A Tribute to the Imperial Team

A Tribute to the Imperial Team

Naomi Sleeper
Vice President Continuous Improvement and Strategic Initiatives
Imperial Distributors

 

This has been a trying time for everyone. Our industry has stepped up as retail heroes, supplying critical goods that support people’s (and pets’) health, wellness and happiness during this difficult period. As a supplier of Non-Foods to supermarkets, Imperial—like the rest of the food industry—has been faced with challenges of record consumer demand in the context of manufacturer shutdowns and product shortages, along with adjusted work schedules and practices that support social distancing. Despite these obstacles, our team, like many others, has risen to the challenge. This month, I dedicate the “Non-Food for Thought” column to Imperial’s incredible team.

We have seen it before, and we are experiencing it again: in times of crisis, the Imperial team comes together to support each other and our retailers. For weeks, our in-store service and distribution workforces have flexibly and diligently adapted methods to maintain the safety of each other, retailer teams and shoppers. Our procurement department has worked determinedly to overcome supply chain hurdles. Our human resource staff has gone above and beyond to ensure the wellbeing and comfort of our team members, while customer service, sales and IT groups have tackled new complexities to ensure retailer satisfaction. Meanwhile, team members across departments have cross-trained to support operations in our distribution center. Our sales and service representatives are applying their product expertise to master order selecting and restocking. They are taking on these new tasks with enthusiasm and eagerness to support the need.

As a family company, we consider each of our team members as part of the Imperial Family. Our team’s response to this crisis confirms this sentiment. In the future, we will look back on this time as a defining moment that reinforced our values as a company and the strength of our team.

We are incredibly proud of our team members’ exceptional commitment to serve our retail partners. With deep gratitude, we thank them for the tremendous work they continue to do to keep our communities, and all of us, healthy and safe.