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or maybe through partnering with a retailer to say, “This produce was grown at a farm that was more sustainable and here’s why.”
Also, I would encourage people to be very careful about measuring. When you look at impacts, for instance, carbon footprints, you need to be very careful to document, and very careful in how you collect that information so you can be transparent when you talk about it with other people, and when people come to you with questions, as they inevitably do.
Mira Slott: No math manipulation.
Maria Brous: We don’t believe in funny math. No way.
Michael Hewitt: We never overreach when we talk about our green efforts. If anything, we’re conservative when we talk about it because we never want to be accused of over- stating anything or perhaps even brainwash- ing what it is that we’re doing.
Maria Brous: What you see is what you get. That’s what it comes down to. We are a very transparent company in every aspect. That’s the only way we know how to be. But it’s worked for 79 years, so we’re doing some- thing right.
Ken Whitacre: Does Publix have any sys- tems where you actually highlight a certain vendor each year for going above and beyond?
Maria Brous: We are very protective of our supplier relationships. We don’t engage in publicizing. We don’t do a lot of press releas- es, unless it’s a mutual agreed-upon kind of deal. But, we are respectful of the relationship. We expect a lot, and we give a lot in return.
I think overwhelmingly, what you’ll hear from our supplier community is we’re a tough company, but when you’re in, you’re in, and it’s good to be that way. We like to set that bar high because at the end of the day, we’re there to serve our customers and to exceed their expectations. We do that every day, and we expect no different from our suppliers.
We come in with a service mentality. We are there to serve and we ask that our suppli- ers come to the table with the same mentality, and understand that our customers always come first. Always.
Mira Slott: It seems like there’s this sense of integrity in what you do. I mean, it’s a busi- ness obviously, but I think you said something nice about having a heart.
Michael Hewitt: I think no one takes that for granted at Publix, but for the people who’ve been there for years and years and years, it becomes just everyday, natural — it’s automatic. For those of us who came in more recently, like I did three years ago, I still some- times just take pause and think about what I hear and see, and think about what a neat
company this is and how unique it is.
Mira Slott: Well, it’s interesting because I hear that same family nature at PRODUCE BUSI- NESS, and it makes you feel dedicated to want to do your best.
Michael Hewitt: You touched on some- thing really important, which we didn’t talk about earlier, and that is when Publix is look- ing for new talent, when we’re looking for that next generation — the generation that’s going to run the company after we’re gone — those are the people that we’re looking for, the people who feel that connection. Thank- fully, there are also people out there who are looking for that connection.
The message of sustainability is yet anoth- er way for us to reach out to that talent pool and attract...
Mira Slott: People want to be a part of something, to feel like their input counts.
Michael Hewitt: Right. I mean, surveys have shown that people — young people especially — are actually coming out of col- lege willing to take a job for less money if it’s with a company that they believe in, that they admire, that they believe is doing the right thing, which is great.
Maria Brous: I think interestingly enough, people always ask — especially dur- ing the holidays and summer — “Are you hir- ing for seasonal?” and our answer is no. We’re looking to make careers at Publix. It’s not just a job. It’s a career. Much like it’s a lifestyle, it really is a sense of “This is who we are.”
Mira Slott: It must be very hard to be in an industry with high turnover, especially when you’re going to all the effort of training people.
Maria Brous: I think within the first 30 days, we spend, on average, about $6,000 training our associates. Most of our them, within the first 90 days, know it’s a place for them, that it’s something that they can do. So, we figure the majority of our turnover hap- pens within the first 90 days. But, when you talk to them, it’s not uncommon to see the lif- ers come out. We have a district manager who is receiving his 55th Year Service Award com- ing up in April, and that’s not uncommon. The average — our median for store manager of years of service — is 25.4 years.
Ken Whitacre: That’s incredible. So do you find that the people who want to work at GreenWise are more loyal, more dedicated?
Maria Brous: I don’t think so, because it’s such a small niche for us. When people come to us, there is expertise at times. Their exper- tise may be different because we may have more of the lifestyle. It’s different.
With only three stores, that was a big issue to come around the table and say the organic
lifestyle is different than a clean-cut, tradition- al associate should be. But it was important for us to step outside of that norm because we were looking for the expertise in the area, and we can continue to train associates there.
But, once you’re on board, once you’ve drunk the water, we expect you to be a part of this family and kind of sharing, and you don’t last if you don’t. It’s one of those things that people definitely know.
Michael Hewitt: Right. They’ll start when they’re a teenager stocking shelves, and they may go to college, but they come back. It’s not unusual to meet a manager or director, or even a vice president, who was once stocking shelves.
Mira Slott: It’s like your experience when you’ve seen all different aspects of the operation — it probably helps you and adds to your understanding in how to answer a question.
Maria Brous: It does. I think I’m very for- tunate that way. But I think we each have our story to share and we’re all different. I mean, that’s the greatest thing and the greatest gift that we have; it’s a diversity of thought. We really are a company that welcomes that, and diversity is not black or white, male or female, or an ethnic group.
For us, it really is about diversity of thought and coming to the table with a differ- ent train of reference, and really, what you bring to the table. And, Mr. George always had a saying that “Publix will be a little bit of a better place or not quite as good because of you.” And that, still today, years later, res- onates. It’s in all our break rooms and it’s something that we very much live by. What is your contribution in making this a little bit better place or not quite as good?
Mira Slott: Well, thank you so much for devoting all this time. It’s just been fascinating.
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Oscar Katov at OK Communications Inc., in Hoover, AL, for assisting PRODUCE BUSINESS in creating the Retail Sustainability Award Program.] pb
See video clips of this interview on our Web site:
www.producebusiness.com
MAY 2009 • PRODUCE BUSINESS 41