Man who said no to Wal-Mart - great article about standing up for

[BR_Parkway]

your company values:

The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart

Every year, thousands of executives venture to Bentonville, Arkansas, hoping to get their products onto the shelves of the world's biggest retailer. But Jim Wier wanted Wal-Mart to stop selling his Snapper mowers.
From: Issue 102 | January 2006 | Page 66 By: Charles Fishman

What struck Jim Wier first, as he entered the Wal-Mart vice president's office, was the seating area for visitors. "It was just some lawn chairs that some other peddler had left behind as samples." The vice president's office was furnished with a folding lawn chair and a chaise lounge.

And so Wier, the CEO of lawn-equipment maker Simplicity, dressed in a suit, took a seat on the chaise lounge. "I sat forward, of course, with my legs off to the side. If you've ever sat in a lawn chair, well, they are lower than regular chairs. And I was on the chaise. It was a bit intimidating. It was uncomfortable, and it was going to be an uncomfortable meeting."

It was a Wal-Mart moment that couldn't be scripted, or perhaps even imagined. A vice president responsible for billions of dollars' worth of business in the largest company in history has his visitors sit in mismatched, cast-off lawn chairs that Wal-Mart quite likely never had to pay for.

http://www.fastcompany.com/subscr/102/open_snapper.html

[Loonman]

1. Snapper does make great mowers

Good thing he's not dealing with Wal-Mart, anymore.

[Kingshakabobo]

2. Interesting.

I was shopping for a whirlpool tub last week when I asked on of the large independent bath fixture dealers why he wasn't carrying Kohler. The sales rep. told me that most of the independent dealers in Chicago were revolting against Kohler for doing business with Home Depot.

[Debau2005]

3. Thanks

I have added that to my anti-walmart list. My next mower may just be a Snapper!

[Larry in KC]

4. That does it for me. My next mower will be a Snapper.