It was about People

It was the summer of 2007, and as I sat in my office as I did each early morning reviewing sales data from the day prior when the founder of  our company dropped in for a visit which was not uncommon at all.

That particular morning our conversation went off script as he was interested in speaking with me on an impending acquisition our company was considering. We were reviewing a purchase opportunity of the 21 store division of the The Great A&P Company in New Orleans. It is amazing to think of it today, because at the time we only had 15 stores, and here we were about to absorb 21 locations into our company.

Let me set the context, it wasn't unusual to have a morning visit into my office from our company founder. After all he spent his entire life connected to the produce industry, so he was always interested to know what the latest happenings were in our part of the business.

So this visit started off no different, what was different is when he shifted the what the normal conversation would have been about market conditions and pricing to the acquisition and where we were in the negotiations. At which time he asked me what were my thoughts about the plan, to which I told him with full confidence that if the company decided to go through with the purchase, we would be successful with the transition because our team was ready and prepared for the work ahead. I had no doubt about that.

What I wasn't prepared for was his next statement...he looked at me, slid his heavy framed eye glasses off and laid them on my desk and he looked at me and said this. In his own words, "I told my sons to be sure to sleep on the final decision before making it because we have many of people depending on us to make the right decision".

At which point, I thought he was referring to customers and supply partners, but before I could respond he said, "our employees and their families are depending on us to make the right decision, because if we don't many people will be hurt". I could see and feel the emotion of the moment. I'm not exactly sure why he shared that moment with me, but I am so humbled that he did so.

At the time, I had been with the company over 24 years and I knew the kind of man he was, and his loyalty to those who he entrusted to run his business on a daily basis. But to hear him say those words only validated what I already knew. I only wish that more people knew that side of him.

It will soon be 15 years since he passed away in March 2009, and I left the company after 32 years in 2015, but this moment still sticks with me. He is THE reason why I loved my work so much, because I knew how much he cared. In essence, I cared so much, because he cared so much.

 

Have you ever worked for someone who truly had your best interest in mind, and acted like it, but more so did something about it. All while holding you to the highest level of expectation and was your greatest mentor on top of it. That is who Anthony Rouse Sr. was to me.