Page 16
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
June 9, 2006
This Version of Simon Says Positions Omaha Steaks as a Food Service Juggernaut in other parts of the country. Cruise lines, airlines, hotels and resorts became major customers. Lester Simon first NEXT GENERATION took Table Supply to the public via mail order ads that IN BUSINESS enabled households to receive packaged shipments of cut beef. In 1963 the company published its first mail order catalog, whose product offerings soon extended First cousins Bruce and Todd Simon engage in the far beyond beef steaks. Shipping-packaging advances back and forth banter of media talk-jocks, except theirs improved efficiency, helping widen the company’s isn’t idle chat but the dialogue of two men at the top of increasingly national and international reach. By 1966 all this growth warranted an expansion in the a food service industry company giant whose annual sales fast approach a half-billion dollars. In an interview form of a new plant and headquarters on South 96th St. at the headquarters of their family-owned Omaha Steaks With the new facilities came a new name, Omaha Steaks empire, 11030 “O” St., they revealed themselves as wry International. The 1970’s saw Omaha Steaks take new steps in cussophisticates with a knack for brokering deals, managing tomer convenience by adding inbound and outbound people and anticipating the next big thing. After working together for 20 years, their close famil- call centers and a mail order industry-first toll-free cusiarity finds each interrupting the other to complete a tomer service line. An automated order entry system was sentence or to make a point or to poke fun. They seem installed in 1987. The first of its retail stores opened in 1976. There are to enjoy the give and take. It’s all part of being the next generation, the fifth to be exact, to lead the corporate now 75 and counting in 19 states. Visioning the online giant. Each apprenticed under his dad. Each holds fast explosion to follow, Omaha Steaks helped pioneer electronic marketing as far back as 1990. Omahasteaks.com to cherished lessons passed down from above. For 89 years the company’s found innovative ways to became the banner web site for what is the company’s market fine meat and other foods to residential and fastest growing business segment. A new website--alazthe ing.com--promotes commercial customers company’s convenience around the nation and the meals brand, A La Zing, world. Along the way the which offers a line of comOmaha Steaks name has plete frozen prepared meals. become such an icon synOmaha Steaks underwent onymous with quality beef another expansion phase in that its hometown enjoys the ’80 and ’90s, consolidatcrossover brand recognition. ing administration and marBruce is President/COO keting in two new multiand Todd is Senior Vice story glass and steel buildPresident, but their bond ings whose sleek interiors supersedes titles or labels. abound with examples from They’re family. Two in a the Simons’ extensive art long line to lead the busiFourth and fifth generation members of the Simon family collections and displays that ness. “You know what we have? run Omaha Steaks: standing: Alan and Bruce Simon; seated: tell the history of the family What we have here, we have Todd, Steve and Fred Simon. Steve Simon died last fall at the business. In a family of arts supportan entire company of people age of 66. who we trust--that we feel like we’re family with. That’s ers, Todd’s an elected member of the Board of United what we have here,” Bruce said. “That blood bond is States Artists and board president of the Bemis Center really a family bond and it traverses not only the Simon for Contemporary Arts. If Bruce and Todd feel burdened carrying the legacy family, it includes our executive committee, all the way down. There are guys I know in the plant that were of a company that boasts two million-plus customers there the day I started and I feel the same bond with and employs some 2,000 folks, they don’t show it. them as I do to my cousin Todd. We all feel a responsi- Guiding their interaction in family and business dealings are the principles they picked up from their elders. By bility to each other to make this place successful.” As is their habit, Bruce turned to Todd, asking, living those principles they fulfill their obligation. “Our parents taught us to do the right thing. That’s “Don’t you think?” Whereupon Todd opined, “Well, I think it starts with the fact we’re a family business that really the only responsibility we have--just do the right allows us to really take those kinds of family values into thing. Do it all the time. Try to produce every single box of product perfectly. Try to satisfy every single customer the whole business.” “Not in a Bush sort of way,” Bruce joked. A non- perfectly. Do it right every time,” Bruce said. “It’s all plused Todd continued, “And it shows in the benefits about being honest. Everybody in our family has been we provide for our team in terms of family leave benefits impeccably honest. We don’t take advantage of people. We sleep good.” or vacation benefits or day care. Scholarships.” “Right,” Todd said, “and I think it also extends to the “All that stuff,” Bruce interjected. Legacy is never far removed from the Simons’ environment we create. We could sit around and stress thoughts, as their fathers still take an active part in the out about the fact we have 2,000 employees and their company, always looking over their sons’ shoulders to livelihoods in a lot of ways depend on the decisions we ensure the family jewel is well-preserved. Bruce’s father, make. And I think we always have that in mind. I also Alan Simon, is Chairman of the board/CEO. Todd’s think one of the things that makes it so we don’t stress dad, Fred Simon, is Executive Vice President. The out is that so many of those 2,000 people think the same cousins’ late uncle, Steve Simon, died recently after years we do and they take responsibility for what they need to take responsibility for. And because they do that the serving as Senior VP and GM. “My dad was and is pretty much the operational guy. stress we carry is minimized.” “But the whole thing is doing the right thing,” Bruce He’s the guy who ran the meatpacking plant and who was the bean counter,” Bruce said. “Bought the meat,” said. “I mean, if you’ve got building blocks and you set Todd offered. “Yeah, bought the meat,” Bruce con- them up properly you’re going to have a very strong firmed. “And Todd’s dad was the real marketing guy building. And that’s what we have and it’s because of every single block. Look, if spacemen came and took and Steve (Simon) was the sales guy.” The three brothers--Alan, Fred and Steve--learned the either one of us away there’s no question in my business from their father Lester Simon, who in turn mind...this place would continue on because of the vallearned it from his father B.A. Simon. It all began when ues that J.J., B.A., Lester, Alan, Fred, Steve and now B.A. and his father J.J. Simon, both butchers, left Latvia Todd and I hold dear. It’s our whole corporate culture.” The confidence they exude may be attributed in part for America in 1898 to escape religious persecution. With the meat business in their blood, J.J. and B.A. set- to the up-through-the-family-ranks training the pair got tled in Omaha, a meatpacking center, and worked in sev- and to the well-balanced team they form. “It’s interesting,” Todd said, “because I think in a lot eral area markets. In 1917 father and son opened their own meat shop, Table Supply Meat Company, down- of ways we’ve both sort of followed in our fathers’ foottown. Their niche was to process and sell beef to restau- steps. You know, Bruce is very strong operationally, purchasing, finance...All the sort of back-office stuff is his rants and grocers. As the decades progressed Table Supply responded to forte. And mine is the out-front stuff--the marketing, the growing food service sector by supplying meat to sales. Managing the customer service aspect of that, Union Pacific Railroad in support of its large dining car motivating the front-line people to be people-people.” services as well as to more and more restaurants here and Continued on page 17 by LEO ADAM BIGA
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