Growing Exceptional Partnerships at Four Seasons Produce
 By
Henry D. Landes
May 2003
As our new grandson Joshua begins to grow in amazing ways (see
textbox), this President’s Corner focuses on another tremendous
story of growth. I refer to Four Seasons Produce Inc., based in
Denver, Pa., just northeast of Lancaster.
Motto of this innovative family business is "Growing Ideas,
Producing Excellence." Aptly, the company newsletter is called
Cream of the Crop.
One of the company’s core values is "Exceptional Partnerships."
(The other three are "Integrity," "Dynamic Leadership"
and "Winning Culture.") The value statement on exceptional
partnerships reads: "We commit to understand, anticipate, and
satisfy the needs of our customers, associates, and suppliers through
which we create outstanding teamwork and lasting relationships."
In mid-March I was privileged to participate in a meeting at Four
Seasons’ headquarters in Denver. The half-day gathering demonstrated
the company’s commitment to exceptional partnerships. What
made this meeting extraordinary was the presence of ALL the professional
advisors of Four Seasons— in the same room at the same time.
Stephen McClure, a family business consultant colleague in Indiana,
says getting professional advisors to work together is like herding
cats. "[Advisors] are as difficult to herd as alley cats,"
he writes in The Family Business Client. "They gravitate to
their professions for many reasons, but chief among them is that
they like to operate independently."
Given that fact of life, someone needs to step forward and actually
herd those cats. At Four Seasons, the head choreographer of the
delicate dance has been David Hollinger, founder and chairman. Reflecting
the company’s "Exceptional Partnerships" value,
he called together his accountants, attorney, bankers and insurance
people to hear about the core values, short- and long-term strategies,
initiatives and visions of Four Seasons Produce.
CEO Ron Carkoski and his top management team explained to their
advisors where the company is heading, so that the advisors are
better prepared to work together in helping Four Seasons get where
they want to go.
Now serving Eastern Seaboard clients, Four Seasons (established
in 1976) is projecting significant growth into other parts of the
country in the next few years. David Hollinger has an uncanny knack
for designing business systems that seem to get stronger as the
business gets larger and more geographically dispersed. I see him
as an architect who has built a remarkable culture of growth and
excellence. The meeting in March was a good example of his farsighted
approach to the company’s ongoing growth and expansion goals.
David asked me as their family business consultant to update the
group of advisors on the important work being done by the Hollinger
family, which also reflects David Hollinger’s deeply rooted
personal passion for growth and excellence.
Members of the Hollinger family respect and understand the natural
complexity faced by business families. That’s why they’re
active members of our Family Business Forum—to learn from
other successful business families. That’s why they’ve
launched family meetings, which I facilitate on a monthly basis,
in which they’re developing policies and a code of conduct
to help them manage the high-octane fuel of a business family.
In short, the Hollingers, like the top management team of Four
Seasons, are developing their capacities as a family unit and as
an ownership group. They’re doing the disciplined, strategic
and sometimes hard work that families need to do to prepare for
another generation of success. In the spirit of "Exceptional
Partnerships," the Hollinger family is working in concert with
an outstanding management group and a fine group of professional
advisors. Both the family and the business are well positioned for
the future growth.
In the meantime, my role as grandfather is calling rather loudly.
Of grandparents it is said that they have all the privileges, but
none of the responsibilities, of child rearing. Don’t believe
it. I now need to check on Joshua’s growth and development—if
only by phone or e-mail. So if you’ll excuse me ... I have
an important matter to attend to. J
Getting top photographic billing—as well he should—in
this President’s Corner is the most beautiful baby in the
world. OK, I may be a little biased ... but if I can’t stop
smiling these days, at least now you know why.
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