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Like Amish quilters, Wegmans sews its sustainability tradition into its visionary fabric. BY MIRA SLOTT
strikingly contemporary, three-dimensional building block design, or a bold, colorful geometric, shockingly preempting the dynamic 20th centur y ar t movement.
The art of Wegmans’ sustainability model layers realistic, internal, high-impact, cost- saving results with visionar y resourcefulness and smar t experimentation and discover y. The workplace culture breeds a legacy of rich, color ful stories highlighting its values, which resonate daily in clear, consistent sustain- ability messaging throughout the close-knit community.
Since its 1916 beginnings, Wegmans has emanated steadfast willingness to pave its own path, whether going against convention to sell irradiated beef to its customers when no other retailers dared, or taking on the complexities
36 PRODUCE BUSINESS • MAY 2013
Sustainability at Wegmans, a sunrise design jettisoning toward the edges, a
79-store family chain rooted in Rochester, NY, revels in palpable contrasts analogous to the making of an Amish quilt. One only needs to study a micro and macro
image of a traditional quilt. First, zoom in on the exceptionally skilled craft, precision stitching and attention to complicated pattern detail. These quilters, like the Wegmans’ family and their long-tenured employees and grower par tners, accomplish this dedicated hard work through humble traditions, home- spun values, and organic collaboration, always staying true to their core.
Then, zoom out to reveal the entire quilt, an unexpectedly modern, provocative and innovative masterpiece; it could be an iconic
SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE CULTURE
The workplace culture of Wegmans breeds a legacy of rich, colorful stories highlighting its values, which resonate daily in clear, consis- tent sustainability messaging throughout the close-knit community.
Photo from left to right, at top: Dave Corsi, vp produce and floral, and Jason Wadsworth, sustainability coordinator; in middle row, Carol Duquette, vp development group, design services and maintenance, and Jeanne Colleluori, communica- tions and media specialist; bottom row, Mira Slott, special projects editor (PRODUCE BUSINESS), Mary Ellen Burris, senior vp consumer affairs (Wegmans) and Ken Whitacre, publisher/editorial director, (PRODUCE BUSINESS).