Speaking of better days, I received an email recently from a friend that I wish to share with you. Like all of us, I am bombarded with philosophical and comical email’s most of which depending upon who sent it I give a glancing look in the course of my busy day and a barrage of business email’s. Every once in a while you come across something worthwhile and this one struck me and has stayed with me since.
I have thought a lot about this email. Is burning a biscuit really a deal breaker? For many of us including myself at times it is. It is so much easier to focus on our own shortcomings rather than the good things and the beauty within ourselves and others. We seldom celebrate and appreciate ourselves when we are ordinary and only notice the extremes in ourselves and others whether they be good or bad. This email is an example for us to follow whereby a Dad appreciated the efforts of his wife’s hard work and celebrated her effort even when they fell short of being perfect. A lesson for me for sure. And what about for you? Think of the world we would live in if we all ate burned biscuits without issue. So next time you are tempted to point out a simple fault in another person or in turn a person points out a imperfection you may have, remember the story of the burned biscuit and exclaim “YIPPPEEE, pass me a burned biscuit please”.
Yipppeee! Gone Wild Party Went
Wild
Our inaugural Yipppeee! Gone Wild Party lived up to
its name over the course of the evening with party goers enjoying a “wild”
time while playing Beer Pong and Quarters, dancing to the music, or simply
enjoying the great food, drinks, and industry friends! The highlight of
the evening was certainly the sporting of the Yipppeee! Speedos by a
number of the more “festive” guests. If you missed this year’s party and
think you’re up to partying with the Yipppeee! Team next year, please be
sure to let us know!
Biggest Loser Comes to Vigon
As part of our award winning Wellness Program, Vigon has initiated a companywide “Biggest Loser” Challenge. The program was developed to help employees improve their health through weight loss, exercise and good food choices while competing to win cash prizes and raffles. The contestant who loses the greatest percentage of weight wins the “Biggest Loser” title and $500.00. There is also a $100 prize for the employee who makes the greatest improvement in their cholesterol. Contestants are weighed in weekly with the results posted on the Vigon internal blog.
As part of the program, Vigon has partnered with a local gym to offer Spinning and Strength Training Classes for participants.
To date between all 21 contestants, a total of 174.2 lbs have been lost improving the overall health of the Yipppeee! Team!
New Ad Campaign Kicked Off:
We kicked off a unique new print advertising campaign in Perfumer & Flavorist magazine featuring silhouetted profiles of actual unidentified customers exposing various “Yipppeee! Secrets” (secrets to their success) which were derived from actual interviews with key industry players. As always, our advertising communicates strategic messages about the benefits of working with Vigon, but does so in a fun innovative way. Be sure to keep an eye out for the ongoing monthly contest for guessing who the key industry players are!
New Building Renovations Coming Along
The renovations of the latest addition to our facility are coming along
quite nicely. The 30,000 square foot building which we purchased late last
year is in the process of being renovated with internal walls and temporary
structures being torn down, and all utilities being upgraded. The next steps
of the renovation will include improving the interior and exterior
aesthetics of the building to bring it up to the “Vigon Standard”. The
renovation is scheduled to be completed and operational during the 3rd
quarter of this year.
Vigon's newest building
New Distillation Unit Installed in Reaction/Distillation Room
We recently replaced an older still in our Reaction/Distillation room with
an upgraded unit with a nominal capacity of 500 gallons. The upgraded unit
includes greater heat capacity providing more flexibility to process a
broader variety of products.
Neil working on the new still.
Profile: Steve Somers Jr.
When you call Vigon now and ask for Steve Somers,
our receptionist Ann, has to ask “Which One?”. Ann has received a variety
of responses from “Senior” to “Junior”, “the big one” to “the small one”,
“the old one” to “the young one”, “the one with more hair” to (well you
know).
As many of you know, Steve Somers’ son Steve has been working with us for
over a year now as Director of Materials Management, and having two
“Steve’s” now is not the only change that has taken place. As Director of
Materials Management, Steve’s primary focus is on improving the efficiency
and effectiveness of our purchasing and planning functions while
developing and strengthening our overseas partnerships with a variety of
raw material suppliers at source.
Steve came to us after living and working in Hong Kong for Goldman Sachs
as a Real Estate Financial Analyst where he analyzed the feasibility of
various global real estate investments for Goldman. However Steve was no
stranger to Vigon as he has worked at Vigon since he was 16 years old in
virtually all areas of the company including Production, the QC Lab,
Shipping and Receiving, and Finance and Accounting. Steve studied
Corporate Finance and Accounting at Bentley College in Boston where he
graduated Summa Cum Laude before joining Goldman Sachs.
When Steve is not at Vigon, he enjoys playing golf, traveling, and
spending time in and around his home in Hoboken NJ. When asked what he
likes most about Vigon, Steve replied “Everyday provides a different
challenge, a new opportunity to learn, a new opportunity to improve, and a
new opportunity to have some fun”!
The combination of Steve’s academic background, his global work
experience, his intimate knowledge of the workings of Vigon, his inner
drive, and his love of everything Yipppeee!, is sure to take Vigon to the
next level of success once the “old Steve” decides to sail off into the
sunset with a fishing pole in hand!
Jim Ward 22 Years
Steve Somers 14 Years
Kim Blomquist 13 Years
Jason Keim 8 Years
James Kelleman 6 Years
Steve Smith 4 Years
Mark Cornelius 2 Years
Stephen B Somers 1 Year
Laura Campos 13 Years
Bill Blake 11 Years
Cindy English 8 Years
Ann Marie Martinez 8 Years
Lisa Shaughnessy 4 Years
Willy Izeppi 2 Years
Patrick Kunz 2 Years
New Hires
We have a few new faces here at Vigon. We would like to introduce you to the newest members of the team.
Pierre Hellivan
Director of Natural
Ingredients
Accounts Payable/Receivable
Production Specialist
Yipppeee Fun Facts
Here at Vigon we have a large extended family, can you guess which child belongs to which employee? Send you guesses to Jennifer at jpassamonte@vigoninternational.com.
Vigon International, Inc located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is a privately owned ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer and supplier of high quality flavors, fragrances and ingredients. The company also develops and maintains unique strategic partnerships with larger ingredient suppliers providing ingredients and servicing customers in select flavor and fragrance market segments. Vigon?s products encompass over 1,800 items including essential oils, oleoresins, botanical extracts, and natural and synthetic aroma chemicals. The company's comprehensive manufacturing capabilities coupled with their ability to successfully partner with major multinational flavor and fragrance houses has firmly established Vigon as one of the most progressive companies in the industry. If you're interested in partnering with a flavor and fragrance company that is focused on your success, contact us at:
Tel:1-877-VIGON-39
Fax:1-877-VIGON-14
E-Mail:sales@vigoninternational.com
Web Site:www.vigoninternational.com
