Gary Cooper
About this Executive:
Name:
Gary Cooper
Company:
Cooper Farms
Interview Topics:
Agriculture and Food Processing
Region:
Region 2 - Northwest Ohio
Cooper Farms has been a successful business for 70 years. It employs 1,300 team members who work at four divisions throughout Northwestern and Western Ohio. Every year the company posts a 5-to-10 percent business growth in the highly competitive wholesale food supply industry. In a world where companies start and fail rapidly, sustained success is a remarkable accomplishment that offers important lessons. I wanted to understand how being in Ohio has uniquely contributed to Cooper Farms' amazing track record. To steal a phrase from the book Built to Last, I was eager to talk with Gary Cooper (VP and COO) and learn how he is "building a clock versus simply keeping time."
Q: Gary, how does being located in Ohio contribute to Cooper Farms' 70 years of success?
A: The first thing that comes to mind is people. In Ohio, we have found some of the most amazing people. The employees of our company share Midwest farm values of honesty, trustworthiness, common sense and family traditions. I know, without question, that every Cooper Farms associate comes to work each and every day with the goals of doing what is right and contributing their best. I appreciate that this may be the expectation every company has of its employees. But, I also know it is the rare executive who can legitimately claim that the expectation is reality. Ohio people give an honest day's work for an honest day's pay and take great pride in doing the job right. We have friendly, caring people who are more like family than employees.
The second thing that comes to mind is the logistics capability in Ohio. Our business requires rapid and reliable access to our customers. Ohio is located within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population. It has a world-class transportation structure that includes road, rail, air and water. The reliability and low cost of transportation services has been key to helping us keep costs down and providing competitive prices.
Third, Ohio's agribusiness and automated manufacturing industries provide important synergies. Having access to operational knowledge of companies in these industries and the academic programs that support them is very helpful when we face challenges to further improve our process productivity. Over the 70 years Cooper Farms has been in business, this community of experts has been very helpful when we've needed support, particularly the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center and The Center for Innovative Food Technology.
Q: The Ohio promise is "balance without compromise" which simply means that professional success can be achieved in the broader context of a fulfilling life and you don't have to sacrifice your personal aspirations to achieve your professional aspirations. How authentic do you feel this promise is?
A: In my opinion, Ohio delivers on the promise. I have a daughter who is practicing law in Los Angeles. It is amazing that whenever she talks about Cooper Farms with her friends, the consistent response is that the product must be good because hardworking people in the Midwest make it. There is a level of trust associated with the Midwest that is based on our value system, straightforward approach and reliability. I've also noted that over the years many people who have left Ohio return to raise their families. They return because they want their children to be well grounded and have solid values. This is possible in Ohio to a large degree because people here believe in the importance of having a balanced life. Children are allowed the time to mature in a safe environment. They build confidence in themselves and they learn right from wrong. Parents are able to spend time with their family because commutes are short. Ohio is a place where you know your neighbors and can count on them to provide help when you need it. In Ohio, you are part of a caring community. This is the type of life I think many people aspire to, and it is definitely available in Ohio.
Q: How important is the food processing industry in Ohio?
A: The industry ships $23 billion worth of product annually and employs about 62,400 workers. It is an extremely important contributor to the state's economy.