,
The Schwan Food Company, my mentor was the Chief
Operating Officer, John Beadle.
This very British gentleman was also an accomplished
global marketer with a knack for keeping things simple
and getting results. I remember his advice, “Mark, in
business, you need to do three things: identify reality, take
action and say thank you.” When
Blue Diamond
needed
leadership to grow a European retail business, I convinced
John to postpone his retirement and join us part-time.
When our International Retail Director left the company,
John agreed to step in full-time. During his four years at
Blue Diamond
, our European retail business doubled in size
and became significantly more profitable. In October,
John officially retired and we owe him our thanks.
I also humbly owe a debt of gratitude to my first
Blue
Diamond
boss, Clinton Shick. With
Blue Diamond
board
experience spanning the careers of four CEOs, his skills
wonderfully complemented mine. In our relationship,
he always acted like a coach. Clinton gently guided my
enthusiasm and ensured that I got off to a fast start. I am
forever thankful for his mentoring and that I get to call
Clinton and his wife Debbie my friends.
Blue Diamond
is a unique company in that it takes time
to honor employees. This says something about our
partnership culture. In Salida and Sacramento we have
annual celebrations to thank employees with service
milestones from 25 to more than 50 years. At the event we
also honor employees who are retiring.
For the last 26 years,
the Administrative
Assistant for Grower
Membership was Jan
Billings. Although
her title suggested
differently, at the Salida
office, she was in charge.
Several of the field men
called her “Mom.”
And you know, they
probably needed a work
mom. However, her first
priority was the more
than 3,000 grower-owners of
Blue Diamond
. Most of
you have enjoyed the cheerful competency of a phone
call that started with Jan Billings and ended with a
positive resolution. For making every contact with the
Membership office better, we show Jan our appreciation.
Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.
You may remember, two years ago, upon their retirements,
seeing the Mount Rushmore of
Blue Diamond
employees.
It included the Director
of Membership, Dave
Baker, the Director of
Manufacturing, Bruce
Lish and the Director
of Public Affairs, Susan
Brauner. With the
summer retirement of
our North American
Consumer leader John
O’Shaughnessy, we
have completed our
monument to great
Jan Billings
14 Years of Le
North Ameri
John O’Shaughnessy
