Post Categories: June 2014

Executive Perspectives: From The President

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Brett Barcelona

Brett Barcelona, President and General Manager Retail Services

The Real Game Changers

The teams that execute grand openings have to work together in complete unison in order to deliver the full experience that our retail partners, and their shoppers, have come to know us for. Often times an opening consists of a team of over two dozen associates who start their work more than 120 days prior with their planning, preparation and execution efforts.

Each associate plays a pivotal role in the process of a grand opening. Our Human Resources teams recruit, hire and train the best talent not only for those who are the faces of the grand opening day, but for those who will represent our retailer partners for months and years to come. The Marketing team ensures that all signage and uniforms are looking flawless—and that retailers, suppliers and shoppers are ‘wowed’ by the visual experience of a grand opening day as well as an everyday event. Finance, Legal and IT are just some of the departments that work behind the scenes every day and are essential to the opening of a new business. At the core of any opening is the Operations team. They coordinate all of the equipment, including carts and utensils—orchestrating every associate and every event—down to purchasing the products that will be sampled. Grand opening teams are without a doubt, a machine.

With just a few of the dedicated associates responsible for a recent grand opening.

With just a few of the dedicated associates responsible for a recent grand opening.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a grand opening, and if I had any expectations going into that day, they were surpassed. I wasn’t surprised by the efforts from our teams—I know we have the best in the business working for us. However, like many days with this company, I was a student, and the associates in the field taught me how I can better serve the rest of the organization. Attending grand openings gives me a perspective that I can only get from being on the ground, right in the action. Experiences like this inspire me to bring back initiatives and challenge me to come up with ideas to improve every area of our business.

I am truly appreciative of everything that our teams do every day, not just on a grand opening day. For the often unsung heroes in Sales, Operations, Field Management and all support teams—let me be the one to sing your praises the loudest and most often. We are the best at what we do because of you.

Regards,

Brett Barcelona
President and General Manager Retail Services

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