When you think of the holiday season, it’s hard not to think of the George J. Howe Company. Since 1927, the family run business has been a distributor of candies and freshly roasted coffee and nuts. The Business Magazine recently asked Chief Executive Officer Richard Beech, grandson of founder George J. Howe, to share his thoughts on the company’s rich tradition and its outlook for 2015.
The George J. Howe Company has been a staple in northwest Pennsylvania since your grandfather first opened his grocery store in Grove City in 1917. Please share with our readers how he actually got into the coffee business and opened the present day operation in 1927.
George J. Howe opened a tiny grocery store in Grove City in 1917. In an attempt to boost his steady business, he purchased a small coffee roaster and began brewing fresh-ground coffee in the store window. Customers would receive a free pound of Howe’s unique blend if they purchased $10 worth of groceries. Soon, people were traveling from out of town and lining up for their free pound of coffee. The demand for Howe’s brew was so high that the innovative grocer sold his store and, in 1927, became a full-time coffee roaster. Four years later, he moved into a new building on Grove City’s West Main Street, which remains the site of its present operation.
Your company was founded on biblical principles and has adopted a mission of delivering fresh products, reasonable prices and excellent service. Please explain.
Our mission is the driving force behind all that we do. It informs our decision making, work environment, management style and, in particular, how we handle disappointments or mistakes. In business, challenges are inevitable, and how you handle them says a lot about the character of your business. Our founding mission shapes us and is a springboard for the future.
How has the operation changed and yet stayed the same? We are still proud to be family owned and operated. We are still based in Grove City, right on Main Street. And we still focus on our core three product lines — coffee, candy, and nuts. Howe now reaches a far greater customer base than my grandfather would have ever dreamed, and of course, being able to sell via our website certainly was a great leap forward. But again, we are who we’ve always been — a small, family company that provides delicious treats to its customers.
For full interview, read December’s Spotlight Q&A in the Business Magazine.
