2nd Trimester 2008 - LDF Companies · 2013-02-25 · 2nd Trimester 2008 I am happy to report that...

2nd Trimester 2008

I am happy to report that The LDF Companies had a very strong first trimester and things are looking very positive for the second one as well. I appreciate each of you and your efforts in achieving our results so far.

Things are more definitive with our supplier partners, as well as with Wendy’s, than they were when I last reported to you. The Miller-Coors joint venture is underway, and it looks as if Wendy’s will be acquired by Triarc in the not-too-distant future. I have had the opportunity to meet Roland Smith, who will be Wendy’s new CEO, and I look forward to working with him and his management team. A lot of our old friends are in key positions with the Miller-Coors joint venture and we look forward to continue to work with them as well. It is good for all concerned that the air of uncertainty has been cleared and people can better focus on increasing market share and improving operations. As always, there will be a period of adjustment but I remain positive as to the future.

It is hard to believe but summer is just about half over and September will be here in no time. We must, as an organization, continue to implement

our operational strategies, our people strategies, and profit strategies through the remainder of this trimester and be ready to hit the third trimester in full stride. We continue to make excellent progress with our expansion into the wine business in Kansas (thank you, Aaron and Rachael), and are looking forward to similar results in Oklahoma as we expand into the wine and spirits business there. We can look forward to the introduction of Red Bull Cola (a tasty product, I might add) in either the last few weeks of this trimester or the beginning of trimester three. Wendy’s has some great new products as well, and if you haven’t tried one of the new Frosty Shakes, I would encourage you to do so. They are waaaay better!

I hope all of you and your families have had a great summer so far, and that the remaining summer months are good to you as well. Stay safe.

“THE TIMES, THEy arE a-CHangIn”

Larry FLemingChairman

From the Desk oF…

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Our theme for this newsletter, “The Times, They Are A-Changin”, could not be more appropriate for the LDF Food Group. Triarc, the parent company of Arby’s, is in the process of gaining shareholder approval to buy Wendy’s. When and if completed, this will make us part of the third largest food service company in the world.

We can and should expect changes to occur at our franchiser, Wendy’s International. Wendy’s International

will have a new CEO, Roland Smith, and I am sure he will want to build his own team. Some things won’t change. We are and will remain an operating company. Customers will remain our priority with friendly customer service, quality products, fast service, in a clean and well-maintained environment.

We can expect more changes to the menu. Go Wraps and Hand-Spun Shakes have both delivered incremental transactions and ticket. We will be implementing Warm Chicken Salads by the time this newsletter is published. Expect the new Wendy’s International leaderships’ top priority to be innovative in new product menu additions, which means more change coming soon.

We are fortunate to have our corporate leaders on key Wendy’s International committees that gives us a chance to interact and be heard in our meetings at Wendy’s International headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Rick Albrecht serves on Wendy’s International’s IT Committee, which is deciding our future POS register and back office needs as well as the software platform they will run on. I serve on the Supply Chain Committee, which allows us first insight into commodity costs and new products. Larry serves on WNAP, which approves

our marketing calendars and TV/Radio commercials. Our networking with Wendy’s International throughout this change and transition will serve LDF Food Group well.

Change is inevitable. Diane Losey and Jennifer Fisher have moved into Area Director roles the past few years and are both doing a wonderful job. Change creates opportunities and that is good for LDF Food Group. We recently filled the Area Director position in Amarillo. Please welcome Chris Haynes!

The environment is changing with us. Inflation is growing at a high pace. Gas prices are high. Grocery prices are rising. Credit markets are tightening. All of this will cause us and our competitors to re-think how we operate and changes will have to occur to remain viable and profitable.

We are fortunate at LDF Food Group to have the tenure in our Area Director ranks and General Manager ranks. Many of you have experienced inflationary time with us in the 1980’s and your experience will help us make the necessary changes this time around. I thank all of you for your fine efforts so far during 2008. Enjoy the summer, and expect more changes soon!

Don haynesPresiDent-LDF FooD grouP, inC.

From the Desk oF…

News Release

Liberty Mutual GroupContact: Jim Kahlfeldt6800 College Blvd., Suite 700800-255-0254 Ext. 250Overland Park Ks 66213-2627For Release: Immediate

Ldf Companies ReCognized foR CommendabLe safety peRfoRmanCeLDF Companies of Wichita, KS recently received the Liberty Mutual Loss Prevention Safety Commendation award for its continuing commitment to safety. The award was presented to Bob Harley, Vice President/General Manager, and Troy Mendenhall, Distribution Manager, by Jim Kahlfeldt,

Loss Prevention Consultant from Liberty Mutual on March 6, 2008. LDF Companies completed the year addressing fleet safety to achieve an auto safety performance significantly better than average for their industry.

Pictured receiving the award are (left to right) Bob Harley, Jim Kahlfeldt, and Troy Mendenhall

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2nd trimester 2008

Earlier this month, I had my last working lunch with Larry Bell. He officially retired and it is sad to see him go. My first day at Larco he walked down the hall and said, “If you are waiting on someone besides me to ask you to lunch, you have a long wait ahead of you.” We went to lunch that day and have been friends and coworkers ever since. Larry will tell you that we had a near death experience together, all around the love for fishing. It was an overcast Saturday morning and we were paying to get in the State Park when the tornado warning sirens went off in El Dorado. Larry asked if we should be concerned and I said no, they go off all the time. By the time we went the quarter mile to the parking lot, the sky had turned a purple-black color and the wind was blowing about 60 miles an hour. We decided to sit in the car for a minute. Over the next 10 minutes we never could see past the hood because it was so dark. Leaves and

debris were being slapped against the windows and were making a popping sound each time one hit. The camper parked next to us slid forward about six inches and the guy inside ran for a cellar beside the marina (Bell and I found out about the cellar afterwards.) During the peak of the storm, Bell turned to me and said, “Partner, we are going to die and if I am dying, I am drinking a Coors beer”. He reached into the cooler in the back seat and opened a Coors. After the storm passed, we looked towards the marina and sure enough, it had been hit by a tornado, which must have passed over our heads. Half of the main structure was turned upside down and the rest was twisted with severe damage everywhere. Well, the storm had passed and we were going fishing. As we passed the marina I ask the gentleman that was starting to clean up if he had minnows! Larry and I used artificial lures that day. What an attitude-- just a little tornado! I wish Larry and Doris all the best in the coming years and appreciate all they have done over the past years.

Momentum is great when it is on your side. You guys have it and are pouring it onto that old worn out, maybe sold, losing share and volume, getting their behinds kicked group from St. Louis. When you have them down is when you take them out! Don’t let them up! It is so refreshing to hear retailers tell you that the St. Louis boys are starting to put cost-saving measures in place. Poor things, they may have to take the dollar bills out of the rest rooms and start using real toilet paper. Grow up! We invented all the cost saving programs! What you have over them is your ability to SELL and EXECUTE. They have not sold

anything for years. Pull out a growth chart and stick up a 500 case display. Well, the chart is headed the other way boys and it’s our time now.

We do however have major challenges that lie ahead for us to maintain this momentum. We have a long way to go in rolling out our new Wine & Spirits venture in Oklahoma. Each day some new hurdle pops up that we need to address. We now hope to start selling our valued retailers by the beginning of the third trimester. Speaking of wine, Aaron Meeker and his Kansas team are making progress, now selling 100 Sku’s with 50 or so more on the way. Congratulations, you were successful in achieving a tough net sales number for May. June and August will test our selling abilities and our focus. You will think May was like kissing your sister after getting through those two months. We will need display penetration and dominance at retail to win these important months. If we execute our programs and remain focused on winning we will be successful. Remember two years ago in the trimester review meeting, I said unleaded could hit $2 a gallon? Can I change that to $4? Diesel at $5? If any of you have some extra pipe and some pulleys, maybe we should drill a well in the back lot of our warehouses. Fuel could be 35% over plan if we are not successful in maintaining the cost measures we put in place in 2007 and so far this year. Mike Duke has offered his team up to test 10 speed bikes for the balance of the summer. Thanks Mike, Solie has them ordered. Thanks to all of you for a great start to the year. Stay safe, good Selling!

terry ParrPresiDent-LDF saLes & Distributing

From the Desk oF…

JR sandeRs Wins Vegas Lights Round iiSubmitted by Mark Berglund, Field Sales Manager, Oklahoma

Congratulations to JR Sanders for being the top performer in the Vegas Lights

Round II Incentive. JR had the most new distribution with Keystone Lt and CoorsLt, JR was over 214% over his goal. For his efforts he will receive an all expense paid trip to Vegas, tickets to fight night, and a chance to win some great prizes. Thanks JR for all you do for LDF.

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Can i Change my Life?Submitted by Pastor Joe WrightEven before I reached the age most people retire, I started planning the Changes I knew were coming in “how” I would spend the last years of my life. I was approaching 65 and I thought, “God willing, I may have a quarter of my life left”. What have I accomplished, thus far, that will make a difference in this world, or at least in the lives of some of those coming behind me? Are there some Changes I need to make in not only “what” I do but “how” I do it? I have found that asking myself those questions

regularly, and honestly answering them, has been very beneficial in helping me determine how I can better “positively” impact those around me. In my humble opinion, that is really “why” we were created! I don’t know about you but I make mistakes quite often. I have said many times that the onLy thing that is aLWays Right about me is my name! So, I try, regularly, to evaluate my behavior. In my relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers, I have experienced very positive results when I have made it a priority to “examine my life” and make Changes that were obviously needed. As a husband, as a parent, a friend, or just an acquaintance, I want to bless those around me! I have enjoyed the new relationships I have been able to develop in the LDF family! These are the kinds of things we talk

about when we get together. Why not give me a call (316-680-2578) or drop me an e-mail ([email protected]) I hope our paths cross soon. Brother Joe

distRibution, distRibution, distRibutionSubmitted by Brett Gilliam, Area Manager-Coors Brewing-Oklahoma

Distribution is the gift that keeps on giving and the sales team at LDF picked up a lot of distribution during Coors Brewing Company’s Vegas Lights Incentive.

Vegas Lights Round II is a Coors Brewing Company distribution incentive that was held from February 4th to May 2nd. The Grand Prize is a trip to VEGAS!! Seven sales reps from LDF will be attending the Vegas Lights trip in September. The dates of the trip are Friday, September 26 – Sunday, September 28, 2008. These seven deserving winners will have a chance to win a Harley Davidson Motorcycle and many other prizes during their trip. Also, on the last night several boxing matches will be held just for everyone’s entertainment. Does that sound like a lot of fun or what? Sales Representatives from all over the country will attend the trip.

Below are the Trip Winners. Congratulations!!

tulsa WichitaJ.R. Sanders Rich EwyBrandi Spencer J.D. ZimmermanShawn Ferestad Shane Stobart Chris Oleson

Now that we have the details out of the way, let’s talk about the results. This was a stellar performance from each location.

Tulsa – • 816 new points of distribution20• new Coors Light Draft accounts256• new Coors Light Off-Premise placements540• new Keystone Light Off-Premise placementsWichita – • 114 new points of distribution

11• new Coors Light Draft accounts61• new Coors Light Off-Premise placements42• new Keystone Light Off-Premise placements

As you can see this was a great effort by the sales teams at LDF. With that being said, we would like to recognize two top performers, one top performer from the Off-Premise and one top performer for the On-Premise. They each will receive $500 for their performance, plus a trip to Vegas in September.

Off-Premise- J.R. Sanders – 84 New •PlacementsOn-Premise – Shawn Ferestad – 9 •New Coors Light Draft Accounts

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2nd trimester 2008

Wendy’s “mop buCket attitude”Submitted by Dave White, Franchise Area Director

What is going on with Wendy’s in 2008? Breakfast product changes, Frosty Shakes, Warm Salads, new training classes, new cleaning supplier, tomatoes are bad then tomatoes are good, Chicken Wraps, new QSC alignment and new version of SOE’s (Sparkle Operations Evaluation). How many changes can we do and how can we execute them all well?

Perhaps we need a little more “Mop Bucket Attitude”. No matter how many changes come our way, Wendy’s is and always will be about the day-to-day execution of

good Quality, Service, Cleanliness, Food Safety and a lot of good old fashioned Courtesy. This isn’t hard, it’s just about doing the job we love with the attitude Dave Thomas always role-modeled for us and talked about when he talked about “Mop Bucket Attitude”.

I travel to restaurants in seven states and oversee 104 stores with twelve different owners and I tell everyone the same thing I see as a difference between my store visits. Good stores coach and practice a high level of Quality, Service, Cleanliness, Food Safety and Courtesy. The highest sales stores in my area and the stores who are leading sales increases over last year are in no way perfect and do not necessarily have the best facilities. But, without exception, they have better Quality, Service, Cleanliness, Food Safety and lots of great Courtesy behaviors Led by the General Manager. Their stores operate significantly better than their local competition. The GMs treat their managers and staff with

Care, Coach to improve QSC and Food Safety, and role-model great Courtesy with their staff and customers. These General Managers daily operate with the “Mop Bucket Attitude”.

So the next time I see you at your store, show me your sparkling clean mop and sparkling clean mop bucket, and as you show me your sparkling clean store operating at a high level of Quality, Service, Cleanliness, Food Safety and Courtesy, please introduce me to your great team and tell me about your “mop bucket attitude”.

bombs aWay buRgeRs benefits WWk!Submitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

Oral Roberts University and Wendy’s teamed up to support the Wendy’s Wonderful Kid’s Foundation with a halftime promotion at all ORU home basketball games. The promotion was called “Bombs Away Burgers” and it was a resounding success in raising money and creating a lot of FUN at halftime, as well as creating exposure for adoption and WWK.

Prior to the game, ORU marketing students sold “foam” hamburgers for $1.00 with all the proceeds going to WWK. At halftime, the marketing students would unroll a huge bulls eye “Target” and the announcer would announce, “Get your burgers ready, three, two, one, “bombs away”, and literally hundreds of “foam” burgers would be hurled from the stands with the objective to land as close to the bulls eye as possible. There were three winners each game based on the closest to the center.

Our partners in this promotion were Super Target, Spirit 102.3 radio and Spears Travel. First place winner won a $50 gift card from Wendy’s, second place won a $25 gift card from Super Target, and third place won a Spirit 102.3 prize pack. However, all three winners each game were entered into a drawing at the end of the season for two American Airline tickets to anywhere that American flies, courtesy of Spears Travel.

At halftime of the bracket buster game against Creighton in front of 8,500 fans,

ORU Athletic Director, Scott Higgins presented Jorge Herrera with Wendy’s and “Miss Wendy” with a check for $2,309. This promotion was so successful that all of our sponsors have signed up for the 2008 season!

Scott Higgins, Jorge Herrera and “Miss Wendy” accept a GIANT Check

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Roxanne ogden-store # 3508From the first day, Roxanne has been a model of consistency at our store. She is always at work, always on time, always in proper uniform, and always wearing a smile that the customers love. She has played a huge part in growing our sales 4-5 thousand dollars a week since she arrived. Customers look forward to seeing her at the front counter when they come in and they can’t wait to hear her say, “welcome to Wendy’s”!

Besides being an ace at the front counter, Roxanne can also work sandwiches, fries, pick-up window and ordertaker, as well as opening preparation. She always stays busy and keeps the dining room and restrooms looking great. Sean Marty, Wendy’s inspector, even took pictures of our restrooms to show others how clean they can be. This is due in large part to Roxanne, who works diligently each shift to make the restrooms shine. She definitely has a “mop bucket attitude”. Besides being a great customer service representative, Roxanne is a great

teammate. Everyone at the store respects her work ethic and enjoys working with her. She is one of our most trusted employees and we are extremely happy to have her.

Jorge acevedo – store # 3505Jorge has been at Wendy’s for just over two years. He is our primary closer and has been since he started here. Jorge can close any position and has often stayed to help close when someone is missing a closer. Closing managers love working with Jorge, as he is always smiling and stays on task, so the crew can give good late night service and still get out on time. Jorge works hard to show new employees the right way to do things, not looking for the easy short-cuts.

Jorge can work any position and loves being moved around so he can stay sharp at each position. He cares about his work and always strives to have the highest quality. He knows “quality is our recipe”. Jorge is a great teammate who cares about his fellow workers. It is not

uncommon for him to give closers a ride home when needed and asks for nothing in return. With the price of gas, this is literally going the extra mile for his fellow employees. We are appreciative of his efforts and look forward to more good things from him.

amber Lucas – store # 3506Amber Lucas is our opening manager at store #3506. In the year I have known her, her work ethic has been outstanding and she consistently delivers results that are well above the norm. She also holds her opening crew to higher standards because she sets the example for others to follow. Amber’s attitude always makes the workplace atmosphere a more enjoyable place to be because she is always wearing a smile. She is always looking to find small cleaning tasks for others but is not afraid to be the first to scrub baseboards or anything else she feels doesn’t measure up to standard.

daVe’s mba ReCognitionsan mba is presented to the best of the best who live dave Thomas’ legacy everyday at work and in their communities.

The following team members received an MBA in the Diane Losey District-Kansas

Candie Ruiz – store # 3506Candie Ruiz works part-time weekends as a crew leader at 3506. As well as a full-time job during the week, Candie is the mother of two kids. One might expect her to be tired and worn out for the weekend, but Candie is always full of energy and doesn’t wait to be told when to do something; she finds things

to keep busy. All her co-workers look forward to working with Candie and know that she will find things for them to do. And if they need any assistance, she will be the first to help them out.

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2nd trimester 2008


mike marshall –gm store # 6103Mike Joined LDF in August of 2006 and quickly established himself as a leader with high standards and expectations. He took over the Admiral location after 90 days and set about changing the existing culture to reflect the values of an MBA recipient. Quality is our recipe is reflected in Mike’s daily routine, from insisting on hold times being observed to insuring every employee is in proper attire before beginning their shift. Mike was instrumental in doing the right thing in assisting our employees after the store fire in May of last year. He worked to keep his employees working in various locations and provided transportation to and from for many of them during the time the store was closed. Mike has demonstrated on numerous occasions the qualities of an MBA recipient and will continue to deliver on Dave’s core beliefs in the future

debbie mcdaniels Co mgr store # 6109

Debbie has worked for LDF on and off for approximately 8 years. The majority of her time has been in Sand Springs where the customers always comment on how nice she is in taking care of them. She also worked in our 31st and Harvard location. Debbie always treats her employees with the utmost respect from the time they begin working to the end of their shifts. She insists on quality in everything she does and makes sure we only deliver the best products available at all times. Deb’s British accent is a refreshingly, unique experience that all of our employees and customers have come to admire. She is a very deserving MBA recipient.

Chris Carroll –asst mgr store # 6109Chris has worked for Wendy’s for approximately 7 years. He started as an hourly employee and progressed to a shift manager and finally to an assistant in 2006, all at the Sand Springs location. Chris is very instrumental in ensuring sales programs are properly implemented and employees are properly trained. Chris constantly looks for opportunities to improve profits, from taking on special repair projects to monitoring food cost controls and inventory. Numerous employee comments about how pleasantly they are treated reflects his ability to treat his employees with respect. Chris is a young individual who has adopted the core values Dave Thomas had in operating Wendy’s and he will continue to impact all those he comes in contact with in the future as an MBA recipient

The following team members received an MBA in the Allan Rowan District-Oklahoma

Wendy’s 2007 geneRaL manageRs of the yeaRSubmitted by Don Haynes, President/COO

Bea Fiser and Ruth Ann Lewis were recognized as the General Managers of the Year for 2007 at the Annual LDF Food Group Awards Banquet in Kansas City last April. This was the first time that Oklahoma General Managers have won this award.

To be the recipient of this award, a General Manager must execute the LDF Food Group Annual Plan in an excellent fashion. All General Managers are ranked at year-end on their execution of our Plan objectives and our key strategies as follows: Sales versus Plan, Service Excellence, Profit versus Plan, Food Cost controls, Labor Hour controls, Crew Turnover, Management Turnover, Shift Manager Turnover, and Service Check comments.

Ruth Ann and Bea both represented the best of the class for 2007. Congratulations!

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norma Cape- Norma is the GM at our Hutchinson store. She is committed to doing the right thing for her team and her guests everyday. When she says she will do something, it is a priority for her. Norma and her team are in the top 5 sales group for LDF year after year.

stacy billings- Stacy was nominated by Norma Cape from 3507. Stacy has been a crewmember since 1999. Norma says, “Stacy is always honest and true to her word. She puts 100% into everyday and always tries to do her job correctly the first time”.

Laverna salts- Laverna is a Co-Mgr at 3510. Tom Traffis nominated her for her MBA. Tom says, “Laverna cares about each person she comes in contact with. She puts the feelings of her crew and her guests above everything else. She has even attended guest’s funerals and last Christmas she baked a pie for a regular guest who had recently lost his wife”.

diane Jones- Diane is a crew leader at 3510 and was nominated by Tom Traffis. Diane’s #1 focus is customer satisfaction. She knows all the regulars and knows their orders by memory. Even the most challenging guests leave Diane’s register with a smile.

maria sosa-torres- Maria is a crewmember at 3518. Grace Phillips nominated her for an MBA. Grace says, “Food safety is something Maria takes special pride in. She cares about the products we serve. Maria always monitors product dates and hold times and is a great role-model of hand washing procedures”.

ed harlow- Ed is the GM at 3516. Profit is always top of mind for Ed. He does an excellent job monitoring his P&L and expenses. He coaches his team that every cent adds up, whether it is waste or profit.

The following team members received an MBA in the Jennifer Fisher District-Kansas

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2nd trimester 2008


Chris Losey- Chris is the GM at 3517. Chris has faced many challenges since becoming the GM at Tyler. He has spent a great deal of time training and retraining correct behaviors with his team. He does a great job with LSM through benefit nights at several elementary schools in his neighborhood.

deanna hamilton- Deanna is a crewmember at 3517 and was nominated by Chris Losey. Chris says, “Deanna loves people and she loves singing to people. You can often hear her working in the dining room singing along with the music. There are many regulars who come to our store just to see her. She goes out of her way to make everyone feel welcome. Deanna even makes goodie bags for the guests for the holidays”.

photo not available

marc Castleman- Marc is a Co-Manager at 3518. He was nominated by Ed Harlow. Ed says, “Marc’s strength with the crew is that he really listens and asks their opinions about things at the store. He makes sure he has everyone’s availability correct for the schedule each week and he goes out of his way to honor their requests off ”.

The following team members received an MBA in the Jennifer Fisher District-Kansas

30 yeaR seRViCe ReCognitionsubmitted by allan Rowan, area director, oklahoma

On May 9th of this year, Mary Swearingen, store #6103-Admiral in Tulsa, celebrated 30 years of service working for Wendy’s. Mary began her career working at the 1st Wendys located in Tulsa @ 51st and Sheridan. She transferred to the 21st and Sheridan location when it opened .Then she transferred to the Admiral location when the 21st and Sheridan location was

closed. Mary was presented an engraved clock and wristwatch commemorating her years of service. The store had cake and balloons as all employees and customers joined in the celebration. Please join me in saying congratulations to Mary for her 30 years of dedicated service to Wendy’s

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LDF FooD groupSTar pErForManCES

1st trimester, 2008

peopLe eXCeLLenCe-CReW tuRnoVeR seRViCe eXCeLLenCe-totaL day paRt 3504 Elisha Murry 63% 4102 Jorge Coto 103 seconds 3522 Gerson Berrios 65% 3513 Chris Lee 104 seconds 3501 Cheryl Carey 68% 4107 Esmeralda Arce 106 seconds 3519 Jack Kirkham 74% 3522 Gerson Berrios 108 seconds 6121 Darrin Lewis 95% 4106 Janie Torres 111 seconds a. d. Diane Losey 134% a. d. Amarillo TEAM 112 seconds a. d. Jennifer Fisher 134%

saLes Vs. pLan 6103 Mike Marshall 124.2% 6112 Crisshone Wells 111.5% 6119 Rebecca Stanley 108.8% 6121 Darrin Lewis 108.7% 3505 Tim Dryden 107.5% a. d. Allan Rowan 109.9%

ReCoRd saLes/goaL Weeks - ks ReCoRd saLes/goaL Weeks - ok/tX 3505 Tim Dryden 1 week 6121 Darrin Lewis 1 week 3510 Tom Traffas 1 week 3516 Ed Harlow 2 weeks

pRofit to pLan food Cost Vs. theoRetiCaL 6121 Darrin Lewis 6121 Darrin Lewis (1.32)% 6103 Mike Marshall 4101 Rebecca Hernandez (0.97)% 6112 Crisshone Wells 6120 Bea Fiser (0.94)% 3513 Chris Lee 3522 Gerson Berrios (0.81)% 6118 Ruth Ann Lewis 4105 Ben Hodges (0.67)% a. d. Allan Rowan a. d. Mickey DeHority (0.52)%

top 10 eLite saLes CLub 3512 Mike Gay 3507 Norma Cape 3513 Chris Lee 6112 Crisshone Wells 6117 Hugh Kinley 3502 Sam Samo 3521 Mike Losey 4102 Jorge Coto 6121 Darrin Lewis

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2nd trimester 2008

LDF SaLES & DISTrIbuTIngSTar pErForManCES

1st trimester, 2008

top saLes team top saLes teamManager Julio Bermea 9.0% Manager David Benditz 16.60%47 Brent Overstreet 56.8% 83 Michael Rose 20.80%45 Trey Hines 10.3% 82 Bhrett Hulsey 18.40%42 Joe Giffin 7.4% 87 Garry Davis 15.20%43 Paul Kissinger 3.0% 85 Jeremy Morgan 7.20%

top manageRs top manageRsE. Wichita, S&E Rural Julio Bermea 9.0% Red Bull Tulsa Mike Duke 34.4%Off-Premise Brad Knott 4.6% Red Bull OKC Steve Tompkins 28.6%On-Premise Wichita Dave Zugelder 3.7% C-Store David Benditz 16.6%Coffeyville, Independ, West Combo Wade Beal 12.0% Ottawa Mo Cares 1.4% Off-Premise Mark Berglund 11.4%Parsons Don Trieber 1.0% On Premise Riley Stephens 10.8%QT & C-Store Chris Oleson 0.9% North Combo Chuck Rutterford 9.3%Pittsburgh, Parsons, Grocery David Cable 8.8% Chanute Chris Wilson 0.9% South Combo Russell Anderson 3.4%NW Wichita/Rural Rod Feil 0.3% East Combo Bill Woodruff 2.1%

top saLes CLub top saLes CLub45 Trey Hines 10.3% 83 Mike Rose 20.8%46 James Eisenbart 8.1% 90 Blake Dancer 19.5%24 Darold Coomes 7.9% 82 Bhrett Hulsey 18.4%42 Joe Giffin 7.4% 2 Matt Gumc 17.0%35 Bill Dickey 6.3% 92 Sean Hieger 16.1%27 Steve Heiskell 4.9% 87 Garry Davis 15.2%26 Doug Wintjen 4.4% 91 Doug Lawrence 14.4%41 Dan Claycamp 3.8% 95 Robert Robbins 13.4%21 Mike Kuder 3.8% 51 Dennis Sistrunk 12.3%33 Paul Carranza 3.5% 86 Jeremy Bollinger 12.1%

top Red buLL saLes CLub top Red buLL saLes CLub40 John Racine 64.6% 56 Brad Barton 58.7%47 Brent Overstreet 56.8% 65 Ryan Smart 44.5% 69 Keri Kidwell 42.3% 54 Patrick Kelley 32.5% 53 John Factor 27.7% 68 Shannon Ledbetter 23.1% 57 Cory Van Over 20.3% 55 Stephen Jesseph 16.1% 59 Waymin Grymes 11.5% 64 Todd Mlnarik 2.4%

top Qa sCoRe top Qa sCoRe36 Chris Tillman 0.44% 62 Corey Allen 0.26%47 Brent Overstreet 0.55% 83 Mike Rose 0.39%27 Steve Heiskell 0.57% 89 Brooks Henry 0.50%35 Bill Dickey 0.63% 86 Jeremy Bollinger 0.63%41 Dan Claycamp 0.69% 96 John Roberts Jr 0.68%24 Darold Coomes 0.71% 60 Jeff Ridge 0.70%25 Robert Barger 0.86% 61 Bill Schneider 0.71%46 James Eisenbart 0.94% 91 Doug Lawrence 0.77%34 Steve Matthews 0.96% 87 Garry Davis 0.78%26 Doug Wintjen 1.02% 81 Jason Collier 0.89%

OKLAhOMA KANSAS

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Wendy’s CRoWns maRketeRs of the yeaRSubmitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

Wendy’s announced our top performers for 2007 at an awards banquet in Kansas City in June. The best of the best marketers for 2007 were recognized and they are Bea Fiser, General Manager of a store in Broken Arrow, OK and Chris Lee, General Manager of a store located in a high traffic retail area in Wichita, KS.

Bea Fiser is referred to affectionately as “Miss Wendy” in Broken Arrow. Her calling card is a Frosty coupon, and she hits the streets running each day meeting new businesses and inviting the boss and employees to “eat at Wendy’s”. Bea and her TEAM are very involved in community marketing and support our “Partners In Education” program by providing incentives to area schools to promote reading and attendance.

Bea also uniquely decorates her store with seasonal adornment that gives her store a WOW experience for customers! Bea and her TEAM ended the year at 106.60% of Plan.

Chris Lee was awarded Co-Marketer of the Year due to his ability to run an A+ operational store. As I have said many times, A+ operations = Local Store Marketing. Chris is a great leader and role-model and sets the standard for operational efficiencies that the TEAM adopts and implements. Chris’ store is located in a high traffic retail shopping district so the customers will come IF the store is staffed and follows processes to ensure that each customer receives fast but courteous service with a smile. Chris and TEAM also implement many LSM programs and one in particular gained a lot of attention. He coordinated a Kids Day on a Saturday and had the local fire department bring in a fire truck for the kids to play “fireman”. Fire safety tips were provided to the kids and you never know when those tips might save a life. Chris and his TEAM ended the year at 105.04% of Plan.

Congratulations again to Bea and Chris for their performance and leadership. When you see them give them a “hand

shake” or in Bea’s case a HUG will do! Pictured is Christy Furrh with Monarch Marketing and Don Haynes presenting Chris and Bea with their awards as well at a nice gift certificate to Southwest Airlines!

Bea Fiser accepts Co-marketer of the Year Award

Chris Lee accepts Co-marketer of the Year Award

Ldf Companies and the RenaissanCe faiReSubmitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

The 13th Annual Renaissance Festival was held at the Castle in Muskogee each weekend in May. You could step back in time to days of old with King Henry VIII, Queen Margaret of Scotland , the Royal Court, jousters, jesters, jugglers,

magicians, musicians, and minstrels. You could do all this in a city where you don’t smoke marijuana and a nineteen year old Mayor - Muskogee, Oklahoma!

The LDF Companies was well represented in support of this event. Our Sales and Distributing company provided the most popular LDF brands and Wendy’s helped to promote by providing signage at our stores and a $2.00 off coupon for admission to the Faire. The coupons were a BIG hit with Wendy’s customers as they came by the droves to eat before going to see Robin Hood and his merry men! Saving $2.00 on admission for each family member was a nice treat for eating at Wendy’s!

This co-promotion with the Food Group

and Sales and Distributing demonstrates the POWER of our companies to be a major factor in our markets to leverage sales and promotional opportunities! Pictured is Matt Hiller, owner of The Castle, donning an 18th Century wardrobe.

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2nd trimester 2008

Ldf/Wendy’s maize high sChooL poRtfoLio sChoLaRshipEric Lagaly, Marketing Director and Bill Goodlatte, Senior Vice President of Human Resources presented the LDF/Wendy’s Portfolio Scholarship for $500, and a $100 Wendy’s gift card, to Diana Learned, a senior at Maize High School, at their Academic Awards Ceremony on Monday May 5th. The crowd cheered more when Diana was presented with the Wendy’s card!

Wendy’s teams With kVoo and big spLash foR summeR pRomotionSubmitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

Wendy’s, Big Splash Water Park and KVOO 98.5 FM team up this summer to implement the “98 Days of Summer” promotion. KVOO is a top rated country and western radio format in Tulsa and helps drive traffic to Wendy’s as well as create “top of mind” awareness. Big Splash is the #1 family park attraction in Tulsa!

The “98 Days of Summer” promotion is designed to drive traffic and sales. A lucky Wendy’s customer can win a prize package each week from KVOO valued at $250.00 and a family pack of tickets from Big Splash by being the 9th caller each Friday morning and knowing the “phrase of the week”. To win the prize package, a customer needs to go by Wendy’s to get the “phrase of the week” printed on the bottom of the receipt. Even though no purchase is necessary to get the phrase, KVOO listeners say that Wendy’s is their favorite fast food restaurant.

This year KVOO has added a nice element to keep the excitement throughout the summer. Each Friday’s winners will be placed in a drawing to win a “Grand Prize”, which will be an all expense paid trip to The Grand ‘Ole Opry! This trip will extend the excitement as the promotion “ain’t over till it’s over”!

Partnerships with key equities in our markets such as KVOO and Big Splash are important relationships that extend our marketing reach.

ChiLdRen’s CheCkeRed fLag night at 81 speed WayOn June 7th Wendy’s held its annual Checkered Flag Night at 81 Speedway in Wichita and the long lines were well worth the wait. Wendy’s gave away free children’s tickets to the races at all Wichita area stores, which drove traffic and SALES! The excited crowd enjoyed the races until the very end and the benches were packed with race fans waving Wendy’s Checkered flags in the breeze. I am sure that Ed Harlow, our General Manager at Wendy’s next to the race track, does not mind reaping the $$$$$ benefit from this crowd after the races!

Over 50 Wendy’s employees and families were on hand to enjoy the evening and pictured are Steve Zimmerman, General Manager at our Downtown store, and his daughter. Wendy’s “employee nights” and “employee events” have become very popular with our employees and are designed to set LDF apart from our competition because “It’s Waaay Better at Wendy’s!

Steve Zimmerman and Daughter enjoy the races!

14

daVe’s LegaCy LiVes With hispaniC sChoLaRshipsSubmitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

In May, three very deserving High School Hispanic seniors were awarded significant scholarships from The LDF Companies in recognition of Dave Thomas Legacy values. The Tulsa scholarships are coordinated by the Hispanic American Foundation and the 2008 recipients are Daniel Munoz from Will Rogers High School and Christien Crynes from Jenks High School. Over 300 Hispanic students, key Hispanic community leaders and high profile school officials gathered at the Tulsa Community College for the presentation of scholarships, entertainment and a job fair.

In Wichita, the Urban League of Kansas coordinates the award and Eric Lagaly and Bill Goodlatte were on

hand to present a check to Jesus Lugo from Wichita North High School at their Senior Awards Program in front of family, friends, school officials and alumni.

Bill recognized Jesus again on Sunday afternoon, May 4th,at the Urban League of Kansas Awards Day held at Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and Kansas State Representative Delia Garcia were on hand to congratulate Jesus, who will attend Wichita State University in the fall.

At the Dellrose Awards Day, The LDF Companies received the Urban League of Kansas “Making A Difference Award of Excellence” for our HUGE commitment as a supporter of education and staying in school through our many ”Partners In Education” programs.

The three Dave’s traits on which the scholarship recipients are judged are (1) Give back to the community, (2) Do the right thing, and (3) Treat people with respect. Dave would be proud of each young person that was awarded

a Dave Thomas scholarship as well as Larry Fleming for modeling The LDF Companies as a community partner. As Dave said “Give back to the community and the community will give back to you”!

Daniel Munoz, Jorge Herrera, Jim Cook and Christien Crynes

Julio Vega and Bea Fiser pose at the Wendy’s Booth

Red buLL bmX’eR teRRy adams takes memoRabLe tRip to bRiCktoWn, maRCh 25-27, 2008Submitted by Katie Dale, Red Bull Field Marketing Manager, Oklahoma

What’s the last thing you’d expect to see on a nightclub dance floor? If you’re thinking a guy riding his bike, then you can understand the entertainment value that came to town as Red Bull Flatland BMXer Terry Adams rocked three days in Oklahoma doing campus assaults, on-premise dance floor demos, and capturing new combination tricks

on video. But when you consider the 24-year-old international champion’s sport actually looks like he’s breakdancing with his bike, the idea seems a little more natural. The concept of Adams’ Trip to Bricktown was to surprise young Oklahomans in Tulsa, Stillwater and Oklahoma City with the amazing skills of Adams, giving them a cool and credible Red Bull experience.

The schedule of surprise demos included stops at University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University/Stillwater (where Terry was featured on the front page of the student newspaper, The O’Colly, the next day) and University of Oklahoma. On seeing Adams riding outside the Student Union, OU Student Ashley Quigby said “I just don’t know how you would learn how to do something like that—it takes so much serious skill. It’s just crazy!”

But student responses were tame compared to the cheers and camera flashes that greeted Adams as he rolled out to perform on the dance floor of several crowded clubs. The beauty was that in addition to creating a real buzz with club patrons, Red Bull was able to secure exclusivity at Fishbonz in Tulsa and week-long drink features at 747 on Campus Corner in Norman and Skky Bar in Bricktown OKC, one of the top three Red Bull accounts in Oklahoma.

Over three days, about 3,500 Oklahomans saw Adams at work. And the word-of-mouth through photograph sharing and media ensures his impact was much more than that.

15

2nd trimester 2008

adVantages of the Ldf heaLth pLanSubmitted by Mary Troy, Human Resources Manager

The tax advantageWhat tax bracket are you in? Use that percentage to calculate the tax advantage you have with the LDF Group Medical Plan. Let’s say a person is lucky and is in a 20% tax bracket and has the

Employee +1 insurance coverage, which is $82.50 per pay period. That means this employee will save $16.50 in taxes each pay period or $429 per year. So in this scenario, the net insurance cost is $66.00 per pay period.

Effective July 1, 2008, LDF will put $1,000 per year into the Health Savings Accounts of employees enrolled in the Employee +1 group medical plan. The employee does not pay taxes on the $1,000, therefore, the tax exemption means the employee benefits $200 per year that otherwise would be paid in taxes.

Let’s say this employee also contributes $10.00 per pay period to his or her HSA or a total of $260 per year. That means another tax savings of $52.00 per year. Therefore, in this example the tax exemptions for the year are $681.

The Wellness advantageTaking advantage of the wellness benefits of the LDF insurance plan can further increase an employee’s savings. A

mammogram can cost $226, but is paid at 100%; a routine female exam with pap smear can cost $215, the pap smear is paid at 100% and up to $300 is paid on the physical; $85 is paid for an eye exam; a PSA for men can be $87 and up, but the PSA is paid 100% and a routine physical is paid up to $300. Protect your beautiful smile with dental exams and cleanings twice a year at a cost of about $108 of which the Plan pays 80% or in this case $86.40 each. Fortunately, the employee does not pay taxes on those benefits, therefore another tax savings of $157.16 is realized.

The employee advantageBe proactive by using your annual routine physical benefit to monitor your health and to check for hereditary health risks factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. to ensure your well being and take the tax advantage to the bank!

Terry Adams Continued...

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WaRehouseman of the fiRst tRimesteR-okLahomaSubmitted by John Roberts, Warehouse Manager, Oklahoma

Michael Crouch has been chosen Warehouseman of the First Trimester in our Tulsa Warehouse. Mike moved

to Tulsa, Oklahoma four years ago and has worked for LDF Sales & Distributing, Inc. for the past two years. Based on Mike’s experience, tenure and enthusiasm, he was selected as the Oklahoma representative to the LDF Warehouse Advisory committee where the committee has already made excellent recommendations to improve warehouse operations. In addition, Mike is always willing to take additional responsibilities including implementing the WalMart scan program and training new employees. He is willing to step up and make positive things happen.

In his spare time, Mike is a Kansas City Chief and Missouri Tigers football fan. He is recently engaged to be married. Congratulations to Mike Crouch on being selected Warehouseman of the First Trimester in Oklahoma.

WaRehouseman of the fiRst tRimesteR-WiChita Submitted by Richard Grimes, Warehouse Manager, Kansas

When I think of what it takes to be the Warehouseman of the Trimester, I start thinking about dedication, a commitment to excellence, and dependability. I start thinking about the people who are there when we have a problem or need a little extra to get the job done.

You know, the one you don’t have to go looking for when there is a problem. Dave Persels has perfect attendance for 6 consecutive years, no accidents, low pulling errors, and is winner of the popular vote. Dave is Coordinator of the Warehouse Advisory Committee and also a member of the Safety Committee. These reasons and many more have made Dave the perfect candidate for Warehouseman of the Trimester!

paRsons CReW-dRiVe suCCessBy Don Treiber, Branch Manager, Parsons

The Parsons Crew-drive on May 8th and 9th was a hUGE success. LDF gained 216 new points of distribution on a variety of packages. We gained many new distribution points with Boones that had just rolled out in the Parsons market. Other nice distribution gains were Keystone Light, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Leinenkugal, Blue Moon, Boulevard, Smirnoff and other mainstream packages which will help pay our fuel bill this year!

We also made 67 partial cooler resets, plus one major Liquor store revamp-reset in Pittsburg, KS that took most of the crew all day to complete. This reset definitely increased sales on many LDF products as well as sustained growth momentum! The guys earned their room and board that day!

To top off the two days, we built 59 new displays including a 273 case Miller Lite 30 pack display with a 2008 Harley Davidson Sportster display enhancer. Pictured is Julio Bermea, Pittsburgh Area Manager, putting on the final touches. Also pictured is Rod Feil, Wichita Area Manager, standing next to his first Miller Lite display that he has built after 18 years of selling Coors products.

The Parsons Team wants to shout out a BIG thank you to the Oklahoma and Wichita team members for their valuable time, help and expertise! The Crew-drive members each qualified for a share of $1,500 in Snowfly points!

Julio Bermea builds a Miller Lite display Rod Feil stands in front of Miller Lite display

17

2nd trimester 2008

The following article was published in the Wichita Business Journal on Friday, May 23, 2008

WiChita’s goodLatte honoRed by RestauRant assoCiationBill Goodlatte, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for The Ldf food group, was recently named Restaurateur of the Year by the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association.

LDF, founded in Wichita in 1975, operates 42 Wendy’s fast-food chains -- the 10th largest franchise in the Wendy’s

system -- in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Goodlatte, who is currently a member of the KRHA Board of Directors, the KRHA Education Foundation, and serves on the Executive Committee, was honored with five other hospitality industry leaders from the state at the Evening of Hospitality Awards.

“These award winners are not only a credit to our profession, but are also dedicated individuals and companies that make our communities better for their involvement,” said KRHA Chairman Sabrina Symns, in a written statement.

The eighth annual event, which raised more than $35,000 for KRHA’s Education Foundation, was held at the Hilton Wichita Airport Executive Conference Center. More than 200 people attended.

In addition, the greater Wichita Convention & Visitors bureau was honored with the Allied Member of the Year award. “We are very excited to honor the GWCVB with this award,” said KRHA President and CEO Don Sayler, in a written statement. “Our partnership is a great addition to the association and we wanted to recognize them for their commitment.”

Other winners were: Hotelier of the Year:Bill Michaud, Topeka.

Mentor of the Year:Richard Lee Sanell II, Baxter Springs.

Teacher of the Year:Melila Law, Coffeyville

Hall of Fame:Gale Premer, former chairman of the KRHA board.

CRoss Canadian RagWeed peRfoRms in eufauLaSubmitted by Mark Berglund, Field Sales Manager, Oklahoma

The summer lake season in Eufaula kicked off with a bang over the long Memorial Day weekend. Over 11,000 fans showed up for the concert. LDF sold 1,100 cases of product thanks to the efforts of Johnny Wilson, Steve and Eva Harvey, Brandon West, Edward Heard and Tom Young. Again, Thanks to Johnny and his team for all you do for LDF.

tuLsa – top peRfoRmeRs in 2007In 2007 LDF- Tulsa had a great year. LDF-Tulsa grew nearly 100,000 cases. That was truly outstanding performance. In the South Zone for Coors Brewing Company, LDF- Tulsa had the most volume growth of all the distributors in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

In 2007, Tulsa performed well on Vegas Lights and won at retail all year long. Last year was a tough year in Oklahoma with all the weather we had to overcome, and to still have a year like the one Tulsa recorded was outstanding.

Once again, thanks for the great year in 2007 and the performance so far in 2008. Be on the lookout for the top

performers in the next LDF Newsletter. Cheers! Brett Gilliam – Area Manager – Oklahoma, Wade Beal – Area Manager – Kansas, Mike Yosanovich – GM – Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri

bouLeVaRd bReWeRy touRSubmitted by Troy Mendenhall, Distribution Manager, Kansas

On Saturday April 26 a group of drivers from Wichita went Kansas City for the weekend and got the opportunity to tour the Boulevard Brewery. The drivers that went on the trip were Doug Anderson,

Mike Montes, Trey Hines, and Josh Hiser. They were chosen based on their outstanding performances in the first trimester. We toured the entire facility and learned how and where the beer we distribute is made. We also got to taste a wide variety of Boulevard Brewery products.

Next, we decided to try our luck at Harrah’s Casino. Luck was not in our

favor but we had fun anyway. All in all it was a very exciting weekend and gave the top performers the opportunity to get away and spend some time with their co-workers away from work. Thanks again,Wichita Distribution Team.

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make youR stoRe the enVy of youR RestauRant CommunitySubmitted by Chris Hutchinson, DVP Mountain / Plains-Wendy’s International

Remember at the Sparkle meeting when I discussed being the best store on the block? Ask yourself, “Is my store the envy of my restaurant community?” The answer is either yes or no. If it is yes, outstanding and congratulations! If the answer is no… then you have some work to do. So where do you begin?

Hopefully you have a store plan and that plan is developed from SOE scores. If not, here are some things we know. Our customers tell us we need to improve the Cleanliness of our dining rooms and restrooms. They expect their orders to be accurate, fast and reasonably priced. Let’s look at these three expectations.

First: Price. Yyou have no direct control over price but you do have control over price value. In other words, if you serve a product that does not meet Wendy’s standards, they may question the price they pay. Make sure you always meet or exceed those standards. Next: Cleanliness. Our customers just expect our stores to be clean; in other words, cleanliness is just a table stake. Make sure that your store has great curb appeal (lot cleaned, no weeds and walks, dumpster area clean). Your menuboard area is very important as well. By taking care of these issues as well as dining rooms and restrooms, your customers will likely see your store as the best looking store on the block.

Last but not least, does your store deliver FACQS? (Pronounced Facts). Fun, Accurate, Caring and Quick Service. Let’s take a closer look at each.

What does Fun look like in your store?Would your customers want their family to work at your store

Please and thank you’s heard •between employeesPraise heard for a job well done•Do your employees want their •friends to work at your storeIs your crew happy to see your •customers

how is your accuracy?Listen! Work off headsets (everyone •engaged).Make sure order is rung in correctly •(watch voids and keep focused on the customer). **Ask questions. Clarify orders. Take a second and double check every order! Be rush-ready for breakfast, lunch, •and dinner!Communication between stations •(verify special orders)! Sandwich maker to bag next order.•Sandwich maker calls out sandwichs •when putting on the board. Maintain core positions (grill stays on grill, sandwiches stays on sandwiches, front register, fries, etc. Sandwichmaker runs sandwich to tray and engages the guest when time allowsUse tray total on the front when •there are two or more guestsHave a consistent weekday speed •team and a weekend speed teamOps leader identifies slow points, •stays mobile, and engages through DP2 and DP4Ops leader motivates using speed •tips during daily operations plan conversations, challenge, coach and make it excitingWhen ops leader recieves a •complaint, communicate it to the team without placing blame to prevent other complaints.When bagging items, count items to •ensure order accuracy

What is caring service with random acts of kindness?

A simple smile•Open a door•Say hi as soon as a customer walks •through the doorCarry trays•Offer to clear tables•Say thank you when a customer •leavesHow • quick is your service?Are you achieving less than 90 •seconds at the PUW for day part 2Are you achieving less than 30 •seconds up frontHow do you communicate your •goals (great TTM?)Are you achieving less than 110 •seconds at the PUW for day part 4

By following the FACQS you are very likely going to begin to set your store apart from your competition. Once you have done that, you are well on your way to being the “Envy of your Restaurant Community.” Have fun getting everyone engaged in the FACQS to build sales, transactions and customer counts! Remember: “Every Customer is a RUSH”

aLL saints kindeRgaRten fieLd tRipSubmitted by Jennifer Fisher, Area Director, Kansas

The kindergarten class from All Saints School visited our store on Greenwich Road (3519) for their annual field trip on Friday May 2nd. The class toured the store and learned about the importance of food safety and handwashing from Wendy herself. After the tour they all got the chance to make their own frosties and top their hamburgers. Jack Kirkham, the GM at 3519, said, “It’s never too soon to start training and recruiting future employees”.

19

2nd trimester 2008

tom tRaffas - 28 yeaRs & going stRong!Submitted by Mandy Hoppis, Marketing Intern, Kansas

In 1980, Tom Traffas started at Larry Fleming’s first store in Wichita on South Rock Road. Tom was only a junior in High School when he embarked on an illustrious 28 year career with LDF and he’s still going strong! When Tom started, there were beads that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Back then, the Wendy’s menu consisted of the 5 basics: hamburgers, chili, frosty’s, french fries, and soft drinks. Compare that to our menu now!

Tom was soon promoted to Shift Manager and then Assistant Manager at store number two in the city on Harry Street. Tom soon became General

Manager at 21st and Woodlawn, Harry St., 29th and Rock and Central and Edgemore. Tom is currently doing an outstanding job as General Manager at the 21st & Woodlawn store. With Tom’s knowledge of the business, he was asked to open the store at 29th and Rock Road at the Corporate Headquarters. Don Haynes knew that when Larry Fleming came down to visit, the operations and food must be of the highest quality, so Tom Traffas was the guy to get things kicked off right!

Tom met Dave Thomas twice: once at a signing for Dave’s Way and the second meeting was at an event for the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Foundation. In 2004, Tom won an award for being one of the top General Managers in Crew Turnover and he is consistently in the top 10 in all areas of Operations, Marketing and Human Resources.

Tom believes he achieved success with

LDF by making work “fun” and creating a positive atmosphere in the store so employees “enjoy work.” When asked what it takes to run a good Wendy’s, he responded: “Good people. My biggest success is treating my people right.”

Tom Taffas - 28 Years & Going Strong!

Lending a heLping handSubmitted by John Copenhaver, Distribution Manager, Oklahoma

Capital Distributing implemented the cart delivery system on May 5th. When I told my guys that I was going to Oklahoma City to help out on the first day, seven people volunteered to accompany me, even though it was their day off. The morning was chaotic and Capital was not able to start their cart

delivery system as planned. Instead of packing up and heading home, these guys each climbed into separate trucks and helped the drivers deliver their every day side bay routes. It was a long and challenging day for everyone, especially the LDF guys, since they’ve never delivered off of side bay trucks. Everyone kept a positive attitude and they were all willing to do what needed to be done. At the end of the day, all of the guys realized how grateful they are to have the support and tools LDF provides on a daily basis. We were happy to be home. (Volunteers pictured left to right, Mark Martinez, Casey Smith, Cale Kopatz, Wes Huffman, Wayne Dixon, Clay Shields, and Kenneth Kovacs.)

All Saints Continued...

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LaRRy beLL RetiRes afteR 50 yeaRsSubmitted by Mandy Hoppis, Marketing Intern

Thursday, June 6, 2008, Larry Bell celebrated 50 years with Coors. His surprise party was held at Walt’s Bar and Grill with appetizers, cake, and of course, plenty of ice-cold Coors. Larry was presented a plaque and a golf cart, recognizing his years of service in the business and with LDF, by Larry Fleming, Chairman of The LDF Companies.

What many might not know about Larry during his 50 year career is that he has played in two jazz bands. Larry played the clarinet and saxophone in the Mark IV Combo for about 20 years. In this band, he almost went to the Sands in Las Vegas. Larry has also been in Dads of Dixie Land for 25 years. In Dads of Dixie Land, he plays once a month at the Candle Club in Wichita.

Larry’s 50 years of strong work ethic has come from working hard since he was fourteen. He worked long days on the ATS&F Railroad making 50 cents an hour. At age seventeen, Larry began college at WU, now WSU, studying commercial art. Throughout his summers of college, he worked in the oil fields. During college, Larry married his wife, Dorris and started his family of three kids, Lin, Steven and Leslee.

After three years of college, Larry worked at Safeway for a month and then began working for Wagnon Sales Inc., now LDF. When he started, Larry made $60

a week and a six pack of Coors sold for 99 cents. It was here that Ken Wagnon introduced him to Coors Trucks. Lester Hartley taught Larry to letter show carts and do brushwork in spare time. Larry drove Coors trucks, painted and lettered signs, and decorated taverns and bars. He has also been a special events and on-premise manager, assistant vice president, and sales representative.

One of Larry’s fond memories at LDF was an annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition, “greening the keg”. Larry and three coworkers would dress as surgeons and inject syringes of green food coloring into “the patient”. And of course, they would then have to “taste the quality”.

Larry has worked for LDF for the majority of his career with Coors. When asked why he stayed so long,

Larry responded that his bosses and coworkers kept him here because, “I love people”. Right now, Larry is looking forward to golfing, fishing, traveling and “honey-dos”. Larry stated that he may come back some day and wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for support from his wife, “She’s been a real angel”.

Larry Bell - A Few Years Ago!

fiRst tRimesteR dRiVeR ReCognition- kansas Submitted by Troy Mendenhall, District Manager, Kansas

february co-drivers of the month

Doug Anderson and Matt hanny.In February there were lots of high scores at the top. Doug and Matt ended up with the same score at the top.

Larry Bell and Larry Fleming enjoy a “cold one”

21

2nd trimester 2008

Ldf enteRs neW VentuReBy Aaron Meeker, “The Cork Dork”

Well, our “beer” guys are officially in the wine and spirits business in the Sunflower State (Kansas)! What has seemed like an endless road ahead is starting to get paved and the excitement and growth of our new wine brands has really been fun. There are really two ways to approach getting into wine: (1) the right way and (2) the wrong way. With support from the executive team as well as the warehouse, delivery and sales teams, we are really making an impact in the wine market.

Trailing only Mississippi and West Virginia, Kansas is #48 out of 50 states in wine consumption per capita. I guess there is only one way to go - UP! This is a very thirsty state for good wine right now.

On a serious note, we have had incredible response and respect in a short amount of time. Respect, as you know, is earned. Just because we are in the wine and spirits business and have good relationships in Wichita does not mean that the liquor stores and restaurants are going to buy our wine. We have to differentiate LDF from the competition with great service, knowledge and a portfolio of wines that

consumers want. These three things are crucial and we are taking the steps necessary to do so.

I stand behind our portfolio of wines and can flat out say that we have a variety of popular wines and it is only getting better. There is a lot of great juice in the world and I am determined to find it! We are currently pouring our LDF portfolio of wines by the glass and bottle throughout the state of Kansas but a few highlights are:Four Olives - Best wine list in Kansas located in ManhattanKrause Dining - Best restaurant in Kansas situated in LawrenceChester’s Chop House -WichitaWichita Country Club - Wichita Scotch and Sirloin - WichitaP.F. Chang’s - 4 wines by the glass at a corporate restaurant! (That’s good!)OENO - Wichita’s only wine bar

This list is only scratching the surface of accounts and promotions that we are working with right now. The important thing to note is the fact that we are branching out statewide and having success in doing so. Currently our number two off-premise account is a liquor store in Manhattan, Kansas! We implemented an insane wine dinner at Chester’s Chop House on June 4th with Matt Gant, winemaker of First Drop Wines who flew into town from Australia - can’t drive! Pictured is Matt giving an overview of wine.

Now that our business has grown and

our numbers are looking great, we have hired another “cork dork”. Well, not necessarily “dork” but a Wine Account Manager. Welcome Rachel Pigman, who has joined the LDF Team, coming to us from Southern Hills Country Club and the Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant in Tulsa. Rachel has a strong background in wine that will only get stronger. I am very excited to have her on-board as she will not only develop the Wichita market for wine but also open doors to many accounts for all LDF products.

Please give me a call or e-mail me anytime with questions about wine and wine presentation. REMEMBER - IT’S ALL ABOUT THE JUICE!

Matt Gant with First Drop Wines

march driver of the month

Josh hiserJosh has one of the busiest routes in Wichita. He continues to do a great job and is well received by all of his accounts.

april driver of the month

Andy SchaufAndy broke into the winner circle. Every month Andy is near the top of the list. Keep up the good work.

driver of the first trimester

Doug AndersonDoug has picked up where he left off last year. He won the third trimester in 2007 and is the first trimester winner for 2008. Great job Doug.

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the ChaiRman’s aWaRdSubmitted by Jim Cook, Senior VP, Marketing

Seven high performing General Managers received the ultimate gift at this year’s Annual Awards Meeting. Due to exceptional sales performance and tenure these General Managers were awarded the “Chairman’s Award” to signify their outstanding accomplishments in 2007. Don Haynes, Wendy’s President, presented the award, which is a beautiful Bombardier watch. To qualify in 2007 each General Manager must have achieved a minimum of $1,250,000 in net sales volume and be the General Manager at that store for the entire year.

Please congratulate Tamara Castor, Chris Lee, Ed Harlow, Gerson Berrios, Janie Torres, Esmeralda Arce and Bea Fiser for earning such a prestigious award. Each was seen later in the evening visibly displaying their accomplishment and telling everyone in sight what time it was!

LDF truly is an outstanding “employee friendly” workplace. Thanks to Larry Fleming and Don Haynes for creating and nurturing an atmosphere that fosters personal accomplishment, growth and recognition. LDF is an “employer of choice of choice people” and giving back to our employees is vital to our future success and achieving Corporate success.

Tamara Castor

Chris Lee

Ed Harlow

Gerson Berrios

Janie Torres

Esmeralda Arce

Bea Fiser

a neW handiCap Within ReaChSubmitted by Maggie O’Neill, Marketing Manager, Sky Fitness & Wellbeing

Summer is here and that means golf season is in full swing – how have you been holding up? Every year you probably have the same routine, spend more and more time practicing, yet for some reason your game still has not improved. Maybe it’s time to consider a golf-focused training program. Sky Fitness & Wellbeing offers small group training for golf enthusiasts. Taught by Sky’s Gage Musson, a certified personal trainer and golf conditioning specialist, the program focuses on exercises that will improve your core strength, balance, flexibility, and of course, power! The group meets twice a week for 18 sessions and receives personalized instructions and helpful tips to take onto the golf course.

“We kicked off this training almost two months ago and our participants are very pleased with their results on the golf course” says Musson. Sky’s golf-focused training will move you beyond any plateaus in your performance on the fairways and take you to a new level with a lower handicap, longer drives, greater stamina and bragging rights!

For more information and to schedule your sessions, contact Gage Musson at 299.5500 or email him at [email protected]

For more information about Sky Fitness & Wellbeing, visit www.sky-fit.com.

23

2nd trimester 2008

simpLy CoLa fRom Red buLL.Submitted by Darby Carmichael-DPM-Red Bull North America

The buzz about the next chapter at Red Bull is building! Thank you for sharing your excitement with us over the last few months.

Sometime in Q3, we will be introducing, in our markets, a strong and natural cola, straight into the existing cola category. This is big news! It is important that we are all aligned on the positioning of this new member of the Red Bull brand family. More on both of these topics follows:

Red Bull Cola, Strong and Natural.Imagine...Red Bull has 95-100% awareness as an iconic brand. Leverage this Red Bull brand into the large, well-established cola category and there is huge potential. We will energize this category by bringing a new, natural, premium product to sit side-by-side with current cola offerings. This is a key distinction. We do not want to “trade” energy drink consumers over to Red Bull Cola. Rather, we’ll attract cola consumers and those who may have left the cola category with a new sophisticated option.

Why a Cola from Red Bull?Why not? And we simply believe that a cola can also be made from natural ingredients. Just like in the good old days. Red Bull Cola can do without any secrets. On the contrary, all of our ingredients are listed on the back of the can. Thanks to its formulation, Red Bull Cola is not only a cola, but a special kind of cola: strong and natural.

Red Bull Cola is a special composition of ingredients, all from 100% natural sources. In addition, it contains flavors derived from both the kola nut and coca leaf, ingredients in the original colas. So, it is a very special recipe. What else would you expect from Red Bull? The result is a classic, not too sweet cola taste, which comes from using the right plant extracts. So you see, making a first class cola can be that easy. Just Simply Cola!!!!!

tnt fReestyLe motoCRoss Comes to okLahomaSubmitted by David Benditz, Red Bull Sales Manager, Oklahoma

On May 16th outside City Walk in Oklahoma City, Red Bull’s TNT Freestyle Motocross team took flight over 75 foot jumps 40 feet in the air. The TNT team, made up of 9 times X games medalist Tommy “Tom Cat” Clowers, Jeff “Full Tilt” Tilton and Myles Richmond, threw huge tricks such as “Superman”, “Nac Nan” and “Heart Attack” jumps in rapid-fire succession.

After the two 20 minute shows, fans were invited into City Walk to meet the TNT team and answer trivia questions about the guys to win tickets to the Red Bull X-Fighters event that took place June 14th in Fort Worth Texas. All the while, they were enjoying $3 Red Bull and vodkas for the evening.

Ldf food gRoup

mission statement

2008LDF Food Group, Inc. is a restaurant operation committed to success by consistently exceeding our customer’s expectations, by being the Employer of Choice of “Choice” people, by maintaining controlled growth, and profitable operations.

Ldf saLes & distRibuting

mission statement

2008

LDF Sales & Distributing, Inc. is a wholesale distributor committed to success and long-term profitability by consistently exceeding customer expectations and being the employer of choice of choice people.

Deadline for our next issue of “LDF2Day” for 3rd Trimester, 2008 is:

october 17th, 2008 Send any pictures and articles to Jim Cook or Donna Reed.

Wendy’s CustomeRs Respond to seRViCe eXCeLLenCe!The following excerpts are compiled from customer comments submitted to our LDF Food Group Wendy’s stores

mrs. Ware in Tulsa wrote about our 31st & Harvard location: “I just had the most wonderful customer service experience I have ever had in ANY fast food establishment! I had to immediately log on to your website and tell you about it. Your employees at 31st & Harvard location in Tulsa were just awesome. They welcomed every customer who walked through the door by saying “Welcome to Wendy’s”. Several employees and counter help asked me how my day was going. They were so polite, quick and EXTREMELY courteous and friendly. In my opinion, this location has gone above and beyond to ensure that Wendy’s customers are treated like an asset as opposed to a liability. THANK YOU-I will definitely be back to that Wendy’s location!”

mrs. hough submitted these comments regarding our Tulsa store on 81st & Memorial: “We have visited this Wendy’s several times. I cannot recall one time where it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The managers are the nicest people I have ever met. We usually go through the drive through. On this particular day, I drove three miles out of my way, passed two McDonald’s, another Wendy’s, and several other fast food places, just because we like the personable service that we receive there.” “It’s so hard to get a smile or even a simple “have a nice day” that is really genuine these days, and it’s nice to know that there is a place so near my home that does. Thanks for the awesome people that you have working at that Wendy’s. I hope you value them as much as we do!”

barbara packard, Wichita, wrote in about our West 21st location in Wichita: “Our best friend was in St. Francis hospital, dying of cancer. We went to get hamburgers for all of us and the family. The shift manager, James Provancha, learned of our sorrow and even though we only ordered hamburgers, he threw in fries, chili, salads, and discounted our bill. Now this was most impressive, but the best part was that he said that he would add our friend to his prayer list. We lost our dear friend a couple of days later and went back to the Wendy’s store to get the information we needed to contact your corporate office. There we found out that James had indeed held a prayer circle that Sunday night for our friend. Also, James looked at us and said, “you look like you need a hug”, and came out from behind the counter and gave us each a hug. You have no idea what this meant to us. The idea the “big” business has a heart, and that this man was not afraid to offer a prayer to us. He should be given recognition for his kindness and I hope that you will do so. Please do not let this gracious gesture go unrewarded. Thank you!”

2nd Trimester 2008 - LDF Companies · 2013-02-25 · 2nd Trimester 2008 I am happy to report that...

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