Peter Verbrugge, head of a vertically integrated fruit company in Yakima, Washington, sees growing, packing, and marketing as three legs of a stool. “If one is weak, it affects the other two. All have to work together to make the organization successful,” said Verbrugge, who is chief executive officer of Sage Marketing and Valley Fruit, Yakima. The key to keeping the stool balanced is strong management and leadership throughout the organization, Verbrugge said, and this will become more and more critical as profit margins narrow. Employees should be given authority to make decisions but made accountable for the decisions they […]