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Posted by Amy Rosenthal on March 9th, 2010 |
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Hey fellow innovation junkies, sorry about that unannounced absence and slightly random Kindling post — had a family emergency but am back now. I hope you didn’t miss the Cult too much. On second thought, I kind of hope you did…
While I was gone, I had the opportunity to visit Zingerman’s, an inspiring gourmet food retailer headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Started as a deli in 1982, the company has since expanded from one tiny location to a regional empire that includes two restaurants, a bakery, creamery, coffee company, ever-expanding web and mail-order business, and several popular books and seminars about running small companies and providing exceptional customer service which have attracted international acclaim.
Interestingly, none of this would ever have happened without a brainstorming session. About 17 years ago, Paul Saginaw dragged his business partner, Ari Weinzweig, to a bench in front of their original Detroit Street location to discuss the direction they wanted the business to move in. Mr. Weinzweig was reluctant to break away from running the deli, which was already successful, generating about $6 million a year in sales at the time, to have the discussion. But Mr. Saginaw insisted.
While brainstorming, they discovered that they each felt Zingerman’s could be more than just a corner store, and arrived at the idea that they could handle more businesses, with the original deli at the heart of the enterprise. As a result, Zingerman’s now runs the multiple aforementioned businesses, has plans to continue to expand (yet remains committed to the greater Ann Arbor area), employees over 450 people, and has revenue of over $30 million dollars.
Despite their hectic management schedules, Mr. Weinzweig and Mr. Saginaw can both be found among staff at any of the retail locations, and participate at company meetings regularly. They continue to use brainstorming as a means of information gathering and promote an open environment that encourages employee participation and financial transparency at all levels.
While visiting the Roadhouse I picked up a brochure for ZingTrain, which offers training for both Zingerman’s employees and outside, non-food related firms that want to reach the high levels of quality for which the company has received acclaim. I highly recommend you go, not just because the seminars sound totally interesting and relevant, but more importantly — because the sessions are catered with Zingerman’s food!
To learn more about the culture and business practices of what was once described as “the coolest small company in America,” check out this article from Inc. Magazine.