Baking & Snack - June 2007 - 28

ᮡ Flanked by family, Eric's father, Richie Kestenblatt, daughter Courtney
(9), sons Zachary (4), Ryan (7), wife Heidi and daughter Elizabeth (1) help
celebrate the award.
© 2007 TIM WILKES

classes during the day at the local community college.
When asked why he chose to work with bagels and,
more specifically, for Fleischer's, Mr. Kestenblatt shrugged
and casually answered, "When I was going through it, I
didn't really pick it. It picked me, and I walked into the
right spot at the right time." This year, at the age of 38,
Mr. Kestenblatt, now shareholder and director of operations at the company, earned the title of Fleischer's Bagels' "oldest employee."
IDENTIFY AND SOLVE. Drilling down a
problem to its most basic aspect is a defining
quality of Mr. Kestenblatt's character. Whether taking apart a machine to see how it works
or analyzing a situation to its most elementary
level, Mr. Kestenblatt's patience to explore and
tinker impressed co-owners Marc and Jody
Fleischer. They were pleased they had hired
someone who wasn't afraid to work. On his
second day at the retail store, the bagel slicer
broke and instead of taking advantage of a lull
in the work process, Mr. Kestenblatt asked to
look at the slicer to see if he could determine
the cause of the broken machine. Upon examination, he deduced a broken belt, which he
fixed after a trip to the local parts store.

32 / BAKING & SNACK / June 2007

This was the beginning of a number of opportunities
where Mr. Kestenblatt provided peer-to-peer leadership
among employees by presenting himself as a role model
that encouraged and challenged others to do their best.
Mr. Kestenblatt's relaxed camaraderie with employees
throughout the plant fosters an environment that encourages growth from within and contributes to the
promotion of employees who began in entry-level positions and later move into management roles. Managers
complete the American Institute of Baking International's
Science of Baking correspondence course along with
management and supervisory classes at the local community college.
Chris Patterson and Mr. Kestenblatt work together on
the R&D aspects of the company's products. Using trends
in the industry along with supplier information and trial
and error, they developed successful whole-grain and
low-carb product offerings. Test batches are mixed onsite in small runs. Employees and customers sample the
finished product and provide feedback.
NO MANUAL REQUIRED. The same inquisitive, handson approach that fixed the bagel slicer more than 20 years
ago continues to serve Mr. Kestenblatt well in his role of
director of operations. Under the mentorship of Jody
Fleischer, Mr. Kestenblatt learned the operational side
of the company. For 21 years, the two worked as a sideby-side presence throughout the company. During this
time, Mr. Kestenblatt held the role of plant manager, a title
still loosely applied, where he worked all shifts and schedules

Baking & Snack - June 2007

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