If you read my end of year post, you read that one of my goals for 2010 is to "not worry about the things I have no control of". I sit here at home on a Wednesday afternoon looking out my back window and seeing nothing but a huge mound of white snow and above the mound a sliver of light blurred by swirling falling snow. By the time this snow ends, we will have over 3 feet of snow on the ground. When I wrote the last blog I couldn't have imaginged my goal would be put to the test so soon and so tangibly.
I could spend my idle time calculting our losses from 3 lost sales days. I'm trying not to do that. Rather I'm trying to plan out the next couple days so that our employees stay safe, we minimize customer disruption and begin normal operations as quickly as mother nature will allow us. In actuality its not much different from my normal mind set- employees are our first priority, customer service is second and operational efficiency to minimize costs would rank third. And, thank god, we're talking about a few snow storms, not a devistating earthquake, a personal loss or any of a myriad of horrible challenges many in this world face each and every day.
So as I "enjoy" the day off in our winter wonderland, I will try hard not to worry about the things I have no control of.

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.

Our New President- A Significant Day in History

Yesterday was a historic day in the history of our nation. The election of Barack Obama as our next President is truly a turning point in history. In a nation founded on principles of liberty and equality, the election of an African-American President truly signifies the realization of those principles. Just in our lifetime, a nation divided by race and injustice, has suddenly become energized in proving to the world that we are truly a successful model for a government of the people. And, a people represented by every race, ethnicity and religion. We are a nation of tolerance and perseverance; a nation of free thinkers and creativity, a nation sets an example for human rights and justice.
While yesterday was a landmark, today brings the reality of difficult times ahead. We have chosen a new leader to face those challenges. We need to take those same energies evident in the election process into a far more difficult process of consensus-building in finding solutions that instead of being politically expedient provide our children and their children with a sustainable model for success.
Let’s be similarly involved and engaged in making a difference at home, in our work place and in our community in re-building the energy and spirit of being great Americans, together in purpose, grounded in the values of life, liberty and happiness.

Should we Dwell in the Doldrums of the Economy or....

This is a time of unprecedented increases in food and energy costs, coupled with lowered consumer confidence and declining stock and real estate markets. Add international terrorism and instability, we've got quite a challenge in front of us. In my opinion, a lot of what we see today is the result of irresponsibility. Not to name names but, what have our political leaders done to address long term energy issues, health care costs, unwise lending AND borrowing practices. Critical issues go unaddressed due to the political expediency of getting re-elected and the electorate let our leaders get away with it. When was the last time you wrote a letter (or email) to your Congressman, your President, your Governor? When was the last time you got personally involved in voicing your opinion to those you entrust with your future. Unless our electorate becomes more pro-active in forcing our leaders to address real issues and come up with consensus for real solutions, yes, we will become the victims. So, in the next few months leading up to the election, probe the candidates on issues important to our long term future. Vote with your minds, not your hearts. Take action to minimize risk in the short term. Look for long term opportunities as markets bottom out and keep a pro-active, positive attitude.

Our Philosophy on Giving Back to the Community

As our company has grown, so has our presence in the community. Since part of our Vision is to be the "supplier and employer of choice in our marketplace", a higher profile in the community helps us move closer to meeting our vision. That is the positive result of a higher profile. One of the negative aspects of being known, is that we receive a plethora of charitable solicitations that are disproportionate to our ability to satisfy even a small percentage of the solicitations received. The causes are all worthwhile- many are personal requests, some are customer related charitable requests and most are local community-based. Our company's culture is grounded in giving back to the community we serve, but how do we approach giving so that we give and stay profitable.
Here's what we try to do: First, each of our manager's is encouraged to be involved in some community activity. Giving of one's time and the company supporting that commitment, will reap rewards for the individual, the company and the community. Second, the company has adopted a primary charity- The Children's Cancer Foundation. This organization meets several criteria: 1. Locally based; 2. Low overhead so over 90% of dollars donated go to the root of the cause; 3. Many of those involved are food industry based (the grocery industry is the major supporter of this organization). 4. The cause is noble and touches families and children.
By choosing a primary charity, we are able to devote the majority of our charitable time and resources and make a more significant contribution to one cause rather than have a very minimal impact on many causes. That is not to say that others are totally neglected or ignored. The rank criteria for other than our primary cause is as follows: 1. Support for our people's causes. 2. Support for our customer's causes. 3. Support for local community causes. 4. Support for causes that will help the company expand its presence.
In the last several weeks we demonstrated our commitment to the community. The Saval Foodservice Children's Cancer Foundation Golf Tournament gave us an opportunity to spend the day with our vendor and customer community in an environment of comraderie and professionalism. We also raised over $10,000 for the Foundation. The week before, we sponsored the Maryland Hospitality Educational Foundation golf tournament. They raised a significant amount of money for scholarships for those pursuing an interest in the food industry.
The more we are part of our trade community, doing good things, the more we will be recognized as a team player within the industry. Tangible business related results are continually borne from these involvements. I can give countless examples in past years and even over the last two weeks, which directly resulted in our company just giving a little of ourselves. These activities may seem like a lot of work and expense, but giving back to the community and being involved in our trade is an integral part of our vision and is just the right way to be.