One of Ben & Jerry's founders, Jerry Greenfield (alongside Ben Cohen) shared some of their company's philosophies during a trip to Syracuse University. I thought this was a cool story and awesome concept, and of course we're lucky enough to have Ben & Jerry's be local to us in Vermont, so we gotta share!
Jerry said that the two of them originally started with a $4,000 bank loan and $8,000 in cash out of their own pockets. They bought an old five-gallon ice cream-making machine and rented an old gas station in Burlington. While renovating the station they used the cheapest material possible and said that the wood was so green when you hammered a nail into it, it squirted right back at you!
Jerry spoke about their battle with massive corporation Pillsbury, where the "food giant" tried to prevent distributors from carrying Ben & Jerry's ice cream. At that point, Ben wanted to get out of the business because he didn't like the way that business was done in the business world, and he didn't want to become that. Until a friend asked, "why don't you just change it?"
So they did. They sold stock to Vermont residents as opposed to Venture Capitalists and set aside some pre-tax profits for charitable work. They buy millions of dollars in brownies from a bakery that hires those who have had legal or substance abuse problems, and 14 of their 250 stores are run by non-profits that seek to train people.
Jerry said that buildings reflect a shift in society. The biggest structures were once religious places, then government buildings and now business, but they want to keep a spiritual aspect to Ben & Jerry's.
Awesome story by
Syracuse.com. We thank them for sharing and hope you enjoyed the parts that you didn't already know!
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