Super Store Industries — American Executive Spotlight -
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Published on: 11/18/2004
Last Visited: 5/8/2006
supermarket chains has enabled Jay Simon,s company to prosper.
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Some of the supermarket chains involved in this strategic partnership include Raley,s, Bel Aire Markets, Nob Hill, Food Source, Save Mart, and Food Max; collectively, they are also part owners of Super Store Industries. ,If the supermarkets we supply add up all their volume, they,d be equal to the 14th largest supermarket group in the US,, said Super Store Industries, CEO Jay Simon.
Simon oversees production, manufacturing, and distribution in SSI,s three facilities, all located in Northern California.
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In addition, SSI manufactures a product for a company out of Mexico under the label of La La. ,La La is the number one selling culture-based yogurt in Mexico, and they entered the US and chose us to produce that product for them,, said Simon.
,This is a competitive industry, so we need to be able to continue providing the highest level of quality at the most competitive price.In addition to these co-pack arrangements, we,re pursuing opportunities with other national brand manufacturers to better utilize our plant capacities and further lower partner cost through production efficiencies,, he said.
Internal meritocracyAlongside manufacturing, Simon wants to make certain that SSI offers its 900 employees a great place to work.He has an open culture, and the organization isn,t run like a hierarchy, but as a meritocracy. ,People are allowed and encouraged to make decisions and pursue ideas, and they are never criticized for making a mistake,, said the CEO.
For several years, SSI,s annual turnover rate has been less than 2%.To keep employees, the company is constantly offering bonus programs, which are linked to labor production, safety, and attendance, among other factors.With these added incentives, employees are motivated to move up to higher levels of the company.
One challenge, according to Simon, lies with finding new recruits outside of SSI. ,We,ve been around since 1988, and many of the supervisors and managers have grown and developed with the company.But the growth we,re experiencing right now requires that we go outside of the system for people, and quite frankly, we,re challenged by that,, said Simon.
According to Simon, it takes a certain type of individual to work in the environment of a plant/manufacturing facility. ,We,re fortunate in one respect,there are numerous industries in the valley like ours, so there seems to be a big talent pool to pick from, but we,re very selective,, said Simon. ,What,s important to us is that the individual fits our culture.,
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