Ben Jerrys Partner Shops example essay topic

Ben & Jerrys first started in 1978 on the corner of St. Paul and College streets in Burlington, Vermont. Ben and Jerry met in 1963 while in 7th grade gym class. That was the start of their lifelong friendship and partnership in business. Their first ice cream stand was an old renovated gas station in downtown Burlington. Ben and Jerry started their corporation with a $12,000 investment. The outstanding taste of their ice cream, which comes from the fresh Vermont milk and cream, would soon turn their $12,000 investment into a multi-million dollar corporation.

Ben & Jerrys Homemade, Inc. is a Vermont (USA) corporation. We make super premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, and ice cream novelties in unique as well as traditional flavors; our products are marketed through supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, and food service operations, as well as through licensed scoop shops, franchised scoop shops, and company-owned scoop shops. Ben & Jerrys products are distributed in all 50 states, and youll find over 120 Ben & Jerrys franchised scoop shops in 20 states (including Washington, D.C. ). Internationally, there are franchised scoop shops in Canada and licensed scoop shops in Israel and the Netherlands. One of Ben & Jerrys biggest resources is its money. In 1997 their sales reached $174 million.

Making wonderful profits and revenue allows the company to give back to the community to which it is a part of. When Ben and Jerry first started their company, they started the concept of giving back to the community as a whole. This routine is still regular and is planned to be for the future. In 1978, Ben and Jerry had their first free summer movie festival, where they projected movies on the outside wall of their scoop shop in Burlington.

In 1984 the found out how they could offer stock only to residents of Vermont, giving the people of Vermont a chance to gain something from the company, and giving the Ben & Jerrys corporation money to build a new manufacturing plant in Waterbury Vermont. In the following year Ben and Jerry set up the Ben & Jerry Foundation, which would serve to fund community orientated events. The Ben & Jerry Foundation was founded in 1985 with a donation of some stock in the Ben & Jerrys corporation. Every year the Board of Directors for the Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc. provide the corporation with 7.5% of the companys profits before taxes.

Most of these funds go to the corporation but a portion of the funds goes to CAT teams. These are employee led Community Action Teams which help small groups within Vermont by giving grants and helping with organizations. All donations made by the Foundation to groups throughout the country are made with the idea that the money will be used for creating social change in any number of areas. The following is a list of needs that a program must follow in order to get funds from the Foundation: 1.

Lead to societal, institutional, and / or environmental change 2. Address the root causes of social or environmental problems 3. Lead to new ways of thinking and acting 4. Help ameliorate an unjust or destructive situation by empowering constituents 5. Facilitate leadership development and strengthen the self-empowerment efforts of those who have been disenfranchised in our society 6. Support movement building and collective acting Along with these restrictions the foundation does not support any of the following: 1.

Emergency requests 2. Colleges or Universities 3. Scholarship programs 4. Research projects 5.

Capital campaigns 6. State agencies 7. Religious programs 8. International programs 9.

Social service programs In 1998 the 7.5% of the pre-tax profits that went to the Foundation totaled $792,600. Starting in 1989, Ben & Jerrys started what I like to call their environmental campaign. It started off with the making of Rainforest Crunch ice cream, which features special types of nuts that come from rainforest trees. Part of the sales of Rainforest Crunch goes to the preservation of the rainforest. The next step in Ben & Jerrys environmental campaign was in 1991 when they took their Circus Bus and toured around the nation. Ben and Jerry took with them a whole array of talented street performers and a message promoting solar energy.

Solar energy panels on the roof of the bus powered all of the electronics on the Circus Bus. In the year of 1991, dairy product prices were getting to the point where the farmers would not be able to make any kind of profit at all. Those farmers that supplied milk and dairy products to Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc., and followed Ben & Jerrys protest against the growth hormone BGH, received a total of a half million dollars in dairy premiums to help the family farmers out during hard times. The half million dollars prevented the family farms from going out of business and also continued the supply of BGH free dairy products to the company. The company continues to do all that it can to protect the environment as well as the good of all human beings. All of the companies waste products from the production of ice cream either goes to a local farm where pigs feed on it, or it is sent to a huge compost pile and converted in useable soil for many years.

Technical issues dealing with the Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc., are hard to come by due to the fact that the company keeps all of this information to itself. While attending one of their tours at the main production plant, I was able to attain a little information on the process, which the company uses to produce the ice cream. In the main facility there is a huge production floor where 75% of all the ice cream produced by Ben & Jerrys is made. The first step involves taking specific amounts of cream and milk along with some types of sugar and other ingredients depending on the type of ice cream that is to be produced.

All of these ingredients are mixed together until a milk shake type substance is made. This substance is then pumped into huge 6,000-gallon tanks where it is cooled for 24 hours. It is then pumped back into the production room where any type of cookie or candy is placed into the ice cream. From then on it becomes the basic task of having a conveyor belt where the ice cream is packaged into one-pint containers. Beside the actual production of the ice cream, there are the scientific tests on the ice cream to make sure that it is of the highest quality. Ingredients are tested to make sure that there is the correct distribution of ingredients throughout the entire pint.

By no means is this the complete technical report on how Ben & Jerrys makes their world class ice cream. I believe it is the fact that they dont share this information that they have been able to stay at the top of the ice cream field. Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc, is a successful business mainly due to the fact that they have a Franchised Scoop Shop Program. To first determine where a scoop shop shall be allowed to operate, Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc. first looks for a specific market where a large customer base is available.

The selected market is compared to the physical and financial specifications that the company wants to present when dealing with their customers. If the Franchise site is not up to par with the standards that the company holds then the franchise is not allowed to start up. We are very particular about the appearance and location of our scoop shops. Ben & Jerrys make the process of finding new people to run franchises in target market area a long and hard process. They only focus on a few new markets at a time when they are planning for the future so they want to make sure that the correct market is selected with the right people to run the franchise. Here is a list of qualifications that one must have to be able to obtain a Ben & Jerrys franchise: 1.

Applicant must be 18 years of age 2. Have very high standards for community involvement and customer service 3. Applicants must meet the Ben & Jerrys operator profiles 4. Have very good credit 5. Provide good character references 6.

Document minimal net worth Ben & Jerrys make the qualifications for obtaining a site and operator for the franchises because they want to keep their high standard of quality. A Ben & Jerrys Partner Shop is another way that the Ben & Jerrys corporation is working to advance the community. Ben & Jerrys partner shops put a profit-making business to work with a non-profit organization to serve the communities in which they do business. The structure of the Partner shops is that the franchise fee is waved and most of the businesses profits go to a not for profit organization. The individual who is running the shop will get enough money so that he / she will be able to live, but the big focus is on the non-profit organization. The Partner shops also act as a job training facility for those individuals who need specific job training.

Most of the jobs go to those people who have found it hard to build the skills that are needed in the work place. A big part of Ben & Jerrys success, is how well there management is run and operated. Ben & Jerrys has many scoop shops, franchised scoop shops, Company-owned scoop shops, and manufacturing facilities that need managers to organize production, operations, and any many other duties. There are many important management positions that Ben & Jerrys needs filled daily. Below are the names of the management positions and a little summary of what the functions of the particular type of manager must project for the corporation. Retail Operations Manager- This manager makes goals and objectives for long-term operations development.

Also this manager must be able to connect with competitors in the location, and make a successful retail operations by evaluating other companies in the area. They must oversee the design and developments of new shop real estate property, locations, and construction operations. Brand Scooping Licensing Manager- This manager works with other managers (sales and retail operations) to produce long and short- term objectives for expanding the licensed Scoop Station concept. They must also manage the qualifications of potential licensees and the constant relationship with present licensees. International Product Manager: Asia- This manger oversees the marketing of products throughout Asia with emphasis on the strong Japanese market. This manager works together with present regional management, Japanese management, and other local markets to achieve market share, sales, and profit targets.

(Ben & Jerrys have been very successful with these profit markets.) Merchandising Development Manager- This manager has big responsibilities with ensuring that all products that are non-food are properly meeting guidelines for the financial, social mission and marketing goals. These products are sold in Ben & Jerrys gift shops, catalogs, and on the Internet. This manager must also oversee new product line development and purchasing. Safety Manager- This manager is responsible for the safety of all employees while at work in the manufacturing facilities. Also for the public while they are at the shops, and festivals that take place on certain dates of the year. They must design, develop and direct management systems that will identify, evaluate, measure, and control people injury.

They must ensure that safety is at high levels to accommodate within areas of manufacturing safety, fleet safety, retail safety, and public liability at the festivals. Plant Engineering / Maintenance Manager- This manger is responsible for the direction and management of the engineering and maintenance functions of the plant. They must ensure that all machinery is working properly and that they are working efficiently and safely. This manager must also work with the production staff to create new procedures that improve overall production.

Plant Manager-This management position was added to the Ben & Jerrys job list recently. This manager will devise a manufacturing plant that will maximize production, minimize costs and maintain quality. They must report to the Director of Manufacturing regularly to contribute to the improvement of manufacturing policies. Also they must establish goals that they can ensure, and measures they can meet successfully. Business Sales Development Manger- This person must design, recommend and implement product brand strategies. They must also coordinate program planning with the Sales manager and customers to ensure maximum sales volume is achieved.

They must also travel to observe other shops and make sure they are operating properly and successfully to ensure customer satisfaction. Regional Sales Manager-This manager oversees Ben & Jerrys sales activities in certain states that they are assigned to. For example a regional sales manager will be based in Atlanta, GA, but will oversee Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The responsibilities are endless because of such a wide region, but for a summary, they carry out duties such as developing a strong relationship with distributors, buyers, district managers and chain store personnel. They must also develop and manage promotional budgets for the region and advise distributors and clients concerning sales and advertising techniques.

As you can see, there are many management positions that must be successful in order for the whole process of the corporation to work together and be a success. Management is the most important part of making a business work. You must have strong willed, responsible, successful, personable, and open-minded managers that will conduct their area of management in a positive way, and that will leave a lasting impression. As many businesses, Ben & Jerrys has a Mission Statement that they strive to make true everyday.

The statement is as follows: Ben & Jerrys is dedicated to the creation & demonstration of a new corporate concept of linked prosperity. Our mission consists of three interrelated parts: To make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream and related products in a wide variety of innovative flavors made from Vermont dairy products. To operate the Company on a sound financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value for our shareholders, and creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees. To operate the Company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad community- local, national, and international. Underlying the mission of Ben & Jerrys is the determination to seek new & creative ways of addressing all three parts, while holding a deep respect for individuals inside and outside the Company and for the communities of which they are a part. Something exciting that is coming to stores in the world of ice cream is new Ben & Jerry's Eco-pints.

These pints are environmentally friendly because they are unbleached paper cartons! These cartons will be much more environmentally safe because the bleaching paper which chlorine is one of the largest causes of toxic water pollution in the United States. Ben & Jerrys not only strive to make scrumptious ice cream, but also safe ice cream. By excluding Dioxin which is the chemical know to cause cancer, the Eco-pints are very safe. As Jason traveled to a town extremely close to his own, Waterbury, Vermont, he was able to experience the tour of the factory. The tour started out with an eight minute movie of how Ben & Jerrys originated, and then you walk through the factory and see the Production Room, and are explained about the machines.

Then you are taken to the Flavor Room for a free sample. No photography is allowed, so he was unable to bring back photographs of the factory. The tour in total is about 30 minutes long in total. The following chart, is the increase in sales every 2 years.

The business started in 1984 and the recorded financial year that I found was 1997. The numbers are in millions of dollars on the left-hand side of the chart. 1984: Sales exceed 4 million dollars, 120% increase 1986: Sales exceed 20 million dollars, 100% growth rate 1988: Sales exceed 47 million dollars, 49% increase 1990: Sales exceed 77 million dollars, 32% increase 1992: Sales exceed 132 million dollars, 36% increase 1994: Sales exceed 149 million dollars, 1.9 million net losses 1996: Sales exceed 167 million dollars, 8% increase 1997: Sales exceed 174 million dollars, 4% increase In conclusion of our Ben & Jerrys field study report, we have provided all research information which was located at web. Hopefully we have included all necessary facts to create an overview of many aspects of Ben & Jerrys, Inc.

Through research on the Internet, and Jason traveling to Vermont, we broadened our horizons of how a corporation is operated to be a success.