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Mar 20
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Distributor Profile: John Day Company
Thu, 03/19/2015 – 8:00am
Mike Hockett, Associate Editor
From left, John Day Co. Outside Sales Manager Steve Regan, President & CFO Nancy Kurtenbach, CEO John Fonda, and Inside Sales Manager & COO Duane Chamberlain.
If there’s one word that describes what has allowed John Day Company to remain a successful, family-owned company for 106 years, it’s stability.
That comes from the Omaha, NE-based industrial and agricultural supplier’s management, where its top four members have a combined 144 years of experience with the company. CEO John Fonda, great grandson of founder John Day Sr., has been there for 35 years, 20 of those as president. Current president and CFO, Nancy Kurtenbach, has been there 29 years. COO and Inside Sales Manager Duane Chamberlain is 37 years in, while Outside Sales Manager Steve Regan is at 43 years.
That wealth of experience is what drives success at John Day today.
“It’s our level of technical support and our knowledge base,” says Kurtenbach. “We have a lot of long-term employees who have been in the business and the industry. Someone can call one of them and they won’t need a part number. We know our products. We know where to get products. There’s a lot of depth and resources there that really set us apart.”
“We’re 106 years old, and none of us look that age,” Fonda says with a laugh. “I think it’s given us a really strong base in our region. We’ve build a good reputation out here. Our customers know who the John Day Company is and we’re going to stand by the products that we sell.”
The Personal Touch
Being an independent company of around 100 employees, many have to wear multiple hats for JDC to provide its myriad of services besides just product supply. Given the rapid escalation of merger and acquisition activity in the market, the company says its stability is what has attracted new hires. “I think a lot of people – they work for someone who gets bought and they get laid off, and maybe hired back – I think our applicants see John Day Company as a very stable company, and family-oriented,” says Kurtenbach.
Part of the appeal of working at JDC is also its accessibility. With many employees taking on multiple roles, they get to see and touch and have a hand in many operations. That, and they can contact Nancy by just stopping by her office when need be. That’s a luxury most wholesale chains can’t offer. “They know who Nancy is as the president of the company. She’s there every day,” Fonda says. “If you’re working for XYZ and at a branch, you may never meet the president. Our employees have developed personal relationships with all of the management team over time, and it’s a value that they can talk to anybody at any time about pretty much any subject.”
A look inside John Day Co.’s industrial warehouse space.
Value-Added
John Day Company can technically be classified as a distributor, but that wouldn’t give justice to what the company is really about. JDC is just as invested, if not arguably more, in its value-added services. It’s those services – nearly two dozen that the company promotes – that make JDC stand out from other independents, as well as their wholesale competitors.
Some of JDC’s most well-known services include power tool repair, hose fabrication, bandsaw welding, chain sling fabrication, and tool regrind, along with a number of safety solution audits, inspections, and product training.
A look inside John Day Co.’s industrial warehouse space.
“We have continued to make ourselves known and unique enough in the marketplace to be different than the catalogue houses,” Fonda says. “When you see the large corporate-managed distributors, they have a huge amount of resources to decide one day they want to get into this, into that – things that 2-3 years later may not be the focus of where they’re going. I think the things we’re doing we believe are going to be long-term in nature for our customers. The things we continue to support were not built on a whim.”
JDC has been offering many of those services for 15 years or more. Step in the tool repair department and you’ll find specialist Jim Katzer at work on something, a service he has led for 10 years. In the re-grind room, JDC can drastically extend the life of something like a carbide steel gear cutting hob by sharpening it 16-20 times. Regan estimates a brand new high-quality hob can cost between $2,500-4,000 – whereas JDC charges only $250-300 per re-sharpen. That makes such a service extremely valuable.
Fonda says JDC initially got into power tool repairing when customers said it was taking 9 months for them to get some tools back that they sent for repairs to other sources. JDC does it within a month.
While he knows his customers appreciate those services, they still tend to be thankless jobs. “They really enjoyed that when it happened, and kind of forget it over time,” he says. “They just sort of expect it in the future. Then we have to meet those standards.”
Kurtenbach says a lot of the positive feedback the value-added services get aren’t so much from the end user, but from the managers of customers who want to see their associates do what they do best and have a resource to have tools repaired, or made. “A lot of manufacturers – the maintenance people like to do these things, but you see their upper management say, ‘no, you’re busy keeping our equipment up and running. Let’s outsource some of these services to John Day,’” she says. “I think the feedback we’re getting sometimes is at a higher level.”
What’s New?
Fonda and Kurtenbach emphasized that JDC always has a project on the table to increase the company’s efficiencies. Two years ago it purchased new software that was needed to move ahead in its e-content. JDC has a full e-commerce website and is in the process of revamping it to improve its content. “Customers who use it are giving us feedback. We realized there are areas for improvement and that’s why we’re tackling it,” says Chamberlain. Less than 5 percent of JDC’s sales came through e-commerce in 2014, but Chamberlain noted that would be a narrow definition of the company’s online orders since it doesn’t account for EDI sales, of which all of JDC’s integrated supply sites use.
Speaking of EDI, John Day is working on improving automation payables, aiming to allow invoices from vendors to come in EDI right through its ERP system. Kurtenbach says that will eventually help eliminate overhead in the accounts payable department, and make transactions more accurate.
On the CRM front, JDC finished implementing Android Tablets at the end of 2014 for its outside salespeople. The tablets can be operated audibly and transcribe spoken dialogue making it easy to update customer information and call reports. The devices and the CRM software speed up and simplify when the salesperson needs to pull up customer quotes, open orders, and product information.
Fighting the Independent Fight
The Omaha region certainly hasn’t been immune to the industrial distribution merger & acquisition landscape. Midwest Industrial Tool was acquired by DGI Supply in April 2011, and Fuchs Machinery was bought by Blackhawk Industrial one month later. Now, John Day is left as one of the few independents left in the area.
“At one point you’re used to competing with other independents that have a select group of suppliers, and some of those suppliers crossed over and some didn’t. So you each had some uniqueness back in the day,” says Fonda. “Somebody had Greenfield (Manufacturing), one would have 3M, one would have Norton. So we were the last of the Mohicans.”
Suddenly having to compete with DGI and Blackhawk made Fonda and JDC re-examine its role in the industrial business. Along with developing a management team, Kurtenbach took over Fonda’s role as president in June 2014. Fonda says his focus today is more on vendor relations and marketing in the area.
Overall, the focus for JDC, now more than ever, has been on how it can leverage its value-added services to set itself apart. “How does John Day Company now go into a marketplace when you have MSC, DGI, Grainger – those who have everything, and then ask how you are going to stand out?” Fonda says. “The new focus for us has to be to add value to the suppliers we determine are going to help make our future tomorrow.”
As one of the region’s last independent distributors, JDC has partnered closely with its top suppliers. Fonda said JDC has been determining what key suppliers it wants to market with, and hopes customers can see the difference between a company like John Day as opposed to a large wholesaler.
“I think, really, the suppliers do see us as a business partner,” Kurtenbach says. “Even on the customer side, they are more open to working with us and our suppliers because of the long-term relationships.”
Kurtenbach notes how at larger companies, there are still a lot of local employees who have always been there, but buyouts have deteriorated the relationships with customers that John Day maintains. A lot of the business relationships JDC currently has go back 50 or 60 years – the same companies John’s dad and grandfather worked with.
So has Fonda and John Day Company been approached to be acquired? Indeed. Fonda said some of the wholesalers who have contacted JDC are ones mentioned above. But given the history of JDC, he has no intention of giving in. Fonda says he relishes the unique opportunities that being an independent offers – like flexibility, having resources in-house and always ready, and not being tied down to having to work with someone in different locations for different projects.
“We’ve always been a family-owned business,” Fonda says. “We have a hundred associates, and my dad used to always say you could take that times four, so there’s 400 people out there we’re feeding. And we have a good legacy in this marketplace of 106 years.”
Fonda also has some words of wisdom for independent distributors who may be in the same boat as JDC.
“You can’t be looking over your shoulder at what everyone else is doing,” he says. “You see the capabilities that the major players have today – they certainly outweigh what you can do. So you have to figure out what you can be good at, what is your core business, and what you are able to have your people focus on. And then you have to run your own race.”
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Dec 15
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Daughters of the American Revolution Women in History winner
Names and Notables: Dec. 15-21, The Mankato Free Press, December 15, 2013
Daughters of the American Revolution Women in History winner
Lenore Johnson Fonda
Anthony Wayne Chapter DAR
Lenore Johnson Fonda, Anthony Wayne Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Women in History 2013 Winner, was honored at the November monthly meeting in Mankato.
Fonda was chosen for her contributions to the community and her work in preserving the memory of founding ancestors.
She joined DAR in 1987 and was elected and served as Regent of Anthony Wayne Chapter. in 1995 and 1996 she represented the Anthony Wayne Chapter at the Continental Congress in Washington DC.
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Anthony Wayne Chapter and Daughters of the American Revolution State Officers participated in the Memorial Dedication Service for the Bohemian National Cemetery Memorial on Nov. 9.
The Anthony Wayne Chapter was the sponsor of a $10,000 special project grant from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The memorial consists of a 9000 pound granite monument, two life-sized soldier statue, seven flags and benches.
Link: DAR – Anthony Wayne Chapter – Mankato, Minnesota
Pictured are (left to right): Genette Carleton, Susan Jirele, Faye Leach, Nancy Hamer and Marilyn Wilkus.
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Jul 22
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St. Paul Woman on Honeymoon Killed in New Hampshire Crash
by Andy Greder – Pioneer Press – July 21, 2013
A newlywed St. Paul woman was killed on her honeymoon during a two-car crash with an apparent drunk driver in New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon, said family and New Hampshire State Police. Lea Fonda, 30, died at a hospital after being a passenger in a Kia Spectra driven by her husband Brian Preiss, also 30 and of St. Paul, police said.
Leah Fonda & Brian Preiss
The two were recently wed and went to the East Coast for their honeymoon, said Preiss’ brother Philip Preiss. The driver of the second car, Matthew Tsopas, drifted over the center line in his Infiniti G35SX and struck Fonda and Preiss. Preiss was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries, police said. Philip Preiss said he didn’t know the extend of his brother’s injuries.
Tsopas fled the crash scene, but was found a short time later, police said. “It appears that speed and driver impairment are factors in this crash, however, the crash still remains under investigation,” police said. Tsopas was arrested at the hospital and was charged with negligent homicide, felony driving under the influence of alcohol and felony conduct after an accident.
Hit-and-Run Claims Bride – Groom in Hospital after New Hampshire Crash
by Jack Encarnacao – Boston Herald – July 22, 2013
A heartbroken Minnesota groom is in intensive care in a Boston hospital in the wake of the senseless New Hampshire drunken hit-and-run that stole the life of his new bride, authorities and relatives said yesterday. “The two of them spent 10 years getting together,” said Jonnie Kunce, mother of bride Leah Fonda, “and they got to have eight days of being married.”
On Saturday at about 4:27 p.m., Brian Preiss, 30, of St. Paul, Minn., and his bride of one week, Leah Fonda, 30, longtime lovebirds and both Mall of America amusement park workers, were on their way to Niagara Falls when a car careened into their lane and struck them “in a near head-on fashion” on Route 4 in Rollinsford, said New Hampshire state police.
The driver, Matthew Tsopas, a 43-year-old man from Somersworth, N.H., then fled the scene. “He just left Brian and Leah to die,” Preiss’ uncle Chuck Czech said. “What kind of character does that?” Tsopas was eventually arrested and charged with negligent homicide, felony driving under the influence of alcohol and felony conduct after an accident. Fonda and Preiss were rushed to Wentworth Douglas Hospital in Dover, N.H., where she died. Preiss was then transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Preiss and Fonda were engaged in the fall and married July 12 in Bloomington, Minn., the culmination of a decade-long flirtation the two had at the amusement park where they both worked. “The wedding was wonderful,” said Kunce, Fonda’s aunt, who adopted her when she was a sophomore in high school. “It was small and elegant and perfect, just perfect. She was so beautiful.”
Kunce said Preiss, who took regular road trips, suggested a 17-day tour of New England for the couple’s honeymoon. “Leah had not traveled much, and it was something that he had set up and he had wanted to show her,” Kunce said of Preiss. “She had kind of an itinerary set up.” Czech said the couple had planned to spend the bulk of their time in Boston. Yesterday, Preiss, who Czech said suffered serious head injuries and internal bleeding, was listed in good condition at MGH.
After he was located by police, Tsopas was transported to a New Hampshire hospital for treatment before he was arrested and charged. “It’s just unbelievable to me that he could do so much damage and be able to walk away,” Kunce said. “There is no reason for people to drink and drive.”
Somersworth Man Charged with Negligent Homicide Following Rollinsford Fatal
Union Leader – July 21, 2013
ROLLINSFORD – A Somersworth man was charged with negligent homicide, felony driving under the influence and conduct after an accident following a fatal near head on collision on Route 4 Saturday afternoon.
According to New Hampshire State Police, Matthew Tsopas, 43, of Somersworth was traveling west on Route 4 in the area of Old Mill Road about 4:27 p.m. when the 2008 Infinity G35sx he was operating drifted into the oncoming lane. The Infinity struck a 2008 Kia Spectra headed west operated by Brian Preiss, 30, of Saint Paul, Minn. Also in the Preiss vehicle was Leah Fonda, 30, of Saint Paul.
“Tsopas fled the scene but was located a short time later and transported to Wentworth Douglas Hospital in Dover,” said state police. Fonda and Preiss also were taken to Wentworth Douglas where Fonda succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival. Preiss was transportated to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries.
“It appears that speed and driver impairment are factors in this crash however the crash still remains under investigation,” state police said. “Tsopas was arrested at the hosptial and charged with negligent homicide, felony driving under the Influence of alcohol and felony conduct after an accident. ”
Anyone with information regarding the crash may contact Trooper Christopher Storm at 603-223-8490 or email at Christopher.Storm@dos.nh.gov.
HONEYMOON CRASH: Drunk driver took away ‘one-of-a kind soul’
Posted: Jul 24, 2013 1:50 PM EST posted by Mike Durkin
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) -The family of Leah Fonda Preiss, the St. Paul woman killed in a crash with a drunk driver on a honeymoon road trip through New England, released the following statement Wednesday:
STATEMENT
We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken over the death of Leah and serious injury to Brian at the hands of an irresponsible driver. We all are left with a gaping hole in our lives, and there are no words to describe our sudden loss of an amazing woman. She was a woman who dearly cherished her family and friends, an aunt who treated her like a daughter, a sister who shared in many adventures, a sister in law who became a sister, and her dearly cherished nephews. She was a woman who fell madly in love with a man she had known for many years just as a friend. She was a kind loving person who had a quiet strength about her and would do just about anything to help someone. Leah is a one-of-a-kind soul who will be deeply missed.
It is especially tragic that Leah’s death comes a week after her wedding and a little more than a week before her 31st birthday at the hands of someone who acted carelessly and irresponsibly by drinking and driving. There are no words for our anger and disappointment at the driver’s decision to do so. It was at his hands that our beloved Leah was taken away from us and the life she had dreamed of for so long. It is unfathomable that within in a week Leah and Brian had both the best and worst days of their lives. There is no sense to this that we can see, but we hope that this is an eye opening event for many about the consequences of drinking and driving and that they will chose to act responsibly. During this very difficult time we would greatly appreciate that you respect our need for privacy. Thank you.
The family of Leah Fonda Preiss
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Leah Fonda Preiss Memorial Fund
c/o Wells Fargo Bank
809 10th Avenue North
Sartell, MN 56377
Contributions to the Leah Fonda Preiss Memorial Fund can also be made at any Wells Fargo Bank Branch.
THE CRASH
Near Head-On Collision
Accident Scene, Route 4, Rollinsford, NH
New Hampshire State Trooper Christopher Storm said 43-year-old Matthew Tsopas was driving west on Route 4 in Rollinsford, N.H. when his car drifted all the way into the eastbound lane and struck the car driven by the newlyweds.
Tsopas fled the scene but was located a short time later and brought to the hospital, where he was charged with negligent homicide, felony DUI and felony conduct after an accident.
Fonda, 30, died in the crash. Preiss, 30, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is recovering from internal injuries and facial cuts with family by his side. He was in surgery Wednesday and his condition has been upgraded to good. The family hopes to have him home next week.
THE WEDDING
Fonda and Preiss, both Mall of America amusement park employees, were married during an intimate ceremony on July 12 in Bloomington. They were one week and one day into their honeymoon when the crash occurred. Just before the crash, the couple called Preiss’ parents to let them know they were on their way to Niagara Falls.
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Oct 22
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Blane Fonda – 10.03.11
Interviewed by: Jenny Tate (10/11/11)
The following is a mini interview of generic questions that we posed to all bands that wanted to answer:
Blane Fonda (Questions answered by Matthew Witt)
www.blanefonda.com
www.facebook.com/BlaneFondaMusic
www.twitter.com/BlaneFonda
1. How did you get your band name?
Blane Fonda is a pen name that our singer used back in his college years. He would post pics and comments about his old band under the name. The band never knew it was him, and they believed Blane Fonda was a super fan of the band.
2. How did this band get started?
Blane Fonda was formed from the instrumental members of The Sapiens and the singer from Technicolor Stallion. The Sapiens needed a new singer and they found Mark (singer) on Craigslist. From there Blane Fonda was born.
3. What bands are you influenced by?
Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Muse, ELO, The Killers, Tears for Fears, Flaming Lips, The Cure, The National, Chet Baker, this list can go on forever.
4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
The Rolling Stones back in the 70’s. The Stones are the definition of a rock band. Their music is timeless, and they are definitely known to party hard. It would be exciting to play in a era when music was raw and the corporate world wasn’t running the music industry.
5. Best food to eat on tour?
We are fortunate to have a food coach in the band (Dave the bassist). He prefers for us to split a chicken sandwich before a show with Miller High Life, and on the road we eat Sunflower seeds (ranch flavor) and drink Gatorade.
6. Why should people listen to your band?
We are a fun band with clever lyrics and catchy hooks. Our music is melodic and energetic. Your dads will love us and your 12-year-old niece will too!
8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank?
Parents, Family, and Friends!
9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?
I think the radio industry needs to change. Radio is monopolized by the corporate world. It seems that you have 5 stations playing the same 20 cookie cutter songs all day long. There is no variety anymore, and it’s almost impossible to hear something fresh. Internet radio has become popular because of its variety. It should be easier for bands to get their songs played on their local stations, which seems impossible today.
10. Memorable tour experience?
Playing at the ES Jungle in Indianapolis. Our second show at the venue, we had fans singing lyrics to all our songs. Stage diving and crowd surfing was happening all around us. It was a surreal moment – it felt like we were in a staged music video. The energy in the venue was explosive. It’s moments like this that makes being a musician worth all the hassle.
11. What does AP.net mean to you?
AP.net means a lot to bands like Blane Fonda who are DIY. You give us a opportunity to get our name and songs out to people who would have ever heard us. In today’s music scene, it’s hard to get credible acknowledgment if you don’t have professional representation. AP.net definitely helps out the DIY scene.
12. What is your favorite song to play?
“Cucccurucucu” by Franco Battiato. It’s an Italian pop song that we were asked to play for a fashion show. We don’t speak Italian so we don’t know what we’re saying, but it’s one catchy tune.
13. What is your vacation spot of choice?
Maui, Hawaii.
14. What music reminds you of your childhood?
Grunge music: Specifically Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was the anthem song during middle school – every garage band was covering it.
15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why?
To fly at super sonic speeds, so I never have to be stuck in traffic or buy a plane ticket.
16. Any pre-show superstitions or rituals?
Eat half of a chicken sandwich and pound a Miller High Life down. And if I have enough money, a shot of Jameson.
17. What is something that most fans don’t know about you?
I used to kill mosquitos for a summer job.
18. What is your assessment of the current state of radio? Do you think it’s a place where your band could flourish?
Radio is pretty stagnant right now. I do not listen to it much, because the same 20 tunes are played on it. The corporate world has monopolized the radio stations and force them to play the same cookie cutter songs. I do give props to 93.1 WXRT in Chicago for breaking the mold. They play a large variety of music that keeps me listening. If Blane Fonda could get their tunes on radio, we could definitely flourish from it. People still listen to radio, and if we could reach them through radio, it could only help us draw a larger fan base.
19. What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I fish for musky.
20. What kind of hidden talents do you have?
I can blow bubbles off my tongue.
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Sep 17
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Here are some photos of the family of James Robert Fonda (1816-1891), born in West Troy, Rensselaer Co., NY in 1816, who settled in Wyoming, Lee Co., IL prior to 1870. He was reportedly an orphan at 9 years old, although the burial record of father is in 1837, so he could have been adopted. He became a blacksmith and married Alzina Bacon of Fulton, Oswego Co., NY in December 1837. She died in 1852, leaving him with six children. He then married Jane E. Hendricks, the daughter of John Hendricks of Wayne Co., NY and had five more children. They moved to Wyoming, Illinois after the Civil War, with the four youngest children, founding a Methodist Episcopal Church in about 1870.
One son, Fitch Fenton Fonda (1840-1864), born in Fulton, Oswego Co., NY, served in the Civil War for the New York 59th Infantry (Private) in the Battles of Wilderness and Weldon Railroad. He was taken prisoner on June 22, 1864 and died of disease at Andersonville Confederate Prison on October 2, 1864. He is buried at the Andersonville National Cemetery.
Another son, Erwin Roselle Fonda (1844-1919), born in Fulton, Oswego Co., NY, also served in the Civil War for the New York 147th Infantry (Corporal) in the Battles of Wilderness, Chancellorsville and Hatcher’s Run. He caught Typhoid Fever and was slightly wounded as well. He was discharged, went home to Illinois, then returned to the war as a Secretary to a Quartermaster. Later he became an Engineer with the Union Pacific and was headquartered in Omaha, NE as of 1881.
A notable descendant of this family is Albert Neir Brown (1905-2011), great grandson of James Robert Fonda, born in North Platte, NE and raised in Council Bluffs, IA, where he excelled in sports and became involved in the ROTC. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen Johnson in 1925, attended Creighton University School of Dentistry, established a dental practice, started a family and became a licensed pilot. He had continued in the ROTC in college and afterwards in the reserves at the rank of First Lieutenant. He was called to active duty in October 1940 (Capt. in Dental Corps) and when war broke out he was stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, which was attacked and overrun by the Japanese just hours after Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He was captured and survived the infamous Bataan Death March and over three years as a Japanese prisoner of war. Upon his release, he was treated for three years at Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver. He then moved to Hollywood, Calif. where his sister and brother-in-law were involved in show business. He worked in the real estate business, became an active member of the Hollywood YMCA and an avid handball player. In 1993 Albert moved to Pinckneyville, Ill. where he made his home with his daughter. He died in a nursing home in Nashville, Illinois, on August 14, 2011, at the age of 105. At the time of his death he was the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March. He was also listed as the oldest living WWII veteran. He had been awarded the Purple Heart, the Philippine Defense Ribbon with one star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Defense Ribbon with one star, the American Theater Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon and the WWII Victory Medal. [link] [link] [link] [link]
