'Outsider' out at Schwan

Posted at 2:59 PM on February 7, 2008 by Bob Collins (8 Comments)

Lenny Pippin, the president and chief executive officer at Marshall-based Schwan Food Company, is one of the few outsiders to run the company.

Until today.

The company says Pippin is leaving the company immediately, giving no reason for his departure. Greg Flack, head of the company's Global Consumer Brands division, will serve as interim boss. Flack has been with the company for 21 years.

"While this has been a very challenging time, we have a tremendous company and our prospects are bright," says board of directors chair Alfred Schwan in a statement.

In the last month the company has been consolidating operations. It closed a plant in South Carolina, which employed 525 people. In December it announced it was grounding the Red Baron Squadron, an airshow team that performed on behalf of the company's Red Baron Pizza brand.

Pippin joined the company in 1999. Judging by the comments below, some are not sad to see him go.

Update Fri. 12:09 a.m. - The Marshall Independent has an interview with Pippin:

"One of the most important things to me is the well-being of employees," Pippin said. "In an environment like this, one of the first places to cut costs is to cut people. I'm management and for me, that's the last resort. With the rare exception over the past nine years, we've always seemed to find another way."

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Comments (8)

This guy should of been gone years ago he ran a great company into the ground in 7 yrs that took 50 to build. It shoul be a crime. If it was a public company it probably would be up there with the Enrons and such.

Posted by Jim | February 7, 2008 4:51 PM

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Refreshing to see justice does prevail. To watch a beloved company get torn apart before your eyes is a travesty. The company under Marvin used to follow the motto "...where people like to work...". Maybe now that can again be a reality.

Bravo Alfred! Good luck bringing this company back to the world class company it once was!!

Posted by Elmer Former Employee | February 7, 2008 11:15 PM

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ALFRED: DON'T STOP WITH LENNY. YOU HAVE SOME MORE OF THEM THAT NEED TO GO AT THE TOP. YOU HAVE LOST SOME DARN GOOD MANAGERS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT HAVE DROVE THE COMPANY BACKWARDS WITH THEIR MESSED UP IDEA'S.

Posted by SCOTT | February 8, 2008 2:18 PM

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The real problem lies with Alfred. He's the one who hired these Bozo's starting with Noyes. Alfred should step aside and let the kids run the company. I gaurantee they won't make any worse decisions. The company is really the kids anyway not a drunk uncles.

Posted by John | February 9, 2008 12:21 PM

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My thoughts are simple. Schwan's has been ridding itself of the true workhorses that once existed when Marvin ran the company. One of them people was my father James Brisson. When my father worked at Schwans, he was number one in almost every contest all the time. He always commited himself to a 20 hour day 6 days a week. I say nothing bad about Alfred, but I do believe that Schwans needs to quit being so commercialized and step back to its roots and be a family ran company... PERIOD... Executives and most outsiders never care about anything except themselves. Schwans was and still can be an american icon. I grew up and was raised on Schwan my whole life. I still love the company dearly, so much, I tried to go work there, but I did'nt meet company standards. However, I can guarantee almost anyone, that I know more about Schwans, its history and its traditions, in which I love very much, more so than Lenny Pippin. To the Schwan family: Dont ask yourselves what you think you should do, rather ask yourself what Marvin would do! If you do this, Schwans will remain the leader that Marvin made it to be. God Bless everyone at Schwans and the Schwan Family. I hope things work out for all of ya's. It affected my family a lot when my father was terminated from a place he loved so much. I cannot imagine the thought of a troubled Schwans, or no Schwans at all. Good Luck and see ya Lenny...

Posted by Daniel C. Brisson | July 31, 2008 6:33 PM

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In regards to cutting people what needs to be cut is the fat cat management at the top of the corporate ladder. Under the management of Lenny Pippen as an example he brought in management who were former co-workers from Lykes bros and Kraft. Immediately they were given 3 weeks paid vacation up front where other employees had to work 1 calender year to qualify for. Also top out hourly pay scales for hourly paid people were capped and out checks eliminated offering no further incentive to perform well or encourage good long term work performance. By cutting some of the top fat perhaps some of the funds could be re allocated within other areas of the company for wage and merit increases rewarding long term growth and service to the company. When management treats employees in general as a resource not a material you will never have to worry about a labor union of any type

Posted by Annonymous | December 14, 2008 7:25 PM

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In relation to Lenny Pippins departure is largely in part to a difference in management style and philosophy. Unfortunately some good management people left the company before Lenny Pippin did due to differences of opinion and management style in relation to Lenny. Lenny had a tendency of opening up information that shouldnt have been left out to public knowledge adn took some heat for it using the excuse of being good public relations. Also from being a long term employee the company was solid well managed company with alot of valued bright employees who were treated as resources and were long term employees baed on that fact. Also from a management standpoint there were differences as well that Lenny appeared to have a spend spend spend mentality where under some of the former leadership when large amounts of funds were going to be spent there was a tendency to sit back and review things on a very thourough basis

Posted by annonymous | December 29, 2008 9:49 PM

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schwans employee message board is www.retailreality.net

cya Schwans!

Posted by Victor | January 15, 2009 7:03 PM

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