Shoes Off to Hood!

Dairy Foods, Dec, 2001 by David Phillips

When we chose Dairy Foods' Processor of the Year 2001 it was a little like trying on shoes. One pair looked great, but it was a bit too tight. The next was comfortable, but looked like it might be out of style in a year. As with shoes, We'd love to say that money was no object, but the company had to be making some. When we tried on HP Hood it was a perfect fit.

Here's a company that has been a leader in the New England market for more than a century--an innovator, a marketer, and a scrappy competitor. Hood met our four criteria and the unofficial fifth--a willingness to share some of its secrets and pose for the camera.

The salesman put the shoes behind the counter and we started looking for a tie. We knew that Hood was a great choice, but what would be its story? Yes, the company had introduced some exciting products recently, even pushing the envelope of what dairy can be in some cases. Packaging? Yes, a few years ago Hood created an opaque, LightBlock [TM] bottle for fortified milk. Yes, there is a marvelous new plant in Winchester Va., a plant Dairy Foods featured near the end of last year. And, yes, Hood's boardroom was the scene of a comeback story. An industry leader that had lost its way 15 or so years ago, emerged with new owners, new energy and a new attitude.

As it turns out, the story is something more.

When we chose to honor the Boston company in our annual special feature we had no idea that it hadn't yet taken the lid off a new tale that would make the five-year-old comeback story passe. It is about to take its business national. This company is not only back, it's entering an entirely new and broader realm.

Lucky for us!

Hood is a successful company, but no, it isn't perfect. Its rivalry with Maine's Garelick Farms hasn't been a friendly one and Hood lobbed a nasty salvo in the infamous advertising skirmish that erupted a few years ago. But both dairies appear to be taking the high road of late. Hood also serves the industry well, meeting our third criterion. Key employees like v.p. of marketing Mary Ellen Spencer serve on industry committees. HP Hood scores high marks for community service, something that isn't part of the criteria. The company cares about its community. For example, HP Hood donated more than $83,000 to New England children's hospitals this year through a special promotion with the Boston Red Sox called the Hood Home Team Advantage. By the way, I'm finding that most dairies are active in their communities and many look beyond the bottom line to things like social responsibility. So next year we plan to do a feature on dairies with conscience. Let us hear from you, please.

Meanwhile, let's hear it for HP Hood!

Processor of the Year Criteria

Companies are nominated by our staff and Editorial Advisory Board. Criteria are:

* Financial and management success

* Market leadership (including new product development, marketing and other innovations that grow the dairy industry)

* Industry service

* Commitment to quality