Wegmans

FORTUNE magazine said for 2006 the #2 Best Company to Work For in the U.S. is Wegmans, a grocery store chain headquartered in Rochester, NY. In 2005, Wegmans was the #1 Company to Work For according to FORTUNE. How does a company who you might not have ever heard of accomplish such lofty recognition? By focusing on the satisfaction of their employees.

Chairman Robert Wegman said, “No matter what we have invested in our people, we’ve gotten more in return. I have always believed that our path to great customer service began with that investment. That philosophy has proven itself many times over.”

I regret to say Mr. Wegman passed away a few weeks ago. It was a huge event in Rochester. There is no doubt he left a major mark on this area, on his industry, and on company/employee/customer relations.

I know Wegmans well. I grew up in Rochester, NY. Most of my book was written while I was in Rochester, NY. A lot of my friends from high school worked at or still work at Wegmans. And this much I can say about Wegmans. When I went away to college in Arkansas, when I was at grad school in South Carolina, when I was working in Memphis, Phoenix, and Charlotte, and when I was on the road, the one thing I had to do whenever I came back to Rochester was to go shopping at Wegmans. That's how great of a store it is. That's how well their philosophy works.

Wegmans has passionate employees, but they also have profitable businesses. Invest in your people and it will come back to you.