CEOs share how they’re leading through challenges ranging from Covid-19 to attracting great talent during candid ‘one take,’ unedited discussions with award-winning journalist Dale Kurschner. These interviews are independently produced with no funding from, or other financial affiliation with, the companies that are interviewed. Programming relies upon sponsorships. To inquire about sponsoring, write to dale.kurschner@theplatinumgrp.com.
CEO Jeff Kiesel on Leading Restaurant Technologies Inc. During and Out of COVID-19
During this unrehearsed, unedited interview, Restaurant Technologies Inc (https://www.rti-inc.com/). (RTI) CEO Jeff Kiesel shares how his business overcame significant COVID-19-related challenges and along the way, improved its go-to-market strategy and how it takes care of its 10 largest clients. It also consolidated/simplified its IT systems and centralized administrative work. When COVID first affected RTI’s business, it furloughed 250 people. All but 7 have since returned to work (five retired), plus another 350 have been hired during 2021 and dozens more a month are expected to be added through December.
RTI delivers new and recovers used cooking oil for more than 30,000 restaurants as well as food service providers serving commercial and non-commercial customers. RTI is based in Mendota Heights, Minn., and operates though 40 depots located across most of the country. It also provides fry cook hood cleaning systems and services, a niche it began covering about four years ago.
About One Take: Minnesota CEOs discuss how they're navigating the latest challenges and opportunities facing their businesses, leadership teams and employees during one-on-one unrehearsed, unscripted and unedited interviews. CEOs are selected based upon the degree of interest they may provide to One Take's audience. One Take receives no compensation from those it interviews or their companies. The interviews are produced by award-winning journalist Dale Kurschner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalekurschner/), who today serves as an executive consultant with Platinum Group (https://www.theplatinumgrp.com), Minnesota's most experienced firm guiding business owners and leaders through acquisitions, divestitures, turnarounds, family business disputes, and crises.
15 Sept 2021
Doug Jaeger on Buying a Canadian Company During a Pandemic, Employing Talent Where it Lives, Using Mixed-Reality Smartglasses for Site Visits & More
Jaeger's company Ulteig (https://ulteig.com/)recently acquired a Canadian business without visiting it due to Covide-19 travel restrictions. This after Ulteig grew 20 percent a year for five consecutive years and expanded from 300 to 700 employees.
One of several fascinating takeaways from this One Take CEO Interview is how Jaeger maintains a healthy corporate culture regardless of where employees may now be working. He also plans to locate collaboration centers or small offices where the best talent can be found, rather than requiring talent to move to an existing Ulteig office. And he says, what his company achieved during the last 12 months proves, “you don’t need to set your strategy aside when the world around you changes dramatically.”
Ulteig provides engineering services primarily in the life line sectors of power, renewables, transportation and water. It recently acquired NLS Engineering (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ulteig-acquires-nls-engineering-expanding-into-canada-301283620.html), a firm widely recognized as one of the most experienced integrators in the North American energy and water sectors.
About One Take CEO Interviews: In each episode, one CEO shares his or her take on leading through myriad challenges ranging from Covid-19 to attracting and retaining great talent. Each interview is recorded in one take with no edits. The interviews are produced by multi award-winning journalist Dale Kurschner (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVdDa3RxUVVINjBuTDY0cUk5eWpvUWVUQjdlQXxBQ3Jtc0tsczVhRVQ3cmNjSkx2R2dEZXI4cTVrVjhzZm9lbW55Y1pKUlM5emJ6b3F1SGpUV2UwV1pad0dDbHZpU3dPbGgyWEw0QnhIRWEwWTF0YUpjdHdaRGRlb3gzYWZkYkdKWndiR013R3B1WnNYNDhpV0lCTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdalekurschner%2F), who today serves as strategic consultant at Platinum Group (https://www.theplatinumgrp.com/), Minnesota's most experienced firm helping business owners and leaders with extreme challenges ranging from rapid growth and acquisitions, to turnarounds and divestitures.
2 Sept 2021
CEO Christine Lantinen on how Maud Borup Grew Sales 50 percent While Fighting a Pandemic
One year after her first One Take interview, Christine Lantinen returns to discuss how Maud Borup (https://www.maudborup.com/) weathered the pandemic; how its attracting and retaining talent both in the Twin Cities and Le Center, Minn.; why it's looking to expand capacity yet again after just adding 70,000 square feet last year; whether employees are required to work at the corporate office; and more.
Lantinen is owner and CEO of Maud Borup, a candy and gourmet foods maker with nearly 40 million dollars in annual sales, which is up almost 50 percent from a year ago, and more than 200 employees, double from a year ago. The company sells to specialty and mass retailers such as Walmart and Target, and has licensing agreements to make food items for large global brands such as Hell's Kitchen. Maud Borup develops more than 150 products each year and each item can be customized to fit what each client would like. During 2020, the company cornered the U.S. market for hot cocoa bombs.
You can watch this interview on YouTube here (https://youtu.be/fxIelZldTgI).
About One Take CEO Interviews: In each episode, one CEO shares his or her take on leading through myriad challenges ranging from Covid-19 to attracting and retaining great talent. Each interview is recorded in one take with no edits. The interviews are produced by award-winning journalist Dale Kurschner (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVdDa3RxUVVINjBuTDY0cUk5eWpvUWVUQjdlQXxBQ3Jtc0tsczVhRVQ3cmNjSkx2R2dEZXI4cTVrVjhzZm9lbW55Y1pKUlM5emJ6b3F1SGpUV2UwV1pad0dDbHZpU3dPbGgyWEw0QnhIRWEwWTF0YUpjdHdaRGRlb3gzYWZkYkdKWndiR013R3B1WnNYNDhpV0lCTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdalekurschner%2F), who today serves as consultant at Platinum Group (https://www.theplatinumgrp.com/), Minnesota's most experienced firm helping business owners and leaders with extreme challenges ranging from rapid growth and acquisitions, to turnarounds and divestitures.
Contact One Take CEO Interviews
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of One Take CEO Interviews?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
