Small steps, significant progress
It’s not high-level initiatives that shape an organization. Smaller changes can be just as impactful in the long term…
Outlook on Leadership with Erick Stewart
“You’re never successful, you’re always succeeding,” says Erick Stewart, a Battle Creek-based serial entrepreneur who wrote his first business plan at age 26, then launched Stewart Industries and grew it into a $50 million company. Today as CEO of Lagniappe Global Commodity Partners and an Entrepreneur Emeritus at the foundation, Erick is helping other business leaders grow their organizations and themselves
HealthBar: Scaling a nurse-driven approach to health care
Wanting to make health care more affordable and easier to access, Nathan Baar launched HealthBar in May 2020. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his company provides primary and preventive care services across Michigan to businesses and schools via teams of nurses and nurse practitioners. Structured as a concierge model, HealthBar’s services range from onsite clinics and virtual health to home care, nurse…
Strategic thinking: What’s clouding your crystal ball?
To scale their companies, CEOs need to be futurists, assessing opportunities that can hone their competitive edge and trends that might hinder their ability to compete…
Outlook on Leadership Zach Raley
Founder of Utiliserve and Fireserve LLC in Bossier City, Louisiana, Zach Raley says one of his biggest leadership lessons has been identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to get the right people in the right places at the right time.
The 1990s
Encouraging America’s entrepreneurs After creating a billion-dollar industry that established the cat as the nation’s most popular pet, Ed Lowe set his creative sights on nurturing other entrepreneurs. This included a number of investments and activities, such as: Speaking at universities, colleges and national associations to promote the importance of America’s entrepreneurs. Creating an Entrepreneurs Learning Service (ELS) to provide…
The 1980s
Era of expansion To compete with West Coast manufacturers, in 1980 Lowe’s purchased the production assets of Panamint Marketing Co. in Maricopa, CA. Two years later it established European markets with Lawrence Industries of the United Kingdom and Skamol of Denmark. Automated packaging lines were installed in plant facilities to increase the daily capacity of finished product. Product innovations were…
The 1970s
Sustaining growth In 1973 Lowe’s sold its silica plant. The following year it acquired a processing facility in Oran, Mo., and began construction for a large plant in Bloomfield, MO. Once completed, the Bloomfield, MO plant produced almost twice the combined production of plants in Paris, TN, and Olmsted, IL. This is the picture where Ed is at the left….
The 1960s
Staying ahead of competitors Packaging innovations, creative ad campaigns, and new product lines kept Lowe’s Inc. in the forefront of the pet product industry. In addition to its Kitty Litter and Tidy Cat brands, Lowe’s Inc. began manufacturing private-label cat-box-filler. On the operations side, Lowe’s manufacturing facilities grew in size and capacity. The plants also became well known as models…
The 1950s
Getting bigger Product expansion and savvy marketing helped Ed Lowe win both new and repeat customers. In addition to Kitty Litter, he had introduced a complete line of feline products that included sanitary disposable trays, shampoos, flea powder and cat toys. Ed placed print and mail-orders ads in pet trade magazines, made dealer aids available through jobbers and created incentive…