Taking Stock

Weis Meeting Attracts More Than 400 Vendors; Retailer Continues Focus On Price, Assortment 

As witnessed by the record turnout at Weis Markets’ 5th annual Strategic Alignment Meeting, the Sunbury, PA regional chain is clearly matriculating down the field in fine fashion. More than 400 sales reps, brokers and distributors (a record setting attendance) descended upon the BWI Marriott on October 7 and heard seven Weis executives discuss 2014 progress and challenges while also giving the vendors a peek into the tent for next year.

Jonathan Weis, president and chief executive, kicked off the meeting by providing an overview of Weis’ achievements and initiatives during the past 12 months (Weis became CEO in September 2013 following the departure of Dave Hepfinger), reinforcing his company’s commitment to driving sales through lower prices, increased cap-ex and better execution.

Kurt Schertle, who was promoted to COO earlier this year, tackled several key areas: the economy, Weis’ financial performance, market comparison, assortment/trends and efficiencies. Schertle acknowledged that the U.S. economy is indeed improving, noting increases in housing sales, the continuing growth of the money markets and the decline in unemployment rates. However, there’s a flip side to that story as well, Schertle stated, noting that three million jobs have been lost, wages remain flat and job growth has continued at slow and sluggish levels. Adding to all retailers’ economic concerns is the reduction of SNAP/food assistance benefits over the past year (SNAP benefits were reduced approximately 11 percent last November). In 2013, SNAP/EBT customers contributed nearly 17 percent to Weis’ overall sales and, like almost every retailer in the U.S., Weis’ SNAP revenue has declined this year. Amazingly, 13.7 percent of all Pennsylvania and Maryland residents (Weis’ core trading area) still receive SNAP benefits. Schertle made it a point that he was not whining about this declining segment of business, noting that SNAP benefit reduction, cautious spending habits, intense multi-channel competition and emerging on-line businesses are factors that all retailers are currently facing.

In reviewing the last 12 months, Schertle stated that “it’s been a year of recalibration,” beginning with significant price reductions across all categories. As such, Weis’ profit has suffered, but the desired effect to grow sales has been achieved and Weis has also achieved gains in customer counts, average order size and grocery units. The youthful former Supervalu executive also noted that Weis’ comp store sales track has outpaced its competitors in the Mid-Atlantic. Schertle declared that Weis’ revamped weekly ad will continue to serve as the primary communications vehicle to deliver the retailer’s price message.

In addition to price, Weis wants to drive home its improved and expanded assortment efforts. Schertle urged the vendors in the room to help keep Weis “on trend” when it comes to growth opportunities in areas such as ethnic foods, natural/organics, gluten-free, craft beer and K cups. He added that value-added items such as organic bananas, organic milk and cage free eggs have provided solid growth for Weis and its vendors in those categories over the past year.

Differentiation in pharmacy and improvements in decision support and managements (both in Weis’ distribution and at store level) are also ongoing and have helped Weis become a more efficient merchant.

Schertle concluded his presentation by noting that Weis will continue to become more competitive, more nimble and more “local.” He singled out beer, sushi, gas, “foot-long” subs and “As Seen on TV” items as specific areas where Weis’ has achieved significant sales gains in 2014.

Speaking next was David Gose, Weis’ new senior VP-operations, who joined the Central PA retailer from Wal-Mart in May.

Gose targeted Weis’ improving relationship with its customer and its associates.”We have an enhanced focus on associate moral and engagement,” he told the large crowd. “We have established ‘daily huddle’ communication meetings and pumped up our recognition program and our associates as well.” Part of that initiative also includes granting increased empowerment of Weis’ associates to do the right thing and building “great relationships through improved service standards.” According to Gose, that has resulted in a decline of 45 percent in “complaints” and an 84 percent increase in “compliments.”

Weis has also successfully changed its ordering systems over the past year and by next month all stores will be functioning under the company’s computer generated ordering system (CGO) which will improve in-stock conditions and the potential for sales improvement. CGO should also eliminate unnecessary, unneeded and unwanted backroom inventory which will translate to greater productivity and a repurposing of dollars to other sales focused areas. Gose said that Weis has also implemented a program that is designed to create a more operational company throughout the stores. The first phase – center store – will be completed in the next 60 days and its Fresh initiative will be in 2015 with a mid-summer completion date targeted.

“We are continuing the tradition of being a sales-focused company,” the executive explained. He pointed to two examples – play balls and mums – as successful efforts by Weis to increase volume in areas that some thought were either frivolous or challenging. “We had the right energy and focused on excitement and as a result play balls enjoyed a 132 percent increase in unit sales and 8 inch mums achieved a 23 percent gain in unit sales,” Gose proclaimed. “Our eye is squarely on the customer and all of our actions will support that focus.”

Brian Holt, Weis’ VP-marketing then addressed the crowd. The young marketing executive devoted a lot of his presentation to the impact of digital marketing, noting that shoppers today spend about five hours daily online, a figure that for the first time surpassed TV viewing. Holt also concentrated on linking marketing to sales and urged vendors to combine digital marketing with more traditional marketing and advertising programs in reaching Weis’ 1.8 million households. He detailed customized programs such as “Grow with Me” and “New Mom” mailers as examples of expanding non-digital programs and also noted that the “Grow With Me” initiative also offers a digital facebook component.

Holt went on to update the audience on the retailer’s online efforts. New stores recently added to the chain’s “click and collect” base include units in: Fogelsville, PA; Tannersville, PA; Lewisburg, PA; Perry hall, MD; and Laurel, MD. Another unit in Binghamton, NY will be added soon. In 2015, at least 10 more stores will become part of Weis Online Shopping (WOS) plan. Holt said that the average basket size of a WOS order is more than four times the average Weis basket size. The retailer’s mobile application will undergo some changes next year. Push notifications will be added for relevant specials and prescription refills will become available via Weis’ mobile app. Prepared foods ordering will also become part of that application. In addressing Weis’ “Gold Card” program, Holt noted the growth and success of the chain’s marketing effort, targeted to Weis’ top-tier shoppers (those who spend at least $3,500 annually).

In closing, Holt recapped Weis’ “local produce” program which underwent a refocusing in 2014. The company’s goal was to create a comprehensive and engaging local product merchandising and marketing campaign that used local farmers to help tell Weis’ “story.” As part of the marketing effort, the retailer improved its point-of-sale integration with state affiliations such as PA Preferred, Jersey Fresh and Maryland’s Best. Digitally, it was supported by QR codes, local farmers’ video spots and an interactive map on its website. Window signs, display signs and shelf signs were enhanced as Weis sought grater connectivity between local providers and its customers. Holt added that “local” will become an even larger part of its merchandising and marketing strategy in 2015.

Kicking off the afternoon session was Rick Seipp, VP-pharmacy, who, like his peers, affirmed the importance of strong relationships with Weis’ associates and vendors. In evaluating consumer desires, Seipp noted that while taste and price remained the two predominant factors, 71 percent of customers indicated healthfulness was also important, a 10 percent gain in two years. Seipp touted Weis’ blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks, flu immunizations, glucose checks and private label sampling as points of differentiation, adding that dedicated programs such “healthy bites,” “mystery tours” and “lowest price guarantee” (LPG) also helped the regional chain grow overall pharmacy sales while also expanding pharmacy customer counts.

A man with a lot on his plate is Kevin Broe, VP-center store sales & merchandising, who gave a detailed analysis of Weis’ achievements over the past year and a preview of the company’s fourth quarter and 2015 outlook.

The former A&P executive noted that the chain’s price-impact initiative has helped reinforce what was already a strong price driven sales culture, adding that Weis has indeed invested heavily on reducing margins, particularly with its EDLP and LPG efforts. “We have a passion for selling and as a result we sold more cases since we began our price reductions,” he disclosed.

In discussing category business planning, Broe stated that its new model relies heavily on the following areas: insight and data, improved collaboration between Weis and its supply partners, implementation of additional decision support tools and the increasing engagement and empowerment of the category managers themselves.

He reviewed Weis’ “meaningful differentiation” program in center store departments and categories that are designed to enhance sales and merchandising in those growing areas which include, natural/organics, gluten free, coffee and beer.

Broe devoted a significant portion of his time to Weis’ private label plans. He specifically chose ice cream (Weis operates its own ice cream plant in Sunbury, PA) as an example of Weis’ ability to grow the category through innovative line expansion, packaging, advertising and merchandising. He revealed a template to drive private label sales, which include: partnering with suppliers that are currently in or want to enter the private label realm to grow business; utilizing secondary displays and cross-merchandising in the stores; developing more cohesive ads; participate in more local events; entering new private label segments; renewing Weis’ focus on SNAP sales opportunities; and pairing with more national brand partners.

Looking forward to the near future (Q4 and 2015), Broe explained that above all, his company’s focus will be on continuing to deliver value to Weis’ customers and suppliers. He stated that Weis’ associates and its vendors should expect the best from each other, affirming that “we will implement what we promise.” Other expectations included: improving dialogue across all levels of the organization; prioritizing openness and respect; sharing best practices; and continuing to focus on sales. “Our goal is to never leave dollars on the table,” Broe proclaimed.

Concluding the festivities at the packed house meeting was Dan Koch, Weis’ VP-fresh merchandising. The former Price Chopper exec provided an overview of what he expects from his fresh vendors. He urged the supplier community to operate in a spirit of collaboration, to take co-ownership of their categories and communicate with Weis with a mindset of honesty and candor. With the support of an accompanying video titled “The Power of Rotisserie Chicken,” Koch detailed how, through targeted marketing, merchandising and pricing, Weis took a deli centerpiece item which was trending flat, to one where sales and units increased more than 15 percent, also aiding the entire category. He encouraged vendors to seek LPG opportunities, revealing that the average lift of LPG advertised items was approximately 300 percent when compared to regular retail pricing. He pointed out that both high volume items such as Porterhouse steaks (unit sales increase of nearly 200 percent) and specialty items like New York-style cheesecake (unit sales increase of more than 350 percent) have both benefited from EDLP pricing.

He asked the audience in a rhetorical manner: “Are we delivering against a need? Are we simplifying their lives? Are we creating a connections?” adding “We should differentiate, yet still keep it recognizable.”

Koch also declared that “it doesn’t always have to be healthy,” illustrating examples of “hot” food products such as Doritos tacos, KFC’s ‘Double Down’ and the Cronut. While acknowledging the sales growth of those items, he wondered if healthier alternative items were also to be considered by consumers. He inferred that less processed foods, hormone free products, seasonal choices and an emphasis on local and fresh would also gain new customers.

“We need your help,” Koch implored. “We don’t want to be boring. We need to be competitively priced and on trend. We desire you candor and want to reward our valued partners. Our vision is simple.”

After four hours, vendors seemed generally satisfied with the depth and details that Weis provided.

“I learned a lot,” said the owner of a Pennsylvania-based brokerage firm. “It’s nice to see Weis back on a growth track, but it’s also important to see that they haven’t lost their homey, regional personality. With so many of my customers facing challenging sales and other internal issues, this was a very encouraging meeting.”

He’s right, this was the best Weis meeting to date. Of course, you can never go wrong with the “sell more stuff” approach, especially if you can walk the talk.

Ahold Realigns Category Managers; Giant/Landover Rolls Out ‘Thunder’ 

It’s been an extremely busy time at Ahold USA, and earlier this month Ahold USA announced that it has revamped its category manager teams. According to a memo from Mark McGowan, executive VP-merchandising (who is also overseeing store ops until a new merchandising chief is hired), the realignment “is more than just a structural change; this is a cultural shift that will happen over time.”

McGowan noted that “the new initiative will be more customer-driven to operate more competitively, improve support to the stores and drive sales; become portfolio and category centric, with stronger support for the portfolio leads and category teams; staffed at optimal levels. This means providing the right number of resources within clarified roles to support work and volume; become better organized for career progression. We have an improved approach for job progression to allow for more career path options; and finally, become more aligned with the other functions and with the divisions. We will have a strong merchandising leadership team to guide us through this and we’d like to announce the merchandising leadership team and our new portfolio leads, along with a bit of detail behind their category teams,” McGowan states in his missive to AUSA’s vendors.

The new alignment shapes up like this: John Ruane remains senior VP-fresh and those reporting to him include: Kelly Krutz, floral; Tom Hurley, meat; David Lessard, produce; Travis Hubbard, deli/prepared foods; Patrick Killiany, fresh seafood; and Patrick Dwyer, bakery. Also remaining in place is Jeff Dichele, senior VP-non-perishables. Reporting to him will be: Tara Ponnett, warehouse beverage, main meals and enhancers; Jim Wonderly, general merchandise; Denise Mullen, beverage, rewards, beer and wine and commercial bakery; Todd Patti, dairy; Natalia Torres-Furtado, ethnic and specialty; Maria Ruisi, natural and organic; and Ken Kehres, fuel. The baking, breakfast and candy categories remain open. Kyle Kirkpatrick will be assuming the role of director of negotiation strategy, reporting to Dichele. Raymond McCall continues as senior VP-HBC, household, baby and pharmacy; reporting to him will be: Howard Sherr, HBC; Sheila Kostiuk, household; and Brad Dayton, pharmacy.

McGowan added: “We’ll do our best to minimize disruptions to the smooth operation of the business and our relationship with our vendor partners. Until you are otherwise informed of a new Ahold USA partner, partners should continue to work with their current Ahold USA contact.” Over the past three months, AUSA has also restructured its store operations team, reducing the number of district managers and regional VPs while adding departmental specialists designed to better serve the retailer’s nearly 800 stores.

Also, last month, Giant/Landover unveiled AUSA’s “Project Thunder” price impact initiative at its 169 Giant/Landover stores, most of which are located in the Baltimore-Washington market.

After initially testing the program at its Stop & Shop New York Metro division late last year, and subsequently rolling it out in New England as well, “Thunder” broke on September 26 and based on my sources, Giant/Landover attained solid, but not spectacular sales gains during the first two weeks of the program. “Thunder” is one of the centerpieces in Ahold USA COO’s James McCann plan to change his nearly 800 stores from “good to great.”

While the initiative (which somewhat reminds me of AUSA’s VIP initiative in 2006) is being funded internally by cost-savings efforts throughout overall operations, the critical question for McCann and AUSA remains: can “Thunder” create enough of a sales bump to offset margin reductions created by lower prices?

Based on the trade reports and Ahold’s sales and earnings reports over the past year, the results thus far aren’t particularly encouraging. However, only about 50 percent of AUSA’s stores have been “Thunderized” prior to the Giant/Landover roll-out, so the initiative remains a work in progress. All stores are expected to be converted by early 2015. According to a talking points memo issued by Gordon Reid, president of the Landover unit, “Thunder” is more than just a pricing program. Giant claims it is investing in its associates with enhanced training opportunities which will lead to an overall improvement in the store experience for its customers. Other key components of the plan are a priority on upgrading Giant’s “fresh” departments and the further empowerment of store associates to take greater “ownership” of their departments.

As part of the initiative, Giant will replace its “Real Deals” and “Weekly Specials” with a single program called “Bonus Buy Savings.” New signage has also been created. Additionally, assortment has been improved (particularly in fresh departments) and Giant is “actively communicating with our customers about how they can maximize value across the store” while also upgrading its training.

The latter point is vital. After having observed the new “Thunder” model in about two dozen Stop & Shop stores in New York and New England, I believe the Northeast’s largest merchant has done a good job of creating an effective price reduction message with its customers. However in the areas of training and store staffing, both key elements needed to synchronize its message, Ahold USA still falls short when compared to other dominant service-oriented retailers that Giant/Landover, Giant/Carlisle or Stop & Shop competes against.

It’s also pretty late in the game to enter the price impact derby in Balt-Wash. Harris Teeter beat Giant/Landover to the punch by about two months by reducing thousands of retails in its nearly 50 B-W stores. Other “service” oriented retailers such as Whole Foods and Wegmans have gained market share during the past year and even third-ranked Shoppers Food & Pharmacy has achieved some growth during the past 12 months. That’s not even mentioning the continuing impact of low price players like Wal-Mart, Aldi, Save-A-Lot, Price Rite and the hundreds of dollars stores which now dot the B-W landscape.

That basically leaves Safeway for Giant to prey upon. During the past three years, the large Pleasanton, CA chain has done little to shed its unaggressive “vanilla” image and now that it is operating in the “quiet” period prior to its acquisition by Albertsons/Cerberus, its Lanham, MD-based eastern division seems practically inert. With so many locations near Safeway’s stores, Giant is poised to gain business at Safeway’s expense while the latter chain remains in lame duck mode.

‘Round The Trade 

After years of resisting any type of customer loyalty initiative, Whole Foods Market will finally get into the card program mix. It plans to unveil a rewards plan in the next few weeks at its high volume Princeton, NJ unit with an eye toward a broader rollout later this year at its 10 other units in the Philadelphia area. The Austin, TX based natural/organics chain said it hopes to expand the loyalty program to all 399 stores nationwide…in what is clearly a belt-tightening move, Wal-Mart acknowledged that it will no longer offer health insurance to approximately 30,000 part-time associates (about 5 percent of Behemoth’s U.S. work force) who work fewer than an average of 30 hours per week. More Wal-Mart related news: Susan Dickey, an Arkansas federal judge, rejected the Behemoth’s bid to toss out a lawsuit filed by the City of Pontiac (MI) General Employees’ Retirement System, which accuses Wal-Mart of defrauding shareholders by making misleading statements to regulators in response to claims it paid bribes to facilitate real-estate deals in Mexico. Judge Dickey agreed with previous lower court rulings that the case should move forward. And, David Tovar is no longer the company’s VP-communications after Wal-Mart officials learned that Tovar had falsified his resume, claiming he earned a B.A. from the University of Delaware, when, in fact, he never completed the required course load. There are more than a few of us in the media business who won’t miss Tovar, who was a robotic mouthpiece and an unbridled apologist for the planet’s largest merchant…A&P recently completed a refinancing plan of its existing senior debt which the company noted was covenant-free and provides a significant reduction in interest expense and enhanced liquidity. The new financing arrangement “reflects the debt market’s confidence in its ongoing program and prospects for future growth.” Huh? I wonder if it also reflects A&P’s decreasing ID sales and crappy morale at its approximately 300 stores?…it’s been a busy period for C&S Wholesale Grocers. Not only is the Keene, NH distributor the leading contender to gain control of AWI’s assets, it will reportedly acquire the store support, marketing, branding, accounting and IT services of Greenbax Enterprises for $9.3 million. Greenbax is the parent company of Piggly Wiggly of Carolina. After selling 28 Piggly Wiggly units last year to Publix and Bi-Lo, Greenbax still operates 19 corporately owned stores in South Carolina and Georgia, which it plans to sell to independent retailers. C&S has been supplying those stores for about a year. Once shareholder approval is gained, the deal should close later this month…C&S’ primary competitor (along with Wakefern) in the Northeast, Supervalu, said it recently discovered a second security breach in its IT system. The Eden Prairie, MD wholesaler/retailers, which discovered an earlier breach in August, stated that malware was installed into part of its data network, affecting payment card transactions for some of its retail customers. Supervalu said it was in the process of installing “enhanced protective technology” on its point-of-sale terminals when hackers installed malicious software on the network that processes transactions for the company’s Shop ‘n Save, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy and Cub Foods stores, according to the company. These security measures are designed to prevent malware uploaded to the company’s network from collecting any payment card data. Also affected by this latest breach is Supervalu’s sister company – AB Acquisition LLC – which contracts with Supervalu for information technology services. Those banners, which used to be part of the entire SVU organization, include Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Star Market…Weis Markets has been awarded a $1 million grant that will be used to fund the retailer’s expansion of its cold storage distribution facility in Milton, PA. The Economic Growth Initiative grant will help retain 773 jobs at the facility, according to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. Weis plans to invest around $12 million to expand its Milton facility to an adjacent lot next to its existing center. The 104,000 square foot facility provides dairy, deli and packaged meats to 163 Weis stores… Rick Mills, former Weis CFO, who joined Tops Markets in a similar capacity in 2010, resigned from the Williamsville, NY-based regional chain earlier this month as its fiscal third quarter came to a close. Mills was among a group of six senior Tops executives, led by CEO Frank Curci, who acquired Tops from Morgan Stanley Capital Partners late last year…I had the pleasure of meeting many members of the new Albertsons management team who participated in the annual Acme/Shaw’s/Jewel-Osco charitable golf outing that took place late last month at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. While there are quite a few Safeway executives who made the cut (they basically will be overseeing Safeway divisions), I have a feeling it’s going to be a radical cultural awakening once Albertsons takes over the joint. For a company that for years was hindered, in my opinion, by process and bureaucracy, expect Albertsons’ more decentralized, self-empowerment model to serve as either revitalization or a career killer for those Safeway executives that are part of the new team…industry veteran Jack Murphy has been named Fairway Market’s new CEO. I’ve known Jack for many years beginning with his days at Purity Supreme in New England where he served as company founder Leo Kahn’s “Mr. Everything.” Leo and Jack came to Washington in the early 1990s to start Fresh Fields (along with Mark Ordan), which they ultimately sold to Whole Foods. Most recently, Murphy served as chief executive of Earth Fare, a 33-store organics retailer based in Asheville, NC. After a long search, Fairway made a great choice, hiring a talented, experienced, hands-on merchant who can help the Manhattan-based merchant properly structure an organization that can certainly sell “lotsa stuff,” but has struggled to turn a profit since its went public 18 months ago…a tip of the hat to Tom Dempsey, CEO of the Snack Food Association and former CEO of Utz Quality Foods, for hosting an interesting and enjoyable Executive Leadership Forum in Chatham, MA last month. The agenda was creative, the membership was engaged and the SFA team performed in stellar fashion…the Ravitz family will open the second non-corporately owned PriceRite on October 15 in Camden, NJ (Inserra opened the first member-owned PriceRite in July in Garfield, NJ.) The new PriceRite, a former  Pathmark store, is 43,000 square feet in size and is the first of two projects the Ravitz family will open in that underserved community; they plan to open a 75,000 square foot conventional ShopRite store there in 2016… Giant/Carlisle cut the ribbon on its beautiful new replacement unit in Enola, PA on October 10 and weekend business was brisk, not surprising given the fact that the old Giant store there had been a superior performer for years. Also, Giant/Carlisle and its sister company Peapod announced they have expanded their marketing footprint and are now serving 20 zip codes in the Lehigh Valley market, where Giant’s bricks and mortar operation has the dominant share of market.…Steve Mayer, former senior VP-fresh for AUSA has joined St. Louis-based Schnucks as senior VP-produce and floral. He will be reporting to COO Anthony Hucker, who worked with Mayer when he served as president of AUSA’s Giant/Landover unit…Grocery Outlet, the 214 store “extreme value” retailer based in Emeryville, CA, which owns 16 Amelia Grocery Outlets in Eastern and Central PA (and a distribution center in Leola, PA), has been acquired by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman from another PE player – Berkshire Partners – for an undisclosed sum believed to be in excess of $1.1 billion…interesting story in Forbes about the Market Basket situation in New England. The bi-weekly biz mag claims that Arthur T. “Artie T” Demoulas wasn’t exactly deserving of th
e “white knight” status that has been ordained on him by the media. “Artie T constantly rejected any oversight of his decisions, repeatedly refused to share financial information with the board and concealed that profitability was down and total cash generated had fallen five years in a row,” the article states. Also noted in the story was that for the years that “Artie T” controlled Market Basket’s business (2008-2013), he spent $700 million of the company’s money on transactions with outside businesses owned by his wife and brothers-in-law. Hey, I don’t think anybody ever claimed that “Artie T” was without fault (especially if you believe the allegations in the article). But here’s the ultimate takeaway: did “Artie T” do anything that was proven to be illegal? Did he help the company grow sales and market share during his stewardship? What’s missing from the story is that, despite these alleged “maneuverings,” the connection and loyalty that “Artie T” had with Market Basket’s associates and the communities and shoppers that the retailer served was unmistakably deep and relevant. To wit: with “Artie T” now reinstalled as CEO and about to acquire the entire company, Market Basket has been performing at record levels in the four weeks since the family dispute was settled…there are several obits to report this month including Bob Crewe, record producer, songwriter and lyricist, whose career was closely associated with The Four Seasons. Crewe and his collaborator Bob Gaudio wrote such Four Seasons hits as “Sherry,” “Walk Like A Man,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” He also penned the lyrics for “Jersey Boys,” the mega-hit Broadway musical loosely based on The Four Seasons. Crewe, who was born in Newark, NJ and was a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, was 83…probably going directly to hell on a rocket ship is Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier,” former “president for life” of Haiti whose corrupt and brutal regime made him one of the most vilified dictators of the past 50 years. At the age of 19 in 1971, “Baby Doc” inherited the throne from his father, the even more notorious “Papa Doc” Duvalier, who killed and tortured an estimated 30,000 enemies and political opponents. “Baby Doc,” who was overthrown in 1986, returned to his native country after a 25 year exile, died of a heart attack at the age of 63 in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti’s capital…finally, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mike Warehime, 73, chairman of Snyder’s-Lance and former CEO of Snyder’s of Hanover, the Hanover, PA firm he helped build into one of the country’s largest and most successful snack food companies. Mike was also part owner of Seafood America. But more than a business leader, Mike Warehime was a wonderful person. His overwhelming kindness, graciousness and generosity earned him praise and respect from those he touched. I spent many days with Mike over the past 30 years discussing business and relationships while also sharing a few jokes and perhaps a cocktail. He helped many people along the way. If you met Mike Warehime on a park bench you wouldn’t know if he was a successful entrepreneur or a sales clerk. That’s how humble and unassuming he was. My condolences to his wife, Tricia and their three daughters Elizabeth, Kate and Susan. Mike Warehime, you will be missed.