Baking & Snack - June 2007 - 36

also communicated to employees through weekly meetings with shift, QA and warehouse managers. The managers look over the automated dough log to analyze lost
time on the floor; and they discuss updated sales and
financial information for the company, challenges with
equipment or staffing and any other potential problems
and their solutions.
"Eric's influence on employees throughout the company is his desire to do a good job," Marc Fleischer said.
"Eric instills in everyone the idea that their job is as
important as anyone else's on the line, and the bottom
line is important to everyone."
Just as he was mentored on the company's operational side by Jody Fleischer, Mr. Kestenblatt continues his
managerial education with a business mentor Ray Kingsbury, a member of the private equity stockholding group.
The mentor shares the company's financial reports, and
information gleaned is shared at the weekly
meetings with other managers within the
company.
"Eric is a model for showing employees and
management how to do things better at an
advantageous cost," Marc Fleischer said. "By
making everyone a part of the process, the
whole company is placed at an advantage."
TIME TRAVEL. Along with the presentation
of the Rising Star award, the January Bageltime acquisition has brought excitement to
the company. The new location will necessitate that Mr. Kestenblatt make frequent
visits as well as manage from afar, making
communication and clear expectations a

must. "It's exciting to have the challenge of growing,
like going back to when we were in that initial growth
phase and continually adding new automation," Mr.
Kestenblatt said. "Our company is passionate about
quality, service and our employees. We always strive
for the best to make it a good place to work."
In the past, Fleischer's experienced the facets of being
purchased by another group; therefore, they are sensitive
to employee concerns and the fear that change, even good
change, can bring. The company began the process by
making cosmetic changes to Bageltime's employee break
area improving lighting and adding seating for more employees. Additionally, Fleischer's installed computers on
the floor for the dough log and lot traceability.
Because the Bageltime workforce contains a large
number of employees who do not speak English as
their primary language, Fleischer's uses translated
company materials and translators to convey its philosophy of relationships that include empowerment
and teamwork; a tight focus, loose reigns management style; sensitivity, empathy and purpose; and the
personal rights of integrity, trust, pride, respect and
patience. "We want to help the management learn to
manage more effectively. Because people learn to do
what you inspect, not expect," Mr. Kestenblatt said.
"It's important that we don't just train and demonstrate the basic steps but instead explain the why and
how of what the employee is being asked to do."
This close contact within the internal workings of
the business along with a desire to do the best job possible has allowed Mr. Kestenblatt to be a major strength
in the growth of Fleischer's Bagels and a Rising Star to
watch in the baking industry.
Ⅲ

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