Fred Simon, of Omaha Steaks' founding family, dies at 78

[Omaha Steve]

A unionized company that treats it's employees well.

OS


Fred Simon

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/fred-simon-of-omaha-steaks-founding-family-dies-at/article_033ff724-6631-11e5-8224-3b19f7973ac3.html

POSTED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 5:50 PM | UPDATED: 9:16 PM, MON SEP 28, 2015.
By Jordan Pascale / World-Herald staff writer

Fred Simon, a part of the five-generation Simon family to run Omaha Steaks and a major contributor to the Omaha arts community, died Monday at age 78.

Simon joined the family business in 1959 and helped the company innovate, toying with packaging methods, shipping containers and dry ice that would open up Omaha Steaks products to the entire country. The company would go on to open retail stores, serve restaurants, hotels and train cars, and dominate in direct marketing sales.

But to some, Simon was known for his dedication to the arts more than his steak.

He helped bring a full-time professional opera company to Omaha and served as board president of Opera Omaha in the 1970s. He contributed to and attended the opera for more than 40 years.

FULL story at link.

[840high]

1. ...

[Snobblevitch]

2. What a good employer.

After so many generations, I worry about the ownership. I wonder if the ownership is fragmented over dozens of cousins? In situations like that, many want to cash out and sell to a conglomerate. I'm sure there is another citizen in Omaha that would be thrilled to buy Omaha Steaks. Would he treat his employees as well?

[Omaha Steve]

5. I know Todd Simon I worked on saving his building from eminent domain

He is a good and responsible owner. His union workers say the same thing.

In the days of real passenger train service, Omaha Steaks ruled the rails.

OS

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/todd-simon-omaha-steaks_n_1593768.html

Todd Simon On Omaha Steaks And Running A Fifth-Generation Business (PHOTOS)

Todd Simon started humbly at Omaha Steaks, folding boxes for 2 cents each. He was 10, and although this was his first job at the business his great-great-grandfather J.J. Simon started, it wouldn't be his last.

Today, Simon is a fifth-generation owner, taking a turn with his cousin Bruce to run the business that was handed down to his great-grandfather B.A., grandfather Lester, and, most recently, his father Fred and uncle Alan.

The Simon family's connection to meat traces back to Latvia, where J.J. had a meat business before immigrating to Omaha, Neb., and starting a small custom butcher shop in 1917. Since then, Omaha Steaks has been cutting-edge in the meat business, expanding from the butcher shop to dining cars in luxury trains in the 1940s, catalogs and mail order in the '50s, toll-free customer service in the '70s, and e-commerce via CompuServe in the early '90s.

Though Omaha Steaks has grown to more than 80 retail stores in 27 states, 2,000 employees and $450 million in projected annual revenues, it's still a family business at heart. HuffPost Small Business recently spoke with Todd about continuing the legacy.

FULL story at link.

[shenmue]

3. Rest in peace

[merrily]

4. RIP. I hope his successor understands the value of treating employees respectfully.

Thanks for the story, OS.