Year End Message

It's over! 2009 was the worst economic year since the Great Depression and Saval is still standing strong- profitable and with our most talented team ever. Thanks to pro-active expense control, we project a substantial increase in profitability over 2008. This is quite an accomplishment in the face of declining restaurant traffic and commodity price deflation. Our top accomplishments in 2009, in no particular order, are:
Implementation of a fully automated Warehouse Management System
The acquisition of an interest in Baltimore Eats magazine and launch of BaltimoreEats.com
4th Generation Saval Family member joined Saval
Investment in new slicing technology at Deli Brands
Over 200 new customers at SFS
Over 14 new customers at Deli Brands
I am very proud of these accomplishments, all of which lay the groundwork for a strong future for Saval Foods.
So as we move into 2010, here are my short term goals (resolutions) for the New Year:
1. Continue to exercise at least 3 times per week and try to cut out snacking at night.
2. Make sure that all of our Saval entities beat their bottom line budgets and stay true to their strategic objectives.
3. Worry only about the things I can control.
4. Keep working on improving the relationship I have with my family, work mates and friends.
5. Continue involvement in the community.
6. Treat people how I'd like to be treated- be nice!
7. Stay authentic and show more humility.
My hope for everyone is that you stay happy, healthy, safe and secure and in doing so fulfill your goals and dreams in 2010!
Happy New Year

Nice People

I don't know if I'm just conscious of this now or I'm just hanging with the right people, but over the last few years I have met and become friends with some incredibly nice people. At work, I work with people who really work hard, are passionate about what they do and just really know how to treat people well. I am blessed to have such great people who I truly like and admire.
In the community, I can't believe how many special people I have come across lately.
Maybe I am nicer now than I used to be so I am engaged with nice people, but I feel so good and fulfilled being involved with just plain good people.
So I guess it comes down to treating people how you want to be treated- it comes back in spades!

Focus Doesn't Mean Opportunity Avoidance

Just about every thing I read on leadership discusses focus, especially in a bad economy. The experts advise leaders to stay with your core strategies, not straying from your mission. I would agree with that advice except for one thing- a leader shouldn’t confuse focus with avoidance of opportunity. In a bad economy, opportunity abounds. Furthermore, even in a bad economy, society continues to change rapidly. A leader, looking to just survive in the short term, may compromise a company’s survival in the long term if he/she does not look for opportunities. My advice- look for opportunities that will improve your company’s long term ability to sustain its competitive edge. Shake things up, a little unorthodoxy might excite your people to try new things, stretch their abilities, and set your company up for great success once the economy turns around.