May 28, 2018
Tom Deuster 1944-2017
Tom was a cousin….just a few years younger than me. While we both grew up in Muskegon Heights….Tom relocated to Flint, MI, retiring from General Motors.
I don’t believe we ever saw each other after high school. I did not know he was in Vietnam (US Army) until his passing last year.
The Vietnam War Memorial is on Seaway Drive in Muskegon.
The name: Final Approach – a fitting tribute to Tom.
Rite Press Coffee
Making great coffee is an art….making a better coffee maker is design.
https://newatlas.com/rite-press-french-coffee-maker/54707/
The Rite Press coffee maker combines the features of the classic French Press into a modern….elegant and functional design….at a reasonable price.
Raising $1.2M is significant….a market will respond when the product/service is better and different. The test of course will be the execution and shipping the product.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rite-press-the-no-mess-french-press-coffee–3#/
Made in Detroit
From Crain’s Detroit: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180513/news/660536/mahindra-makes-giant-leap-into-detroit-area#utm_medium=email&utm_source=cdb-michmorning&utm_campaign=cdb-michmorning-20180514
Detroit and SE Michigan continue to be the center of the automotive industry. A company from India will begin manufacturing the Roxor Jeep….very similar to the two Jeep CJ-5s we owned.
Our CJ-5s were rather utilitarian….though they proved their worth during the winter months. Several blizzards didn’t stop our Jeeps and the snow plow cleared many driveways and even our street.
In a niche market segment….Mahindra North America has developed a potentially sound business strategy.
izzy+ / JSJ Corp
From: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2018/04/grand_haven_company_to_shut_do.html
Sometimes a business does not fit the businesses long-term strategy….as was the case with izzy+ a subsidiary of JSJ Corporation.
“While izzy+ is an important part of JSJ’s history, unfortunately, it no longer fits within our strategic plan and goals for the future,” said Tom Rizzi, JSJ’s COO, in a statement. “It’s a consumer-facing furniture company, whereas our focus is investing in portfolio companies that provide highly engineered solutions and value-added services within highly complex, business-to-business environments.”
Perhaps the izzy+ subsidiary could have been sold….or that market may have stronger competitors. However, successful businesses adapt or change….and that is the future direction of JSJ Corporation.
Vital Business
Tom Peters has always been forthright in sharing his material. From his latest work “The Excellence Dividend”….a slide on business relationships.
The key….is not just cultivate relationships because it is good for business….rather cultivate a relationship that is real and genuine.
We always wanted people to give us a chance to sell them our products….but more importantly….they got to know who we were. Perhaps they were not ready to buy or we didn’t have what they wanted….but at least they got to know us….and we could begin to develop a future relationship.
New Zealand
An important business principle was to always be aware of other businesses whether they were on the other side of town or the other side of the world.
It ‘s impossible to know everything and yet is possible that someone….somewhere is doing something that is better and different.
“TRU-BILT® is a world-class designer, manufacturer and supplier of door, dock and safety systems. Based in Dunedin, New Zealand, TRU-BILT® has been delivering innovative solutions to industry since 1993.”
Dunedin is located on the far south island of New Zealand….yet it seems that Tru-Bilt has a presence both in NZ and Australia.
The Basics
While the Journal-Sentinel article spoke to restaurant success….it also speaks to business success. These help make any business excellent:
Everything from the article is good common business sense….some businesses should have more of it.
April 2018
+ Where are they now from April 2013 –
+ Leadership: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/9-inspiring-quotes-from-one-of-most-anticipated-leadership-books-ever-published.html
+ Warby-Parker (eyeglasses): http://firstround.com/review/how-warby-parker-makes-every-point-in-its-employee-lifecycle-extraordinary/?_lrsc=f2d8a2d2-0ccc-4a99-b50f-e3ad4d6ff739
+ Modern marketing: Modern marketing is the practice of making something worth talking about, developing empathy for those you seek to serve and being in the market in a way that people would miss you if you were gone. – Seth Godin
+ WD-40 / 3 Key Values: https://www.inc.com/ayse-birsel/how-wd-40-does-380-million-in-sales-a-year-by-living-these-3-key-values.html
+ Warren Buffet advice: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/warren-buffett-once-shared-this-priceless-advice-to-keep-people-from-making-stupid-mistakes.html
+ Learning from the Midwest: https://medium.com/@roybahat/tenacity-brewing-what-this-silicon-valley-vc-learned-on-the-rust-belt-safari-2f03df9f3aaf
+ Wells Fargo $1B settlement: http://www.businessinsider.com/wells-fargo-settlement-for-loan-abuses-2018-4
TrueNorth 