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The Alexander & Hornung Story, Continued:
The most recent acquisition is a small Lithuanian bakery on the brink of going under: "I bought it for one reason: It was going to go out of business and I didn’t want to see that tradition lost."
This is an industry that thrives on tradition as much as innovation. We asked Bernie if he thought his kids, now only 11 and 13 years, old might see Alexander & Hornung into the 4th generation.
"They think they’re interested in the business, but I hope they’re not. This work is hard.
Hopefully, I’ve provided an opportunity for them to be more forward thinking than their dad. But I wouldn’t preclude them from being in the business.
My dad tried very hard to keep me from getting in the business---he would’ve paid for me to go to Harvard. Anything, just don’t come into the meat business."
But with advances like the Internet, some aspects of the business have grown to be faster, more efficient and cheaper.
And those are the advances that can often help perpetuate a business in spite of itself.
"I constantly get messages via the website. Industrial and commercial people are always looking for new products and the companies who can provide them, and because we have a web presence, they find us.
We’ll get contacted by a number of people who will say `We’re looking for someone who can make this for us.’ And that starts a dialogue."
Here is a clear example of a company that deliberately put itself in a position to have these conversations with the marketplace.
Had they hung back and said things like, “We don’t need a site. The people in our industry aren’t on the web.” Or, “We have better places to put our money, perhaps we should run more ads.”
Or – well you can think up alternatives, I’m sure.
The point is by observing, orienting, thinking and acting well, Alexander & Hornung is out in the marketplace, having those conversations and creating competitive advantages with the information gathered from the conversations.
"The web site has opened lots of doors for us. When I talk to people on the phone, they’ll often request a catalog, and I can tell them, `sure, give me your information, and in the mean time, check out my web site.’
And many times, they’ll do it right then while I’m on the phone with them."
But even with the new technology at his fingertips, he always follows up the old fashioned way: with a print catalog.
"I guess that’s a sign of my age, that I still like to do things that way. I feel like a piece of paper on their desk is going to be better remembered than a website."
"If you survey people who know Alexander & Hornung as a name in this city, they’ll say `Oh, that’s such a big company!’
It’s a good name, it’s been around a long time, and we produce a good product, but people have no concept of our size."
The way they have worked has clearly built their brand equity.
"I think that the website has provided us with a modern-day presence, and it makes us look like we’re a player. We’re a very small company, but we appear far bigger."
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