Leonard transitioned to chairman, but stayed involved in company operations, remaining physically present on a regular basis. I definitely understood why he was giving this up, but sometimes it would come back to him that he wanted to be more involved — and we tried to get him more involved.
When the board of directors appointed him to his leadership role, he was ready to grow the company and guide it to financial security. From a young age, Lou said, he had always been interested in being a part of Sargento. He had started working on the production lines in high school, but remembers working with his dad at an even earlier age. Lou remains involved as chairman, a role he took on when Leonard died in Like his father, Louie started working for Sargento in high school.
He started out washing trucks and working on the production line, which later led to accounting, sales and retail roles during college. Before any of the third-generation Gentines could return to Sargento to become salaried employees, they were required to work outside the company for a minimum of three years.
In addition, Gentines who are sons or daughters of current employees are required to work in separate departments from their parents. Adhering to these rules along the way, Louie worked his way up through the company. He served in managerial and executive roles across various departments, including production, procurement and marketing. For three years prior to his current role, he served as president and chief customer officer. When Louie joined Sargento in , he immediately knew he wanted to one day lead the company, he said.
Louie gradually became more involved with executive-level negotiations and business decisions as Lou started to pass down various new responsibilities. Sargento established its outside board of directors a couple years before Lou took over. The board weighs in on other company matters, such as strategic planning, annual budgets and executive compensation, Lou said.
Both Lou and Louie touted the role the outside board can play in a family business. Sourcing cheese from dairy producers located around the state and across the U. Process cheese, on the other hand, only needs to be 51 percent cheese, and is made by pasteurizing and blending natural cheeses with other ingredients such as cream, artificial color, acids, water and emulsifying agents.
The company in diversified its consumer product line with the popular Balanced Breaks, and again last year with Sweet Balanced Breaks, which are snack containers featuring cheese cubes, roasted nuts, dried fruits and chocolate. But Sargento operations were never discussed at the dinner table, making the company seem distant to Louie as he grew up.
As a result, Lou took a different approach when raising children of his own. Louie is one of just two third-generation Gentines who decided to join the family business. They could explore and discover their passions without a sense of guilt or obligation to the company, and when the time came, they could map out their own career paths. I only knew him as a generous and friendly man and now after reading the book better understand his building of Sargento.
The growth of Sargento was not an easy road. There were times of financial stress, near doom and many changes. Louis P. Producing more milk and building more processing plants to make more cheese is what is happening today.
Leonard Gentine understood that grocers cutting cheese from a big block, weighing it and wrapping it and marking it was a slow and costly process, so he did something about it. And, the grocers and consumers were happy. In , he began pre cutting cheese for connivence; in , vacuum packaging began; in , shredded cheese arrived in stores; in , Sargento cheese was hung on pegs in the dairy case and in , sliding zipper packaging appeared.
All improvements that aid cheese sales, that keep cheesemakers making cheese and cows producing milk. Who is the next Leonard Gentine? Is there one? John Oncken is owner of Oncken Communications. He can be reached at , or email him at jfodairy2 gmail. I have arthritis bad, and even if the wrapper is stripped open …I have a hard time opening the zip lock seal.
There are times I have to give up! Please give consideration and devise an easier zip lock. Sargento Cheese one of the best on the market anywhere and no one can disagree on that.
Two weeks ago was the first time for me to ever try this Cheese out, but i will certainly be buying more of it now. I am on disability and only make so much per month, do you think that perhaps you could send me a one time free coupon? At this time just about anything will be greatly appreciated, especially with Christmas just around the corner. I was born with Epilepsy and i did work for one company for 37 years, then they closed down so i lost my job, i tried to find another but with my medical conditions no one would even talk to me about a job, so i am asking for your help, and i know that many people will take advantage of you if they can but i am not one of those people, i was not raised that way and i do not believe in doing people wrong.
Try repackaging them ith a perforater tear strip down the side. Barb Levack July 30, at pm - Reply. Where can I buy Sargent cheese in Windsor Ontario canada. Charley Frick September 10, at pm - Reply.
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