From the President’s Desk
Rick Lindemann

Greetings All:

Labor Day! What? How can that be?
I hope your summer has been great, even if it was short (again).
I’m not much of a TV watcher. In fact, for the most part, I see it as a total waste of time me.
However, I stumbled across a series on the History Channel called “The Men that Built America.” Now they are doing several different versions like The Food That Made America, and my most recent favorite:
“The Machines that built America”

It fascinates me to hear the stories of iconic names like Ford, Carnegie, Kraft, Hershey, Marconi, Deere, etc. Most came from very humble beginnings and struggled mightily before becoming successful.
Also quite common is the fact that most of them faced fierce competition throughout their career. Another common occurrence was an initial failure. Whether a machine, process, or food, whatever they were creating, it took several tries to get it right, sometimes years.
Through sheer determination and possibly a little luck, these pioneers are household names today.

In many ways, there are a lot of similarities between the companies in the ESA. Few started on top, and most started with next to nothing. We all have competitors of some sort. Likewise, successful companies continue to work on their formula until they get it right and always look to improve their business.
Determination and willingness to learn & adapt are common traits among ESA members. Not too many of us are household names but perhaps legends in our minds.
ESA will be participating in the Fall Summit in Florida this year. Lots of educational and networking opportunities will be available. I hope you can attend.
I look forward to hearing your success stories.
Till next month.

Best Regards,
Rick Lindemann