Our garden is as old as our building, and we’ve learned a few things over the 15 years we’ve been growing. We began with tomatoes, and we seem to expand and refine our processes a little each year. We start our vegetables from seeds under grow lights out in the barn. We’ve worked flowers into …
Like many companies, we have been enjoying this cycle of buoyancy, but remembering the financial crisis. I am not sure anyone that lived through the financial crisis will ever forget. I was in Nashville this week, visiting with one of our customers, and the topic of the economy took center stage. We discussed when it …
While I’ve been visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains for a long time, a few years ago I found a place that captivated me. I connected with the story of Lonesome Valley and the beautiful land there. Last week, the Jennings family (brother Dick, sisters Sally and Binford) stopped by our place for a visit. They shared …
It’s been interesting to see our garden take shape over the five years we’ve been here on Overton Road. We started with a small tomato area in 2009. Two years later, we had more than 10 types of plants and herbs just outside our offices. In 2012, we hired a recent college graduate as a part time gardener …
This is the fourth year for our Community Garden. What started with a few tomato plants has expanded to fruit trees and a much larger vegetable patch. New additions this year include: Two large mounded beds. “Melon Mountain” will include six varieties of melons; “Squash Mountain” will be home to 5 varieties of squash and a …
If I were to rank overused words in business today, “sustainability” would be at the top of my list. “Teamwork” is close behind, only because most do not walk the walk. In fact, I think sometimes “teamwork” has become so cliche that it has lost meaning. So what is teamwork? Ten years ago, I took …
A few weeks ago I asked my nearly grown children, ages 25, 20 and 17 to accompany their dad to a rustic Inn that has been welcoming guests since 1922 – High Hampton. This is a place where you will not find TV, Internet or even air conditioning in the rooms. Instead, you will find …
During his childhood breakfasts, George Barber probably saw wheels where other kids saw Cheerios. He’s had a lifelong fascination with vehicles equipped for power and speed. The passion ran so deep that Barber, whose family built a legacy in the central Alabama dairy industry, decided to make a philanthropic investment in the community that raised …
I’ve often thought that most builders strive for one of two major goals—to make the most money possible or to build a legacy. I’m not sure about you, but as a business owner I’d like to think at least some of what we do will go beyond legacy status and have a lasting impact to …
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” That adage has stayed with me for many years. Our company is fortunate to have a nice corporate campus, and I feel that in order to be a good steward of the land, I should invite others to enjoy our place. In the last few months, the …
In previous posts, I’ve shared with you how important it is to me take time away from the office to clear your mind, opening it up to see new possibilities. You’ll be amazed at the clarity you find when you take a step back and focus on the bigger picture. My annual visit to the …