Hausser Food Products Company
Hausser Food Products Company
Brenda Cooper, the southeastern regional sales manager for the Hausser Food Products Company (HFP) expressed her concern to a researcher from a well-known eastern business school:
I think during the past year I’ve begun to make some progress here, but the situation is a lot more difficult than I thought when I first arrived. Our current methods of selling products just are not adequate, and the people in the field don’t seem interested in coming up with new ideas or approaches to selling.
BACKGROUND
Hausser Food Products Company was a leading producer and marketer of baby foods in the United States. The company manufactured and marketed a whole line of foods for the baby market including strained meats, vegetables, fruits, and combination dishes. The product line included foods that are completely strained, for infants, as well as foods that are partially strained or chopped, for children six months and older. HFP was traditionally the leader in this field. The company had no other major product lines. Its products were known for their high quality and the Hausser name was well known to most consumers.
HFP owned its production and warehousing facilities. Its well-developed distribution network provided direct delivery of products to the warehouses and stores of most major food chains. The smallest segment of its market was composed of a limited number of institutions for children, which purchase HFP products in bulk.
HFP had a long history in the baby food business. Traditionally the market leader, it had over the years maintained a market share of approximately 60 percent. During the 1960s the firm experienced rapid expansion and growth. The number of different types of baby food products increased tremendously to keep up with increasing demand for more foods and a greater variety of products. During the period from the middle 1960s through the mid 1970s, growth in sales approached 15 percent compounded yearly.
During the past
Brenda Cooper, the southeastern regional sales manager for the Hausser Food Products Company (HFP) expressed her concern to a researcher from a well-known eastern business school:
I think during the past year I’ve begun to make some progress here, but the situation is a lot more difficult than I thought when I first arrived. Our current methods of selling products just are not adequate, and the people in the field don’t seem interested in coming up with new ideas or approaches to selling.
BACKGROUND
Hausser Food Products Company was a leading producer and marketer of baby foods in the United States. The company manufactured and marketed a whole line of foods for the baby market including strained meats, vegetables, fruits, and combination dishes. The product line included foods that are completely strained, for infants, as well as foods that are partially strained or chopped, for children six months and older. HFP was traditionally the leader in this field. The company had no other major product lines. Its products were known for their high quality and the Hausser name was well known to most consumers.
HFP owned its production and warehousing facilities. Its well-developed distribution network provided direct delivery of products to the warehouses and stores of most major food chains. The smallest segment of its market was composed of a limited number of institutions for children, which purchase HFP products in bulk.
HFP had a long history in the baby food business. Traditionally the market leader, it had over the years maintained a market share of approximately 60 percent. During the 1960s the firm experienced rapid expansion and growth. The number of different types of baby food products increased tremendously to keep up with increasing demand for more foods and a greater variety of products. During the period from the middle 1960s through the mid 1970s, growth in sales approached 15 percent compounded yearly.
During the past