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Sunday, July 03, 1994 Page: 1F QUICK WORDS: NOT YOUR BORING BOARD
Not Your Boring Board
Dipping into Ben & Jerry
It’s 1963. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield meet in a 7th grade gym class in
Long IslandThey don’t know it yet, but business history is being made.
Zip ahead to 1977. Ben and Jerry move to Vermont and complete a $5
correspondence course in ice-cream making from Penn State. They get a perfect
score; the test is open book.
A year later, the boyhood friends open their first store, Ben & Jerry’s
Homemade ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vt.
By 1993, Ben & Jerry’s grows to 500 employees. Sales reach $140 million.
Ben & Jerry are famous — first-name famous.
They’ve gained a solid reputation for their dedication to producing fine
ice cream and, lately, yogurt. But their dream and their stated mission
remains — demonstrating to the world a publicly-held company can be run
profitably, while continuing to be based on principles of social
responsibility.
To that end, the company gives 7.5 percent of income before taxes to
various charitable causes.
Ben and Jerry admit being “horrified” at finding themselves businessmen
instead of just ice cream men. Ben recently announced his resignation as CEO.
He will remain chairman of the board. Jerry will remain vice-chairman. A
search for a new CEO is on.
“It’s clear we need someone with more experiences, skills and talent in
leading a company of our size,” Ben told shareholders at the annual meeting.
“Contrary to rumors, we’re not selling this company to anybody.”
They’re known as a socially-progressive employer. But a company-hired
outside consultant last year found that employee morale was suffering. Those
working at plants outside headquarters say they no longer feel a part of the
company.
Jerry takes their grumbles seriously.
“People’s jobs have to be meaningful. We had very high aspirations but
we’ve been externally focused.”
Within 10 years, Jerry hopes to have solved these internal problems while
ushering in a new era for Ben & Jerry’s. His vision remains strong.
“You can have a caring business and a profitable business,” he says. “I’d
like to think that in 10 years that idea will not be thought of as unusual. It
will be the norm.”
— Dawn Shurmaitis