Milling & Baking News - May 11, 2004 - 22

N E W S F E AT U R E
Sharon G. Walbert

a commodity orientation, the Food Technology Development Centers (T.D.C.s)
are cited as powerful symbols. Unlike the
research and development efforts of indi-

vidual business units, which tend to focus
on individual ingredients, the T.D.C.s seek
to integrate those ingredients into a range of
finished products to be shown as prototypes
for customers.
Located just down McGinty Road from
Cargill headquarters in Wayzata is the Food
& Beverage T.D.C., a facility shared by many
business units in a three-story building that
for many years had served as the corporate
central research headquarters. "The T.D.C.
develops ingredients into food systems,"
said Sharon G. Walbert, director of technical
services, Cargill Sweeteners North America.
"For example, the sweeteners researchers in
Dayton, Ohio, developed novel sweetener
to address the issue of glycemia. The food
T.D.C.s are now integrating that ingredient
into low glycemic foods such as bars, beverages, and sauces."

Today, the building where much of the
integration work takes place is divided into
a series of rooms that are part kitchen, part
laboratory. The ingredients used for food
prototypes made at the T.D.C. are not all
necessarily produced by Cargill, explained
Paul Kim, principal scientist with Cargill
Food System Design, a new group of businesses dedicated to working with customers
on integrated food system innovation. Mr.
Kim said the T.D.C.s "help bridge the gap
between the ingredient supplier and the customer." He added, "Instead of just supplying
ingredients we can show our customers how
an ingredient works within a food system
and what its benefits are. In that way, they
have a much clearer picture."
Mr. Erdmann summarized the research
and development approach. "Our R.&D. effort is really in three areas," he said. "We have
process R.&D. We have product R.&D. and
we have applications R.&D. And each one of

Tapping the strength of its workforce
At Cargill, as at any company, the best ideas for reorienting the
Mr. Erdmann said a concerted effort has been made to enhance
business go only as far as the corporate managers and other em- communication. Noting the company's tight-lipped internationployes who execute the plans. As the company began consider- al grain trading heritage, he said the task has not been simple.
ing a far-reaching shift in its business approach, the importance "Greg Page (Cargill president) once said something in a public
of workforce "buy-in" heightened.
forum that I thought was really insightful," Mr. Erdmann said. "It
To keep abreast of this obvious need, Cargill in recent years has was an example I think of how Cargill has changed. Somebody
gone to great lengths to assess the degree to which its workforce asked him a question about business plans and sharing business
is fully engaged and committed to the same
plans with employes. And of course usually
objectives as top management. Any business
business plans are very confidential. The last
exists in different ways, for its customers,
thing you want is to have your business plan
employes and shareholders, noted E. Thomas
walk out the door. He said, 'I would rather
Erdmann, senior vice-president, Cargill
post our business plans on a billboard and let
Sweeteners North America, Wayzata, Minn.
the whole town see them than to have an em"If you look to create a successful business,
ploye group that doesn't understand where
you must begin with your employes," he
the business is trying to go.' Obviously, you
said. "Are they excited? Do they care about
don't share everything with everybody, but
the company they work for? Do they care
there has been a cultural change that says,
about the customers they serve? Do they
'We are going to share information across
care about each other? Do they care about the
the board with employes to help them do a
community that they're involved with?
better job. To help them take care of custom"So, we spent considerable time the last
ers better.'
couple of years trying to understand how
"If people don't understand what's exour employes feel about Cargill. How they
pected of them there's no way they can get
felt about their role in serving customers. We
the job done. And that's again a fundamental
want to be sure they are well grounded. That E. Thomas Erdmann
change in Cargill for the better that I think is
they are fully focused and engaged."
starting to pay big dividends."
Cargill did not undertake this employe assessment simply to
Has Cargill fully corrected everything it has targeted for
reassure management its workforce was satisfied. The company change in terms of this employe initiative? No, but significant
engaged an outside research firm nearly three years ago to assess progress has been made, said Patrick E. Bowe, president of
how its employes compare to those of other world-class com- Cargill Sweeteners North America. "The metrics are in place,
panies and to explore ways to enhance their work experience. and the metrics are important," Mr. Bowe said. "Progress varies
"What we found is, generally speaking we have employes who from group to group, facility to facility. But employes in general
are committed to Cargill and the customers we serve, but want to have said that they want a better understanding of what our
see us do a few things differently," Mr. Erdmann said. "Commu- customers need. There has been a significant improvement in
nication is always an issue, understanding business alignments, engagement, though it's not where we want it to be. It's forward
understanding where the business is going. Questions emerged movement. Our goal is to be a world-class employer. Our goal
over relationships with co-workers and with supervisors. Those is to have engagement scores that are equal to or better than the
things were areas where we said we need to do a better job."
best companies in the world." MBN

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