May June 2021
Where Christian faith gets down to business
Pedal power
College students ride across US to raise climate awareness
Managing through crisis Boxbrite automates solar maintenance Mennonites and solar in Virginia Del Valley MEDA hub has long history 1
The Marketplace May June 2021
Roadside stand
Why paying attention to climate matters for MEDA This issue of the magazine includes several stories on renewable energy. Melodie Davis’s piece on solar in Virginia ( pg. 17) and BoxBrite Technologies’ efforts to help keep solar systems running well ( pg. 8) relate to the growing supply of cleaner energy, and the role of Mennonite entrepreneurs in building on this shift. Our cover photo shows students from Eastern Mennonite University training for a cross-US bike trip that begins at the end of this month to raise awareness of the need for action to stabilize our climate ( see story, page 21 ). In Canada, the Supreme Court government’s right to use a carbon tax in order to de-carbonize the Canadian economy. In the US, a poll found that 81 percent of farmers in Iowa, one of the most conservative states in the nation, recognize that the climate is changing, and action needs to be taken. What, you might rightfully ask, does this have to do with MEDA’s mission to create business solutions to poverty, let alone the organization’s new strategic goal of creating decent work for 500,000 people over the next decade? Quite a bit, actually. Small-scale farms, which account for a large proportion of economic activity in the Global South, bear the brunt of the problems that arise when there is too much or too little precipitation, and when rain comes at less predictable times. Mitigation of those risks can mean the difference between thriving and failing to generate enough income to support a family. It’s an
essential part of business planning. Dennis Tessier, MEDA’s technical director, environment and climate change, points to ways that MEDA is helping clients thrive amid unpredictable, changing climactic conditions. Environmental innovation grants are enabling farmers in the Ukraine, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Jordan, to name a few places, to adopt cleaner
A business changemaker
Drip irrigation, solar water pumping, water storage, solar power for productive use, solar powered cold storage, green houses, and shade houses are all being supported in MEDA projects, as is the development of information technology and apps to support farmers to protect the environment, he says.
relations managers create and measure diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. As companies increasingly engage with the necessary and challenging work of building more diverse and inclusive workforces, we may hear a lot more from Cassie Myers.
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Cassie Myers, CEO of Waterloobased Lunaria Solutions, is one of 50 people honored in The Globe and Mail ’s inaugural Report on Business Changemakers award. The award honors entrepreneurs and academics “working to create unique and equitable solutions to the world’s problems.” Myers started Lunaria, a tech
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Features
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Ray Dirks photo
In this issue
Commerce with conscience
Ontario social entrepreneur Leon Kehl is committed to making solar power systems run opportunities for as many newcomers as possible.
Boxbrite's diverse, virtual team
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Enduring faithfulness
MEDA’s Delaware Valley hub has been organizing events for businesspeople to gather, hear stories and support others for 75 years.
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Navigating challenging times
Clockwise from top left: Howard Brenneman, Greg Gaeddert, Laurie Nafziger, Phil Bontrager
Four veteran Mennonite business leaders discuss how they have worked their way through previous periods of economic turmoil. By J.B. Miller
Departments 22 Roadside stand 24 Soul enterprise 16 Soundbites 22 Books in brief
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Soul Enterprise
The Biblical story begins and ends in a garden. In Genesis 2 verse 15, we are told that God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of the garden. Revelation 22 verse two tells of a tree of life on both sides of a river “bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.” During the spring, farmers in the Northern Hemisphere are entering one of their busiest seasons. They are ramping up to grow the grains, vegetables, fruits and animals that feed and sustain us throughout the year.
The Marketplace May June 2021
Mike Strathdee photo
ing on how frequently agriculture is referred to throughout both the Old Testament and New Testaments of the Bible. There are a multitude of references, both literal and metaphorical, in prose and poetry. For ancient Palestine, the year was divided into six seasons related to agricultural production: sowing time, which began around the autumnal equinox; unripe time; the cold season; harvest time; summer (with a total absence of rain); and the sultry season, with the attendant ingathering of fruits. Put more simply, half the year was occupied with tasks related to cultivation, the other half with harvest. In the agrarian society of Biblical times, blessings were often expressed in terms of successful crops. Genesis 27 verse 28 reads: “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness — an abundance of grain and new wine.” As Deuteronomy 8:10 says, this blessing comes with a reminder to remember the source of the good that comes from the earth: “When
praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.” Bounty is named as a reward for obedience in Deuteronomy 28. But hard work and obedience do not guarantee successful results, as any farmer can tell you. Jesus used agricultural metaphors to teach spiritual principles about God’s Kingdom in his stories, such as the parables of the sower, weeds, and mustard seed in Matthew 13 and discussion of the vine in John 15. Jesus used those images as he knew they were part of his audience’s day-to-day life, unlike the
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majority of people in the Global North today. Subsistence agriculture is something that is not part of the life experience of most readers of this magazine. Yet in the Global South, that precarious existence is still all too common for many. As business ventures go, farming is among the riskiest of entrepreneurial endeavors. In much of the world, the industry has come a long way from the practice thousands of years ago of tilling the ground and raising cattle without aid of mechanization, soil samples or hybrid varieties to combat pests. Still, even with modern equip-
ment, seeds, chemicals and weather forecasting, farmers remain at the mercy of the elements. Last August, an inland hurricane, known as a derecho, swept through the Midwestern US state of Iowa, causing $11 billion in damage over a two-hour storm. barns, grain elevators and equipment, a staggering blow to farmers already struggling due to the effects of drought and the pandemic. It was ever thus. The land provides a good living for many, and remains a constant struggle for countless others who depend upon it.
More severe and unpredictable storms, more frequent droughts in some areas and torrential rains in others intensify the challenges for the most vulnerable farmers. this year’s agricultural production — whether your favorites be asparagus, strawberries or later season basil, tomatoes, corn, and peaches. Pause in life’s pleasures to prayer for the people who grow those crops and tend the animals consumed on summer barbeques.
The migrant workers separated from family and friends for months on end. The family farms trying to negotiate a way to helping the next generation live on and work the land. The subsistence farmers, often female, who work desperately to scratch a living out of small parcels of land in the Global South, often without access to capital training, or markets that would allow them to create a better life for their families. What actions can we take to make life less challenging for our farmer neighbors, both here and around the world?
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Volume 51, Issue 3 May June 2021
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The Marketplace (ISSN 321-330) is published bi-monthly by Mennonite Economic Development Associates at 532 North Oliver Road, Newton, KS 67114. Periodicals postage paid at Newton, KS 67114. Lithographed in U.S.A. Copyright 2021 by MEDA. Editor: Mike Strathdee Design: Ray Dirks
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Marketplace 33 N Market St., Suite 400, Lancaster, PA 17603-3805 Change of address should be sent to Mennonite Economic Development Associates, 33 N Market St, Suite 400, Lancaster, PA 17603-3805. To e-mail an address change, subscription request or anything else relating to delivery of the magazine, please contact subscription@meda.org For editorial matters, email mstrathdee@meda.org or call (800) 665-7026, ext. 705 Subscriptions: $35/year; $55/two years. Published by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). MEDA’s economic development work in developing countries creates business solutions to poverty. MEDA also facilitates the connection of faith and work through discussions, publications and conventions for participants. For more information about MEDA call 1-800-6657026. Web site www.meda.org Want to see back issues or reread older articles? Visit https://www.meda.org/download-issues/ The Marketplace is printed on Endurance Recycled Velvet and is 10% recycled (postmeet client sustainability requirements, Acid Free, Elemental Chlorine Free
Cover photo of EMU cyclists courtesy David Landis
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Working under unprecedented circumstances Pandemic closures bring challenges of both scarcity and overload For JMX Brands, 2020 was the both the best of years and the worst of years. Revenues at the Sarasota-based increased from 40 to 60. But for CEO Jim Miller, the year was turbulent and unsettling. “It felt like a big storm came with a lot of uncertainty,” he said during a MEDA webinar on faith and work in a pandemic. Miller, a MEDA board member, initially thought pandemic impacts could be a survival issue for his outdoor Amish furniture. JMX closed its Sarasota retail store in March and sent 90 per cent of its employees to work from home. By the end of the second quarter, JMX realized COVID was having a positive effect on its revenues. The company spent the orders and lost a lot of business because it didn’t have the capacity it needed. That led to ambitious hiring last fall. Some of the challenges JMX faced were on the supply side. The company works with 120 small woodshops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. As JMX’s volume of orders increased, its competitors were also sending more orders to swamped small shops. Some niche products were impacted by delays and a lack of materials. Certain paint colors for poly The Marketplace May June 2021
furniture were no longer available. At one point, supplies of cedar wood dried up. Limited telephone capacity was also a challenge. It hindered both the sales process and the servicing that goes with each order. “By the end of the second quarter, we had volumes of work stacked up on top of the same number of people.” “It was very stressful, Jim Miller looks forward to thanking his workers face to face. particularly working from home in that think it’s the cumulative effect of environment. How do you handle the last year.” that tidal wave of new business Auchter, who hasn’t seen a with limited capacity? We just client in person since March 13, couldn’t keep up.” 2020, hasn’t “missed a beat” in JMX wasn’t the only Sarasota appointments thanks to online video platforms. demand. People who have struggled “We’ve been very busy, as you with different issues in life over the can imagine,” said Cindy Auchter, licensed clinical social worker, and that with the pandemic, “it’s just co-owner of Alliance Counseling been too much,” she said. “People Services, a faith-based counseling are reaching out for help.” centre. The stress and fear people Jeff Miller, Sarasota Campus have felt due to COVID has kept Manager of Dutchman Hospitality Alliance’s phones ringing every day Group, the parent company of Der with requests for appointments. Dutchman restaurant and Carlisle “It seems to be building. I Inn, faced different challenges. 6
Most of Der Dutchman’s restaurants in Ohio, Florida and Indiana seat 500-800 people and offer buffets. “That combination is pretty tough for anything related to COVID,” he said. Most of Der Dutchman’s restaurants shut down in mid-March. Its Florida location reopened in early May, and in Ohio three weeks later. Initially, the locations offered only family-style service at tables. Then they went to cafeteria-style buffet service with servers behind plexiglass. Regular buffets restarted after Thanksgiving. The company reduced employment from 1,800 to 300 At the time of recalling workers, some had found other jobs or were not eager to return, he said. In Florida, the company is running at 70 percent of normal business operations, with 156 employees instead of 240 they had in early 2020. “That’s pretty much the way it is across the board.” Observing pandemic protocols a family atmosphere and culture, he said. Needing to tell employees that they need to keep their distance and cannot hug has been challenging and strained employee relations with management. “It’s not the easiest situation.” Getting co-operation on mask wearing has been a constant struggle. While some people handle the situation with grace, “some have not handled it well at all.” Mask-wearing is not mandatory in his area of Sarasota, but he wishes it was. JMX’s Jim Miller views 2020 as
do we connect with, how do we onboard those folks to get a sense of who we are,” he wonders. “Just practical things like learning their jobs has been a tremendous challenge for the newcomers, and those who are bringing them on board.”
Cassie Myers is founder and CEO of Lunaria Solutions.
struggled with the impact of remote work on their organizational culture as well. Cassie Myers, founder and CEO of Waterloo, Ontario-based Lunaria Solutions realized that designing intentional interactions would be important organization a cohesive team. Lunaria creates online tools for human resources managers to create and measure diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Myers has instituted daily 9 am and 4:45 pm group check-ins and increased the frequency of one-onone updates. “At least knowing what is going on helps me make an educated
“I think we are going to be closer and treat each other better because Dutchman
history. The inability of staff to connect “has had an erosive effect on our culture,” he said. One third of JMX’s employees have never worked in the corporate
business decision as to what needs to happen next,” she said. If she knows people are struggling and cannot get their job done, she will work to shift something off their plate. Myers has also worked to provide motivation for staff outside of their day-to-day roles, through courses and other professional development opportunities. Businesses on both the Sarasota and Waterloo panels said they are eager for a return to community and face-to-face interactions. Dutchman employees are looking forward to being able to burn their masks at the end of the pandemic, Jeff Miller said. “Beyond that, I think we’ve all learned to appreciate each other more and treat each other in a way that shows we care about each other,’’ he said. Losses that many have experienced will mean “I think we are going to be closer and treat each other better because of it.” Jim Miller agrees. I’m just looking forward to getting folks together in a room, patting them on the back… looking them in the eye and saying — I really, really appreciate you and what you’ve meant for the company,” he said.
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A reluctant businessman Ontario social entrepreneur works to automate monitoring of solar systems Leon Kehl has worked for himself for almost 28 years, but only
of a people-centred business philosophy. “Mother Mutual,” as
people would ask him if he was a businessman. “Entrepreneur, yes. Businessman no,” he said. “My transformation over the last two years is embracing the label of being a businessman.” His discomfort with being called a businessman comes from his internal perception that many businesspeople are only concerned
employees of that era, had a policy of no layoffs. “It was almost like a family. For me, that was interesting and good to see. My abilities as a leader were developed there.” Ironically, he would be restructured out of a job by Sun Life in 2003, but was ready to try working for himself by then.
“Having said that, I’ve seen a lot of good examples in the Mennonite church and the extended community of businessmen.” “It’s probably because of the
built a Canadian development team for them in Kitchener. Kehl’s entrepreneurial journey
Photos by Alina Kehl
as many good examples of those values in the tech community.” Kehl, based at his home in the small village of Floradale, Ontario, is the son of a Mennonite pastor. His father, Lester, served three southern Ontario congregations. Lester
ness Administration studies, Kehl incorporated a business in 2003 and worked as a consultant. “It’s hard to build a business, but consulting is pretty easy, so I did a lot of that.” He was approached by Power
as conference minister, then drove school bus until he was 78. Working past conventional retirement age has been a Kehl tradition for several generations, as Leon’s grandfather worked at the New Dundee creamery until age 75. Leon Kehl recalls a company that he worked at for over a decade, Mutual Group (now part of Sun Life Canada) as a good example The Marketplace May June 2021
began in the mid-1980s, when he dropped out of school to become the fourth employee at NDI (Northern Digital Inc. at the time), a University of Waterloo spin-off. He began computer program16-year-old high school student. “That kind of transformed my life,” he recalls. “It wasn’t so much entrepreneurial in terms of business, more using software to solve problems.” “I think I read you need to fail at least four times before you have a successful business. I’ve attempted several things over the years; all of those failed in the sense that I never fully committed to them.” Dale Brubacher-Cressman, a childhood acquaintance who interviewed him for a job at Research in Motion (later Blackberry) in role in Kehl’s subsequent entrepreneurial path. Brubacher-Cressman started Vigor Clean Tech (now VCT Group), a Kitchafter leaving Blackberry. He introduced Kehl to Bryan Unrau, who now heads VCT. VCT was a major early customer for Boxbrite, help-
Boxbrite Technologies founder Leon Kehl 8
by paying him upfront for system monitoring. A lack of moving parts means that failures in solar systems are neither always apparent nor even discussed as being possible when systems are sold, Kehl said. Boxbrite’s value propo-
sition is ensuring that a solar system’s panels and inverters continue Currently, well-maintained solar systems tend to have a person around to oversee (and repair if necessary) up to 50 sites. Boxbrite aims to automate that process. “My target is that one (person) can monitor 1,000 systems, and that person doesn’t have to be anywhere close (to the systems they are overseeing). Kehl wants to be at least 10 systems than a layperson could be, using software to quickly scan data to discover hardware faults. A malfunction of a $10 fan on an inverter could cost $2,000 a year in lost revenue because an inverter will get too hot and produce less power if the problem goes undetected, he said.
now the competition is a guy going out and looking at the system every day.” While the company’s current customers are in Ontario, Kehl is looking at opportunities worldwide. “If we’re having problems (with malfunctioning systems) in North America, what’s it going to be like in some of those Global South
“There’s lots of out because right now the competition is a guy going out and looking at the system every day.”
squeeze out (with improved software algorithms), because right 9
countries? We’re struggling, they’re going to be getting hit even harder.” A person he spoke to in South Africa toured six village projects of solar systems funded by European agencies. Five years after installation, none of the systems were working, and in one village, (unconnected) solar panels were “A lot of these developing countries are going even more whole hog into solar than us. Part of it is just the cost of fossil fuels.” He is exploring partnership opportunities in Thailand, Vietnam, Nigeria and Myanmar for partners to provide tracking services based on Boxbrite’s technology. Kehl is also looking south for new business. He is working on a partnership agreement with US-based Solar Data Systems, a company whose parent, Solar Log, is the top solar data logger in the world. As solar, a boom-and-bust industry at the residential level, The Marketplace May June 2021
increasingly becomes a commodity and prices plummet, small companies cannot afford to do monitoring, he said. “It’s just not cost effective.” Boxbrite needs to multiply its customer base several times For now, that means that the best market opportunities for Kehl are
in large commercial or industrial systems, between 100 Kilowatts and one Megawatt in size. hopes to offer monitoring for homeowners. With the state of California mandating solar panels on all new residential buildings, that opportunity should grow exponentially, he said.
Firm is intentional about hiring newcomers values character and giving a chance to newcomers to Canada. The founder of Boxbrite Technologies wants to hear the answers to three questions in jobs interviews: What is the person’s story, are they a (business need for the person’s expertise). Many companies jump right to the two, he said. Kehl is adamant about the need to balance human and business imperatives. Hiring newcomers may require helping people more initially, but has greater “That’s a Mennonite business approach,” he said. “I hire a number of refugees. I hire a number of newcomers. I see that as good business and also consistent with my Mennonite values.” someone from Iran. Kehl is also happy to The Marketplace May June 2021
backgrounds working with him. He has a Hindu, as well as Shia and Sunni Muslims on his payroll. The aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 got him interested in interfaith dialogue and working with newcomers. Seeing people being ostracized as “the other” made him realize the importance of people from
Boxbrite currently employs 20, including part-timers and co-op students. During the pandemic, Kehl realized that staff could work from home as well as they could
space, he decided to make the strategic business decision.” challenges with a virtual company model, as it requires a different way of leading. “What it does rely on is a fair bit of trust in your people.” Despite no longer having staff have connected regularly even during the pandemic. They have taken hikes together and done socially distanced picnics in parks. Once the pandemic is over, forcing employees to work in corporate
each other. “I believe love is stronger than hate, it just takes longer,” he said. That understanding led him to visit Israel/Palestine and Turkey, participate in Muslim-Mennonite dialogue initiatives, work to sponsor Syrian refugees, and build bridges with Turkish refugees. When Kehl started BoxBrite, he had
petition for talented staff, he said. Kehl is comfortable with the risks he is taking. “It’s not like (bank deposits) are paying that well right now, I might as well invest in myself.” He would consider outside investment from a partner that
in Canada in the previous two years and wanted to continue helping others. “I’ve already achieved success, even if I fail as a business now.”
“but there has to be alignment. I don’t want to be someone else’s product.”
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photo by Ed Brubaker
This is the second in a series of stories about MEDA hubs (formerly chapters) across North America . The hubs, more than a dozen volunteer-led groups, organize events and activities to build awareness about MEDA’s work creating business solutions to poverty, to network and to hear people share stories about faith, work and entrepreneurship as a calling. The Delaware Valley hub pre-dates MEDA’s existence by seven years. The group had its beginnings in 1946, as the Clayton Kratz Fellowship. Kratz, who grew up in Blooming Glen, Lucy Brubaker Pennsylvania, was a relief worker for Mennonite Central Committee. He was working in a program to help Mennonites in south Russia in 1920 when he was arrested by the Communist army, and was never heard from again. The Kratz Fellowship was formed in 1946 to support businesspeople in southern Pennsylvania. It met monthly, giving loans to people who wanted to start a business or attend college. In 1987, it became a MEDA chapter. By 2001, group leadership wanted to provide clarity about its mission and strengthen ties with MEDA, so it changed its name to Delaware Valley. Pre-pandemic, the hub held “third Thursday” breakfast meetings, nine months a year, from 6:30 to 7:30 am, at the Franconia Café in Souderton, said current chair Lucy Brubaker. The meetings,
which average 20-25 participants, feature a businessperson discussing their faith in the marketplace, plus a “MEDA moment” update. The group has also done one or two major fundraisers each year. Since the last breakfast meeting in February 2020, the hub held a summer walkathon to raise funds for MEDA. It is also planning for future events, including a May 2021 virtual panel as part of the Faith and Work in the Pandemic series. On October 18, Delaware Valley will host an evening to remember Clayton Kratz, with a goal of raising $25,000 to support work in the Ukraine. The fundraiser, to be held at the restored Broad highlighting Kratz’s life, as well as storytelling by John Sharp (whose son, Michael, an MCC volunteer and United Nations contract employee, was killed in 2017 while Democratic Republic of Congo.) Delaware Valley wants to make the October event and its other photo by Lucy Brubaker
Delaware valley hub board member James Sankan, his wife Natilya and children Sitoya and Eileen took part in a walkathon for MEDA last summer. 11
Photo by Lucy Brubaker
Southern Pennsylvania MEDA hub has a long tradition of service
A third Thursday breakfast gathering
fundraisers more informal and family-friendly than the traditional sit-down banquets of the past, Brubaker said. “Our goal as a hub is to attract the next generation of MEDA supporters.” The group has organized buses to MEDA conventions, realizing that in-person events help to connect people to MEDA’s work, she said. Brubaker has attended MEDA conventions over the past decade. Joining a learning tour to Ethiopia in 2014 “was probably the event that really cemented my understanding of how MEDA works,’’ she said, particularly witnessing the complete value chain supporting weavers and rice producers. Other members of the hub’s board include Becky Bergey, Jeff Hackman, Joanne Speigle, Ben Weaver, James Sankan and Steve Schwendy. People who are not on the board have organized including night markets, and fundraising efforts in support of MEDA’s internship program, Brubaker said. Support for MEDA interns is a newer effort. For years, the group provided scholarships to students
applicants.
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Managing through crisis at the helm during tough times By J.B. Miller Laurie Nafziger had been president and CEO of Oaklawn Psychiatric Center in Goshen, Indiana for less than two years when the crisis hit. It was 2008 and the US was entering the Great Recession, the most severe global recession since the Great Depression of 1929. Oaklawn, like many businesses, was be done? “What is really vivid in my mind,” Nafziger recalls. “Everything was crashing, we were facing
qualities that guide them during times of crises and uncertainty? • Laurie Nafziger joined Oaklawn after graduating from Goshen College in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She was named president/CEO in 2006. She serves on several boards of nonof Eighth Street Mennonite Church. • After three years of voluntary service in Nicaragua, Phil Bontrager earned an Economics degree
from Goshen College and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He joined Hill-Rom, Inc., a manufacturer of hospital beds and patient room furniture. He held various executive positions over an 18-year tenure. He then led the restructuring of Mennonite Publishing House to MennoMedia. In 2003, he was named president/CEO of Sauder Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of institutional and church furniture in Archbold, OH.
“I can pick the moment. After a lot of planning by our management team, I called an all-staff meeting. Standing in front of everyone I outlined our plan. The plan included pay cuts for everyone, reductions changes with an explanation as to why it was necessary. “It was a very hard day,” what’s so amazing to me is, it went so well. The staff understood it, they bought into it, they were saying kind things to me afterwards. I will never forget that.” Leadership. Why do some people excel during times of crisis Are there common themes that successful leaders exhibit? What are the skills and qualities they possess? The current pandemic is one of those challenging times. What can we learn from four successful executives and the leadership The Marketplace May June 2021
Phil Bontrager heads Sauder Manufacturing Company 12
Laurie Nafziger is president of Oaklawn Psychiatric Centre
• Greg Gaeddert is a managing partner of B12 Capital Partners and B12 Real Estate Advisors based in Kansas City. He has been a principal in three private equity funds and two investment vehicles. Prior to co-founding the B12 entities, he held various executive positions with banks and manufacturing companies. He has served on numerous boards, and currently serves on MEDA’s board as vice-chair. • Howard Brenneman began his career with Hesston Corporation while still a high school student and joined the company full time after graduating from Bethel College in Kansas. In 1975, at the age of 34, he was named president/COO and later CEO. He served in that role until 1986. In 1992, he was appointed president/ CEO of Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA), now Everence. He retired in 2005 and currently serves on several corporate boards.
For some people, the selection of Brenneman as president and CEO to lead MMA was an unlikely choice. Brenneman was an experienced executive, having led Hesston Corporation through two deep farm crises, but he came out of the corporate world and had no health insurance experience, MMA’s core business.
“You have to be willing to recognize the brutal facts in front of you.” — Greg Gaeddert, managing partner, B12 Capital Partners
MMA was under tremendous stress. To meet unprecedented rises in health care costs, insurance premiums needed to be raised dramatically, and many members were leaving for cheaper plans. “What I knew about health insurance was zero,” Brenneman recalled, “but I knew it was a matter of going in and identifying three or four of the main drivers, negotiating contracts with providers, and diversifying the company. “We also needed to convince the constituency we needed to
Hesston and MMA, the principles were the same — identify the main drivers, face up to the problems, and diversify the company, if necessary.” When Bontrager thinks about leadership during turbulent times, stewardship responsibilities of the
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company and sensitivity to how staff will be impacted. The current pandemic has been particularly challenging. However, during times of crises, Sauder Manufacturing
develops a vision paradigm as the crisis unfolds. “We know we’re at point A, and there’s a frontier, Point D that we want to reach at some point in time.” There are principles or touchstones that provide boundaries around what the company will do or can do. Rather than develop points B, C, and D, the objective is to get from A to B based on the best information available. Howard Brenneman When point B is reached, a reassessment takes place. What has been learned, what has changed, what should be done next? So rather than a straight linear progression from point A to point D, it’s jagged steps, all of which are right, as long as it moves toward the frontier within the established boundaries. JB Miller worked with Howard Brenneman at Everence for over 15 years. “Anyone who worked with him remembers his “I think we’re many colorful expressions,’’ Miller said. “The list below was best served by buildcompiled with the assistance of several of my colleagues ing momentum and from our days working with him.” then adjusting, as opposed to having • Keep the main thing the main thing — stay focused on
Brenneman wit and wisdom
your core business.
• No margin, no mission — you need operating surplus to maintain your mission and have resources to meet new opportunities. • But will the dog eat the dog food — will what you’re proposing be accepted in the marketplace; will people buy it? • Coal for the engine — revenue needed to operate the organization. • Get the right people on the bus — hire the right for the positions needed. • The Head Shed — the MC USA denominational headquarters. • Church agencies are left to gurgle, just keeping their noses above water — too many church organizations operate on breakeven, or very thin net revenue margins, and always struggle to meet budgets.
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• You can’t expect what you don’t inspect — establish metrics and constantly monitor results. The Marketplace May June 2021
out,” Bontrager commented. “I had a colleague tell me ‘you can’t steer a ship that’s sitting still.’ So, get moving and make course corrections, if necessary.” B12 Capital currently has ownership interest in 10 companies, and Greg Gaeddert’s position as managing partner and chairman of the board provides a vantage point to 14
assess various leadership styles of the CEOs of the companies. For Gaeddert, the key to effective leadership during times of crisis is to be highly focused and a steadying force. “With that in mind, I think you have a better chance to make good decisions, but you have to be willing to recognize the brutal facts in front of you. You must be able to problem solve and with yourself and the situation you’re facing. “This is a critical time to build consensus with your management team, but it’s important to never forget what the core business is. Sometimes there’s a tendency to solve other problems but staying focused on the company’s core business is critical. ” Serving the mental health needs of a two-county area is Oaklawn’s core business. Maintaining that mission focus is paramount for Nafziger. “We’re here for the mentally ill, persons who struggle with substance abuse, and other people who need us. That’s the important thing to keep in mind.” When times are challenging, Nafziger reminds herself she has a board of directors and the community behind her, and a strong management team. She prefers to deal quickly with things that can be solved easily, and thinks long term, focusing on fairness and what’s best for Oaklawn. “Finally, it’s our work, our mission, that’s the most important,” she said. When the leaders are faced challenges, the impact on personnel is particularly stressful. “People decisions are always the hardest decisions,” Gaeddert said, “I don’t tend to agonize over decisions upfront as much as live with them or replay them after the fact.” The anxiety on the front end
is because the business may be deteriorating, and waiting to deal with personnel matters usually makes it worse for everyone, but knowing it will impact individuals Brenneman recounted living in Hesston, KS, when the farm crisis forced Hesston Corporation to downsize, eliminating hundreds of jobs. “Everyone knew each other
in Hesston,” he recalled. “You really didn’t want to go to church. Everywhere you turned you saw people you had laid off; you couldn’t get away from it. It was a very stressful time for our family and that small community.” When Bontrager was working for Hill-Rom in Europe, a country manager developed terminal lung cancer, affecting his ability to per-
A nudge from a child Business leaders interviewed for this story acknowledged the challenges in balancing demanding careers and family responsibilities. Sometimes it was the children who provided the best reminders to pay attention to that. Laurie Nafziger recounts one of those instances. “One of those times, I remember it well. We took the kids on a 2 ½ week trip out West and it was back in the day when we had just gotten voice mail at Oaklawn. I knew that I could go to a payphone, dial
the 800 number and my extension and get my messages. “So, I did that throughout the trip. went back to school that fall and his teacher asked the students to draw a picture of their summer vacations. “Our son drew a picture of him standing with me at a telephone booth. That was like “Oh, okay, never mind that we went to Yellowstone and lots of other interesting places.”
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form and jeopardizing business operations. The manager was a well-liked leader and a personal friend, and wanted to remain in his position. After two to three weeks of living with the situation, Bontrager visited the manager and his family in their home. Following several hours of pleasant conversation, Bontrager suggested the manager take a leave of absence so he could spend time away with his family. ”I’d like to know how you feel about that,” Bontrager asked. “You can either tell me now, or we’ll talk next week. He was quiet for a little bit and then he said ‘Phil, that takes a load off me, I’m glad you asked me to do that.’ You don’t get prepared for those kinds of things.” While leadership styles vary among the four leaders, there were common themes among them. First and foremost, leaders must be problem solvers with an ability to analyze the situation and act decisively. A strong management team, where trust is a given, is vitally important. Hire people that complement your skillset, and don’t be intimidated by people who might be smarter than you. They’ll make you look great. Be transparent with employees throughout your tenure. It will serve you well during the Mike Krzyzewski, head coach at Duke University, seemed to capture the sentiments of the four executives: “You’re not going to get there alone. Be on a team. Surround yourself with good people and learn how to listen. You’re not going to learn with just you talking. And when you do talk, converse. Don’t make excuses. Figure out the solution.”
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JB Miller is a retired banker who was a long-time Everence employee and got to know the people interviewed for this article. He lives in Sarasota, Florida. The Marketplace May June 2021
Soundbites
Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Index, a Religion News Service story says. The REDI Index measures the religious inclusion of Fortune 100 and Fortune 200 companies in three categories: promotion of religion on their website’s diversity page, number of company-sponsored religious employee resource groups and whether they host public trainings on religious diversity. American Airlines, American Express, Google and PayPal also The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation launched the REDI Index last year. “When workplaces are inclusive around topics that matter to you, it becomes not just a place where you’re collecting your paycheck, but a place where you want to stay,” said foundation While not all the top-scoring companies are in tech, many are. Grim suggested that prioritizing spirituality in such competitive
Earth Day’s Christian roots
People who wonder why their church isn’t as active in supporting environmental causes as their secular neighbors may be surprised to learn that Earth Day, the annual April demonstration for environmental protection, was businessman in 1969. Earth Day, seen by many as the birth of the modern environbrated in 1970. The Marketplace May June 2021
Australian university has led to a multi-million dollar partnership with Fresh Del Monte, the USbased international fresh fruit and
Ray Dirks photo
Intel and Texas Instruments are the most religiously inclusive workplaces among the United States’ 200 largest companies.
John McConnell, a preacher’s son, became concerned about protecting God’s creation while working in plastic manufacturing in the late 1930s, a Christian History story suggests. Seeing how plastics hurt the environment, he began supporting peace and environmental efforts. McConnell’s understanding of Psalm 115, verse 16, which reads: “ The highest heavens belong to the , but the earth he has given to mankind” sparked his concern for environmental health. McConnell viewed Earth Day as the right opportunity for people of faith “to show the power of prayer, the validity of their charity, and their practical concern for Earth’s life and people,” the article said.
Yes, we will have bananas
Regular readers of The Marketplace will recall a story about a fungal disease that is threatening to wipe out the most common brand of bananas, or at least make them much more expensive. Help is on the way. James Dale, a professor, and researcher at Queensland University of Technology, has developed a line of Cavendish bananas resistant to Panama disease fungus. The line of bananas developed by Dale and his team at the 16
The Panama disease tropical race 4(TR4) has caused lower yields across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In 2019, it was found in Columbia, part of the Latin America region that grows 85 per cent of the world’s export bananas. Up until the 1950s, the most common banana worldwide was the Gros Michel, but that variety was wiped out by an earlier version of the Panama disease. MEDA’s RAPID banana project is also tackling the disease problem through work in Tanzania and Uganda. RAPID is a four-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project aims to commercialize seed multiplication technologies. It will also promote new models to drive investment into banana seed systems in Tanzania and Uganda. Most African banana farmers are small-scale producers who do not have the resources to deal with the Panama disease.
Breathing for better productivity
If you feel less productive than usual lately, science supports the argument that it is the pandemic’s fault. The brain region that helps you to concentrate shuts down in times of ongoing stress and uncertainty, writes author Marina Khidekel. Khidekel, whose book Your Time to Thrive suggests taking microsteps towards better habits, says focusing on the rising and falling of your breath for as little as a minute can reduce the stress hormones in your body.
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Toward a bright and greener future By Melodie Davis German-Mennonite families migrating from southeastern Pennsylvania in the 1700s eagerly settled in Virginia’s scenic Shenandoah Valley. It’s not too surprising that environmentally aware Mennonites have worked for decades to protect the natural beauty of the valley and beyond — including early solar energy businesses. Rachel Smucker, a recent Goshen College graduate and formerly Secure Futures employs a number of Eastern Mennonite University graduates.
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, now works on solar policy and advocacy opportunities, especially right now, to be exciting. Historically, Virginia has not been among leading states facilitating solar energy use. California neighbor, North Carolina, is second. But things are changing in Virginia. Smucker noted that in 2020, Virginia’s General Assembly
passed one of the most ambitious clean energy omnibus bills in the nation in one year. This is currently attracting many new businesses and millions of dollars of investment to Virginia. Smucker notes, “It is exciting to see policy in action, and Virginia is only at the cusp of a huge renewables boom.” “Growing up Mennonite, it is rewarding to have the education I received solidify in my work and align with what I believe and value.” Photo by Rachel Holderman/EMU
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working for Secure Futures, one of the leading solar installers in Virginia. This connects directly with 95-year-old Cal Redekop, a longtime Mennonite solar advocate and business owner. He was an initial investor at Secure Futures and still holds the rank of
marveling about the “beautiful job the tractors did plowing, disking, harrowing, and seeding, all in one operation.” As Cal writes in his book Enchantment and Despair , his father exclaimed, “It is really soil so light and loose and mellow and rock-free.” Of course, this kind of plowing tore up layers of grasses and sensitive organic soil that previously kept dirt from blowing away. Cattle, sheep-heavy farming, and drought also contributed. Terrible dust storms clouded the family’s hopes to keep the farm
Rachel Smucker
When you talk to this older crowd — age 90 and up — many in the Mennonite community who are active in environmental leadership credit their farming background. It’s how they learned to care for, preserve, and protect the earth God gave us. Redekop remembers the Dust Bowl era as a child. Born in eastern Montana, his grandparents were Russian Mennonites who immigrated to the US for religious freedom and free land. They settled
Cal Redekop was between the ages of six to 10 during this formative time. Later he became clearly convinced that environment had a huge impact in trying to make a living farming. “I also began to realize the opposite, that we were affecting the environment, because Natives before us didn’t have the dust storms and soil erosion that we did,” he points out. This initial experience with environmental disaster propelled some of Redekop’s scholarly research and social advocacy, forging a deep desire to help build a better future for planet Earth.
“We are going to see a big solar and clean energy technology boom over the coming decades.” — Rachel Smucker
Karl Brubaker, as a recent EMU graduate highly interested in the environment through various EMU projects, went on a post-grad road trip to work in Montana. He kept
we can’t really pay you anything, but if you want to help get things off the ground, you’re welcome to come here.” So, Karl accepted, feeling it would be a valuable learning experience. focused on making thermal solar collectors. These produced heat for homes by absorbing light the government cancelled its tax incentives,” recalls Redekop. “We realized we were really too early for the existing social and economic picture of the time.” “Karl did such a good job of pulling the business through its closedown phase without losing
eastern Montana. The immigrants did deep plowing and Cal recalls his father The Marketplace May June 2021
Kenton Brubaker, a retired biology professor at Eastern Mennonite University and his son Karl, currently business manager at Hesston College (Kansas), experimented with building a solar collector for their house in the early solar days in Harrisonburg. But it never worked very well. Mennonite physics professor Nelson Kilmer in Hesston designed a heating solar collector for his home. Kilmer grew up on a farm in Ohio where he helped his father with various homemade projects for equipment, buildings, and renovations. This whetted his interest in how things work. When Redekop (at that time working at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas) found out about Kilmer’s heating collector, he wondered if a group of interested persons could manufacture solar panels. The Kansas group started
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Photo by Russ Eanes
money that Hesston offered him a job as business manager.” Karl still holds that position at Hesston. Meanwhile, Redekop moved to Waterloo, Ontario to teach at Conrad Grebel (now University) College. He also helped launch a solar effort there in 1979. It was located in nearby St. Jacobs and
panels as heat collectors, not for electricity. Current Grebel president Marcus Shantz recalls his father Milo’s involvement in the effort as an investor. He remembered Cal and Milo “having fun, but that it never got traction as a business.” Solar heating never caught Cal Redekop powers his car and bike from solar panels on his Harrisonburg residence. on because it was a complicated system and ducts were unwieldy Secure Futures’ CEO and cotend to have more employees: to install in a home or business. founder is Tony Smith, who taught men and women in hardhats to Instead, solar panels producing at EMU in the business department climb up on roofs and bolt on solar actual electricity began growing in beginning in 2007. He also served panels, he said. “Companies like use and popularity. as co-director and associate ours that do commercial-scale solar Today most solar installations professor of EMU’s MBA program tend to be smaller, serving as the operate by collecting sunlight from 2008 to 2015. developer of a solar project, and and transforming solar energy Companies that do residentialthen hiring a larger company to into electricity for homes and scale solar (solar panels on homes) install the solar panels.” businesses. Electricity Smith was especially impressed produced can be sent with EMU’s stated value of stewardback to commercial ship. He spoke of strengthening electric grids and not that value in the curriculum and just stored in large approached EMU management batteries. about Secure Futures heading a By the time solar project for the campus. Redekop moved to He suggested installing panels Harrisonburg in 1990, on the roof of the large campus he felt the time was library. EMU’s leadership became right to invest in solar enthusiastic even though Smith again. He connected claims EMU physical plant director with a new company, at the time, Eldon Kurtz, asked Secure Futures in Smith “what he was smoking” nearby Staunton. Secure Futures has The project was the largest 12 employees and commercial scale solar project in will tackle almost Virginia in 2010. It succeeded in any project, including lowering campus energy use per hospitals, and includes square foot by 12 percent within 10 educational programs months of installation. for students when Energy stewards such as school systems elect to Kilmer peg their interest to larger add solar energy. universal issues. “The biggest Secure Futures CEO Tony Smith 19
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thing I’ve worried about is climate change and carbon emissions in the atmosphere,” said Kilmer. “I feel strongly about lowering our carbon emissions, which impact the future of the planet.” The Kilmer home has 31 solar roof panels which provide 100 percent of the energy needed for the home and enough to charge
their electric vehicle as well. This has reduced their annual carbon footprint from 20 tons a year to zero. Redekop also calculates his personal carbon imprint as zero, driving (occasionally) a Nissan Leaf electric car which he charges via solar panels installed on the roof of the building where he lives. In recent years he also pedaled
More Mennonite-related solar companies (a sampling)
Community Energy Inc. Radnor, Pennsylvania https://www.communityenergyinc.com/ Green Hill Solar near Singers Glen, Va. https://www.greenhillsolar.org/ Paradise Energy Solutions based near Paradise, Pa. https://www.paradisesolarenergy.com/ Belmont Solar Gordonville, Pa. https://www.belmontsolar.com/ King Solar in south central Kan. https://www.kingsolar.net/ Trail Battery and Solar Millersburg, Ohio http://trailbatterysolar.com/ Saturn Power – Baden ON https://www.saturnpower.com/ Arcadian Projects Baden, ON www.arcadianprojects.ca VCT Group (formerly Vigor Tech) Kitchener, ON. https://vctgroup.com/ Community Energy Development Co-operative Ltd (CED Co-op), Kitchener, ON
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a four-wheel cycle with a solarpowered battery. Advocacy writer and organizer Smucker notes that in solar energy only 26 percent of workers. “We are going to see a big solar and clean energy technology boom over the coming decades,” she predicts. “We’re talking about building the electric grid of tomorrow, creating millions of jobs and local businesses, which is very important to our economy.” As a policy advocate, she gets up every morning hoping that her efforts to create cleaner electricity will also lead “to a more just and equitable world” in terms of solar being available to those of all income levels. For her, the solar industry is a “fun and exciting industry to work in, given the expansion. We need talented individuals and brilliant minds.”
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Mennonite students to ride bikes across the US to raise awareness of climate change
Photo by Emma Zuercher
Mennonite college students from action across the globe through students giving up summer jobs and across North America are riding our programming,” Tessier said. internships to ride across the country across the United States this summer “Our environmental specialists will make people take notice. to raise awareness of climate are working hard to ensure enviHe hopes “people who are change’s impacts and the need to ronmental stewardship is at the skeptical about climate change take action to stabilize the climate. core of creating business solutions will be able to connect faces to the The ride is organized by the to poverty. We hope the Climate struggle and see the energy that Centre for Sustainable Climate Ride will be the needle that stitches youth are bringing to the table.” Solutions — a partnership between our individual stories together into For Goshen College student Eastern Mennonite University a mosaic of learning and action.” Denver Beck, the journey “is a (EMU), Goshen College great opportunity to and Mennonite Central combine my love for the Committee — to raise outdoors and adventure, awareness about climate with my passion for change and connect environmentalism.” environmentalists across Beck believes the ride the US. will advance the climate MEDA has recently discussion “and hopefully pressure our government joined the centre’s advisory board and is a sup porting partner for the ride. minded policies.” Sixteen cyclists, EMU student Isaac almost all students Alderfer says the trip is attending one of four “a really exciting and Goshen College students (l to r) Greta Lapp Klassen, Denver Beck Mennonite colleges — noticeable way of doing and Sierra Richer train for the climate ride. EMU, Goshen, Fresno activism for an important issue that means a lot to me. Miriam Huebner, the sole Mennonite University — will ride “I hope it will draw attention to Canadian on the ride, attends over 3,700 miles from Seattle, issues around climate change and Canadian Mennonite University in Washington to Washington, DC. encourage conversations and action Winnipeg. The trip combines three The ride, which begins May 31, for people we encounter along the of her passions: biking, the climate will include Montana’s northern ride, our home communities, and crisis and conversation. Rockies, Yellowstone National Park, “My hope is that it spreads activism." the midwestern plains and the Ohio awareness and inspires people and Goshen student Sierra Ross Amish countryside. encourages them to join together in Richer is joining the ride “because Public events with speakers on I care a lot about the planet and related topics will be held at eight working against climate change,” how it is being affected by climate locations. she said. change, and this is something real Partnering on the ride is a EMU student Elizabeth Miller that I can do to show that I care natural extension of MEDA’s work, says, “riders will gain knowledge and hopefully make a difference.” said Dennis Tessier, MEDA’s and awareness of the various To receive biweekly updates technical director, environment climate challenges within the about the ride, including details and climate change and the organdifferent regions of our own of public events, visit: https:// ization’s representative on the CSCS country,” and be spurred to action. sustainableclimatesolutions.org/ advisory board. Fellow EMU student Micah Buckclimate-ride/ “We are championing climate walter agrees. Buckwalter thinks
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Books in brief
The Laziness Myth: Narratives of Work and the Good Life in South Africa by Christine Jeske (ILR PRESS, 2020, 230 pp., $26.95 US) In this fascinating and disturbing book, Jeske tells the stories of Zulu people she met while living in South Africa, “the most economically unequal society in the world.” She constructs a new narrative to counter the assumption by white South Africans (and even some Zulus) that Zulus are lazy. Baggage attached to words such as work, labor, and employment complicate understandings four people are unemployed. Given that government statistics often counted people who had even an hour a week of paid labor as being employed, the true even higher. Jeske’s anthropological exploration shows how, for Zulu people, “ways of seeking a good life do — or don’t intersect with work.” Racial, ethnic and gender prejudice, poor treatment of manual laborers, cultural misunderstandings around facial expressions or lowering eyes, a lack of “ubuntu” (respect), and a sense of dehumanization felt by people trapped in low-paying jobs all contribute to this sorry state of affairs. For many, right relationships with others are more important than formal employment. Entrepreneurship amongst Zulu people is often informal and invisible. The Marketplace May June 2021
One woman, who told Jeske that her father had never worked, went on to list many entrepreneurial activities the man did to meet the family’s needs, including owning a taxi, being a mechanic, raising and selling vegetables with three employees and hiring other drivers to run taxi routes. Trust matters, Jeske concludes, and to generate meaningful employment, South Africa needs to address a “history of antiblack disrespect that perpetuates dysfunctional employment structures.”
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The Story of Victor F. Weaver by Allan W. Shirk (Masthof Press, 2020. 144 pp. paperback $20 US.) In Pennsylvania, the book is available through the New Holland Area Historical Society and Good’s Store. In 1937, Victor and Edith Weaver started dressing chickens in their farm kitchen for sale at a Philadelphia-area farmers market. Over the decades that followed, they built a thriving regional poultry processor that had sales of more than $150 million throughout the Northeastern 22
US by the early 1980s. the largest employer in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The tale of this family-owned Victor F. Weaver, a servant leader and model citizen of the Civic generation. Progressive in his hiring practices, generous to employees and the many charities that he quietly supported with both money and time, he was uncomfortable in the spotlight but always ready to pitch in. Even at his summer getaway, Camp Hebron near Halifax, Pennsylvania, this humble man could sometimes be seen helping servers in the dining hall. Some readers may remember Victor’s son Dale, who succeeded his father as company president and also served on the MEDA board. Dale Weaver took over the company at a time of rapid change and consolidation in the industry. Efforts to expand nationally were met with cutthroat tactics by larger competitors. In 1987, Weaver merged with Holly Farms to avoid being swallowed by an industry giant. But two years after that, Conagra and Tyson were squaring off over Holly, with Tyson ultimately winning out. The Weaver legacy endures through a charitable foundation whose board includes family members. In keeping with Victor Weaver’s values, it does not bear the family name.
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Books in brief Reintegrating money and faith Money Matters. Faith, Life and Wealth by R. Paul Stevens and Clive Lim (Eerdmans, 2021 181pp., $19.99 US)
Money, the last taboo in Western society, is often said to have replaced God as the subject of worship and devotion. Originally devised as a unit of account kept in ancient temples, money long had a sacred context that has been forgotten in modern times. That history, and insightful thoughts on how Christians can relate to money in ways that honor God, is the focus of Stevens and Lim’s book. The vastly different upbringing and life stories of the two authors provide important counterpoints. Stevens businessman, pastor and scholar. Lim grew up poor in Singapore (in a culture where money was freely discussed), becoming a successful, driven entrepreneur and marketplace theology lecturer. Money Matters documents how the modern capitalist system, while
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an essential contributor to people’s wellbeing, has divested itself of moral considerations and fostered inequality. As an alternative, the authors point to a sometimespracticed “gracious capitalism” where employers include care for employees, communities and gifts to the world as part of their mandate. This comprehensive look at a helpful discussion of how to use material wealth to promote spiritual well-being, including an examination of Jesus’ parable of the shrewd stories in the gospel accounts. It also explores the history of the health and wealth gospel, with a well-considered rebuttal of that self-centred heresy. The book contains questions for
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a useful resource for small group or book club conversation.
The Marketplace May June 2021
