Small Business Stories - Hautly Cheese Company Video

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Small Business Stories - Hautly Cheese Company

Ivy Hartman: Welcome to sbtv.com. It’s the coverage of the Small Business week here in the Saint Louis area. We’ve got a Saint Louis name of and family business owner and President of CEO Alan Hautly of Hautly Cheese. Alan Hautly: Thank you. Ivy Hartman: Alan, congratulations on winning the Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year Award. Alan Hautly: Thank you very much, this is quite another. Ivy Hartman: You know, you talk a little bit about in the early word ceremony and how it wasn’t necessarily your ambition to be part of the family business, but here you are as President. Talk about how that happened. Alan Hautly: Correct. My interest was not when I got on high school becoming valid to family business. My another interest was in conservation or recreation outdoors and ended up in the business and I'm very happy to still be there so… Ivy Hartman: And in future generations participating in the business how was that outlook? Alan Hautly: Well, on my oldest son Adam is going to be coming into the business this September and he is the fourth generation and he’s going through a process where he graduated from college and he had to attain about three to five years of outside. Experience on his own which he has completed now and there is the opportunity for him to come into the business and hopefully, take this even farther maybe to the 5th generation. Ivy Hartman: That’s interesting! You talk about that outside job training. Now, you grow in the company or the company is growing from $9,000,000.00 to over $22,000,000.00 annually, has that been since you’ve taken over or where do you tribute that? Alan Hautly: It’s been on about the last twelve years. We were in a very good position as a wholesale distributor on the Saint Louis Market for Grocery and dairy Products. To get in on some specialty products horizon organic milk, silk soy milk, specialty egg so we increased our based from just being cheese to not being a full service there the distributor that I use to be cheese was almost 95% of our business now at accounts for but 43% of our business that’s more pounds than it was 95% of our business but we’d had on a lot of bought of product lines. Ivy Hartman: Two things I know that Hautly is very involved. You, yourself, and the organization is very involved with the fill and traffic activities. Also, I know you mention about the legacy of Fathers peso on the scene ethics and running the family business talk about that. Alan Hautly: Well, it’s just kind of a natural for as that always require it was the pre requisite of just growing up. I remember a couple of lessons of my own learning honesty the hard way and those always lasted for al time. I'm very blessed I've got a great crew of employees that come in they hew their job, they work hard and we all get along together and that’s just, it’s just the base of what helps everybody get along and work together. Ivy Hartman: Basing a large, a multi million dollar company in Saint Louis, talk about with that’s like in Saint Louis Metropolitan area for your business. Alan Hautly: It’s kind of exciting. We have here a family name that’s recognized here in the market with our branded product. I get recognized occasionally of my name in the cheese and we have the jingle and people sing the jingle to me all the time. It’s very flattering, it’s awesome when you like and introduce and they’ll sing the jingle to me and get about for a long time. That’s kind of exciting! Ivy Hartman: So when you say Hautly cheese, smile! Alan Hautly: When you say cheese, they Hautly and smile right! Ivy Hartman: Have thing in famous native. I hear it and people have been telling me about it right here. Alan Hautly: They asked me to sing it but I never do. Ivy Hartman: No, I don’t blame you but integrity, the character. Alan Hautly: I want that one to ruin it. Ivy Hartman: Leave me that I'm still a professional. Where does the business go from here after you know you talk what specialty products and then you guys are then you know making the 22 million sales? Alan Hautly: We’re continuing to grow. This year, we’re going to be over probably 25 million dollars in sales. We are in the process of getting ready to move with completely out growing our facility now, we have list the new facility out in Fenton, and we’re going to be moving the whole operation out there. I fact, I was very exciting today. The new cooler panels arrived so we will start constructing our new cooler within the next week or so we’ve got a target date of the end of June or early July could be moved into the new facility. Ivy Hartman: You’re moving from a downtown man but the metropolitan area to a more suburban area, a good 20 or 30 miles from where you are now. How was that going to affect your employees and your workers? Alan Hautly: We’re only actually moving about 10 miles a way from where we are now except for one employee who lives about 5 blocks from work. Everybody else is going to be a little bit closer, a little bit more convenient to get to work. Our biggest problem is where we’re located now is in the Thelion Hill Community of Saint Louis. We won’t have the nice choices for lunch once we move to thin and that we have on the hill. There’s a nice places but you don’t have the nice Italian Restaurants. Ivy Hartman: That is true. Alan Hautly: That could be a problem. Ivy Hartman: Give any recommendations for people who are involved in our own Family Businesses. Alan Hautly: Just retreat everybody with respect. That is one of the things that is just been through our company were treat each other with respect. We take ourselves, we take our business seriously but we don’t really take ourselves seriously. We have fun, the people come in, they know what they have to do, we do the job, we go on to the next day because we’ve got to start all over. I've got a great crew people that I would put up against anybody as far as we never have any issues with absenteeism or tardiness. People there that do their job will work alone together. Ivy Hartman: What do you attribute that two? That success on employees as well… Alan Hautly: I’d like to say it’s my great ability asa leader but we’ve just been really fortunate in selecting some great honest hard working quick people. Ivy Hartman: One last question what do you think your greatest success has been so far? Alan Hautly: Golly, I guess going from in the early 90sabout 6 million dollars in business to about 24 million dollars in business. It’s been quite an accomplishment for the company and it’s been everybody that it helps gives us there not just one person or two people. That’s been the whole thing. Ivy Hartman: One last question. I promise that’s the last one. We’ve seen currently that food industry is in prices change, and suppliers changing. How do you use to your business writing out an economic down turn as it’s has been proceed now? Alan Hautly: One nice thing is in our business where the situation where people always have to eat. There are lot of other things we might give up a new car, a new stereo and something like that but we still have to eat and the lots of the products that we carry are good staple based products that we put and continue to buy. Ivy Hartman: Alright you guys. Hautly cheese is synonymous with quality, thank you Alan Hautly for being with us. Alan Hautly: Thank you very much! Ivy Hartman: Absolutely, congratulations. Keep it right here as we continue our coverage of small business wiggle words gala here in Saint Louis. I'm Ivy Hartman reporting for sbtv.com where small business is our only business.

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Ivy Hartman: Welcome to sbtv.com. It’s the coverage of the Small Business week here in the Saint Louis area. We’ve got a Saint Louis name of and family business owner and President of CEO Alan Hautly of Hautly Cheese.

Alan Hautly: Thank you.

Ivy Hartman: Alan, congratulations on winning the Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year Award.

Alan Hautly: Thank you very much, this is quite another.

Ivy Hartman: You know, you talk a little bit about in the early word ceremony and how it wasn’t necessarily your ambition to be part of the family business, but here you are as President. Talk about how that happened.

Alan Hautly: Correct. My interest was not when I got on high school becoming valid to family business. My another interest was in conservation or recreation outdoors and ended up in the business and I'm very happy to still be there so…

Ivy Hartman: And in future generations participating in the business how was that outlook?

Alan Hautly: Well, on my oldest son Adam is going to be coming into the business this September and he is the fourth generation and he’s going through a process where he graduated from college and he had to attain about three to five years of outside. Experience on his own which he has completed now and there is the opportunity for him to come into the business and hopefully, take this even farther maybe to the 5th generation.

Ivy Hartman: That’s interesting! You talk about that outside job training. Now, you grow in the company or the company is growing from $9,000,000.00 to over $22,000,000.00 annually, has that been since you’ve taken over or where do you tribute that?

Alan Hautly: It’s been on about the last twelve years. We were in a very good position as a wholesale distributor on the
Saint Louis Market for Grocery and dairy Products. To get in on some specialty products horizon organic milk, silk soy milk, specialty egg so we increased our based from just being cheese to not being a full service there the distributor that I use to be cheese was almost 95% of our business now at accounts for but 43% of our business that’s more pounds than it was 95% of our business but we’d had on a lot of bought of product lines.

Ivy Hartman: Two things I know that Hautly is very involved. You, yourself, and the organization is very involved with the fill and traffic activities. Also, I know you mention about the legacy of Fathers peso on the scene ethics and running the family business talk about that.

Alan Hautly: Well, it’s just kind of a natural for as that always require it was the pre requisite of just growing up. I remember a couple of lessons of my own learning honesty the hard way and those always lasted for al time. I'm very blessed I've got a great crew of employees that come in they hew their job, they work hard and we all get along together and that’s just, it’s just the base of what helps everybody get along and work together.

Ivy Hartman: Basing a large, a multi million dollar company in Saint Louis, talk about with that’s like in Saint Louis Metropolitan area for your business.

Alan Hautly: It’s kind of exciting. We have here a family name that’s recognized here in the market with our branded product. I get recognized occasionally of my name in the cheese and we have the jingle and people sing the jingle to me all the time. It’s very flattering, it’s awesome when you like and introduce and they’ll sing the jingle to me and get about for a long time. That’s kind of exciting!

Ivy Hartman: So when you say Hautly cheese, smile!

Alan Hautly: When you say cheese, they Hautly and smile right!

Ivy Hartman: Have thing in famous native. I hear it and people have been telling me about it right here.

Alan Hautly: They asked me to sing it but I never do.

Ivy Hartman: No, I don’t blame you but integrity, the character.

Alan Hautly: I want that one to ruin it.

Ivy Hartman: Leave me that I'm still a professional. Where does the business go from here after you know you talk what specialty products and then you guys are then you know making the 22 million sales?

Alan Hautly: We’re continuing to grow. This year, we’re going to be over probably 25 million dollars in sales. We are in the process of getting ready to move with completely out growing our facility now, we have list the new facility out in Fenton, and we’re going to be moving the whole operation out there. I fact, I was very exciting today. The new cooler panels arrived so we will start constructing our new cooler within the next week or so we’ve got a target date of the end of June or early July could be moved into the new facility.

Ivy Hartman: You’re moving from a downtown man but the metropolitan area to a more suburban area, a good 20 or 30 miles from where you are now. How was that going to affect your employees and your workers?

Alan Hautly: We’re only actually moving about 10 miles a way from where we are now except for one employee who lives about 5 blocks from work. Everybody else is going to be a little bit closer, a little bit more convenient to get to work. Our biggest problem is where we’re located now is in the Thelion Hill Community of Saint Louis. We won’t have the nice choices for lunch once we move to thin and that we have on the hill. There’s a nice places but you don’t have the nice Italian Restaurants.

Ivy Hartman: That is true.

Alan Hautly: That could be a problem.

Ivy Hartman: Give any recommendations for people who are involved in our own Family Businesses.

Alan Hautly: Just retreat everybody with respect. That is one of the things that is just been through our company were treat each other with respect. We take ourselves, we take our business seriously but we don’t really take ourselves seriously. We have fun, the people come in, they know what they have to do, we do the job, we go on to the next day because we’ve got to start all over. I've got a great crew people that I would put up against anybody as far as we never have any issues with absenteeism or tardiness. People there that do their job will work alone together.

Ivy Hartman: What do you attribute that two? That success on employees as well…

Alan Hautly: I’d like to say it’s my great ability asa leader but we’ve just been really fortunate in selecting some great honest hard working quick people.

Ivy Hartman: One last question what do you think your greatest success has been so far?

Alan Hautly: Golly, I guess going from in the early 90sabout 6 million dollars in business to about 24 million dollars in business. It’s been quite an accomplishment for the company and it’s been everybody that it helps gives us there not just one person or two people. That’s been the whole thing.

Ivy Hartman: One last question. I promise that’s the last one. We’ve seen currently that food industry is in prices change, and suppliers changing. How do you use to your business writing out an economic down turn as it’s has been proceed now?

Alan Hautly: One nice thing is in our business where the situation where people always have to eat. There are lot of other things we might give up a new car, a new stereo and something like that but we still have to eat and the lots of the products that we carry are good staple based products that we put and continue to buy.

Ivy Hartman: Alright you guys. Hautly cheese is synonymous with quality, thank you Alan Hautly for being with us.

Alan Hautly: Thank you very much!

Ivy Hartman: Absolutely, congratulations.

Keep it right here as we continue our coverage of small business wiggle words gala here in Saint Louis. I'm Ivy Hartman reporting for sbtv.com where small business is our only business.

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