Blue Rhino Slows Down to Get Ahead Blue Rhino is a publicly traded corporation based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that considers itself the national leader in propane cylinder exchange services. Owners of propane-fueled backyard grills can visit nearly 30,000 retail locations, including Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Kmart, in 48 states and Puerto Rico to exchange their empty propane cylinders for full cylinders provided by Blue Rhino. The company employs 355 workers, 63 percent of whom fulfill distributor operations duties. The remaining employees serve in the departments of administration and finance, sales and marketing, information systems, and warehouse operations. In addition to its cylinder exchange services, Blue Rhino markets a number of propane-related products including grills, outdoor heaters, and pest control devices. In operation for only a decade, Blue Rhino's business is growing rapidly. Its revenue for the fiscal year 2003 reached $258.2 million, which was an increase of 86 percent over two years. The company's operating income soared by over 500 percent during the same period. Much of this growth is a result of a relatively recent change in approach to propane cylinder transactions. Traditionally, propane grill owners would bring their empty propane cylinders to a retail outlet to be refilled. The Blue Rhino approach of exchanging empty cylinders for ones that have already been filled is more efficient and safer. Customers do not have to wait for a retail employee to fill their cylinders or be in the presence of a transaction involving the transfer of a flammable agent. Additionally, this exchange prevents customers from using the same cylinder over many years, which could lead to dangerous malfunctions or cylinder corrosion. Converting refill customers to the exchange approach and increasing the demand for, and awareness of, cylinder exchange are two of the key elements of Blue Rhino's business strategy. Blue Rhino has implemented its business strategy in much the same way many new companies of the last decade havewith an entrepreneurial spirit. Under the leadership of CEO Billy Prim, Blue Rhino avoids micro-management and bureaucracy, allowing its managers to act quickly and pursue business opportunities unabashedly. Prim extols not only the merits of his company's products and services, but the activities and lifestyles that make those products and services desirable as well. Prim went so far as to buy Winston-Salem's minor league baseball team, whose games serve as a perfect venue to promote outdoor activities such as summertime grilling.
Lowe’s grew through strategic choice by heavily focusing on key functional areas involving research and development (R&D), marketing, and logistics. Lowe’s important R&D investments included the creation of two prototype stores. The first prototype with 147,000 square feet catered to large markets and the other with 120,000 square feet catered to smaller markets (Rouse, 2005). Lowe’s used these store prototypes to help guide their continued growth and store placement. The prototypes also aided the company in designing future stores more efficiently with respect to energy and sustainability (Lowe’s Companies, Inc., n.d.). Furthermore, Lowe’s marketing strategy concentrated on attracting new customers and enhancing current customer satisfaction. To bring new customers to the store, Lowe’s engaged in a pull marketing strategy (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012). The com...
These men seemed to know something that nobody else knew when it came to forming a racing and sales complex. They established policies that have existed for the past 50 years, they made predictions that have come true, and they built a horse facility that has lived up to every expectation. But, of course Keeneland was never intended to be just another racetrack. Twenty different sites were looked upon, but Hal Price Headley and company kept com...
Pros. (1) By increasing the total coal-grilling category, the sales and profits of Kingston Charcoal will increase too, as at the present it has the largest market share. By addressing current category ad vacuum KC will more appropriately counter gas grilling which has been heavily advertised. (2) The cooperation with grocery, mass retailers, and distributors as the sales on charcoals increases growth of not only Kingsford’s, but also private label brands. That – on the other hand – gives bargaining power for KC on display placements, promotions and other retail-oriented issues.
When Jim Kilts showed up at Gillette in 2001, the first outsider to run the Boston-based company in more than 70 years, he found a business with great brands losing market share. Its acquisitions of Duracell and Braun were not delivering. Sales and earnings were flat, the company had missed its earnings estimates for 15 straight quarters, the stock had plummeted, and Wall Street had lost patience. Yet two-thirds of the top managers were getting top ratings. People were being rewarded for effort; performance, under Mr. Kilts regime, became the new measure.
After watching Charlie Rose’s interview with Jim Collins; where Collins explains his recent book How the Mighty Fall, presented me with an opportunity to reflect over recent companies that were staples in my childhood and early adult memories and now are non-existent. In this paper, I will look, analyze and relate Blockbuster Video and their history to Jim Collins’ five stages of an organization.
In this case, We have found Steve’s Tire and Lube’s company to have strong competitive priorities with their friendly environment, honest an reliable work, good reputation in the small town, quality service are worth the price, variety of services and supplies at retail, good employee training at vocation school, and most importantly they have loyal and hard workers， thus store turnover is rare. The order qualifier is service variety, including good services about oil changes, tire rotation and balance, brake pad replacement, and service inspection. In addition, provide retail parts and supplies are also considerable for the customer. Comparison with the same type of store, Steve’s has good order winner than others. It is about offering high
...et without adequate safe guards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers’” (1). This irresponsible behavior on behalf of the government further proves that they are acting unethically when they change the gasoline blend used by the public without properly informing them.
As part of its vertical integration, ExxonMobil has many retail operations worldwide. Consequently, it can sell a large volume of products in growing and developed markets across continents, hence maintain high levels of profits. The institution has expanded its sales by venturing into new regions globally (Dravenstott & Chieffe, 2011). Moreover, with the growing economy and demand for energy, it has enhanced the efforts to ensure that the needs of the world are
Fuel prices is an area of concern for the motor carrier industry. Fuel prices are at an all-time high, driving the industry to make drastic changes. Individuals in the industry believe that by reducing the demand for fuel is the best way to address the current fuel issue. One of the leading alternatives to this fuel issue could be natural gas.
According to Pep Boys, (2015), a third concept known as Express Service Parts allows Pep Boys to sell automotive parts to the professional installer. This concept began in the mid-1990s (Boys, The Pep Boys--Manny, Moe & Jack SWOT Analysis, 2015). Consequently, with this third concept, Pep Boys is able to keep up and exceed their competition’s standards for customer service. The stakeholder values center around a culture of fair play and honest business dealings in the day by day operation of the company. The stakeholders are as follows; Ichan Enterprises, which hold a major part of Pep Boys stock, stock holders, as well as the supply warehouses that resupply Pep Boys with auto parts (Schaefer,
Jet Blue does have a business level strategy. Jet Blue’s business level strategy can be characterized as a combination of cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy.
The play Rhinoceros follows a single day as experienced by a few different people as they are to a conversion of sorts. They were convinced to convert to leaving the human life and becoming a rhinoceros. In all aspects of themselves, they did become rhinoceroses. In mind, emotion, physicality, demeanor, and communication, the characters of the play became a rhinoceros. They actually left their human body and were going to turn into a rhinoceros . Sounds absurd, and that is basically the whole point. The play was interpreted as a reaction to the fascism post - World War II. Rhinoceroses arrive in France, and of course the people of the French town want nothing to do with them. But as the day goes on, the
Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park is experiencing a variety of problems related to its management. The primary issue with the company is that it was designed without a critical consideration for growth and this has led to internal issues such as lack of direction and inappropriate staffing. The following management plan provides a blueprint for directing the company and better utilizing its resources.
Consumers have expectations In terms of a good quality product that should be availed at a reasonable price. Consumers don’t only want the business to be socially responsible towards them in this manner of reasonable prices but way beyond this. They should meet the needs of consumers in ways of convenience and appearance. But business should also consider other aspects like environmental impact when packaging is disposed.
The Ford Motor Company has been in business since the nineteenth century, and it has enjoyed a rather successful run as one of the top automobile-making industries in the United States. Ford Motor Company is a prosperous business because of strategic planning and changes that it was willing to take a risk on developing and implementing. Successful corporations have to adapt to the constantly changing environment or the company will be doomed to failure. In other words, customer shopping habits change as new products are introduced to the market or when other factors beyond Ford Motor Company’s control affect which vehicles are sold. For example, there is an increased demand for fuel efficient cars when the average price per gallon