Gordon's Celebrates 100 years

Reaching a centennial anniversary is a testament to longevity and a brand’s unwavering dedication to core principles that resonate across generations. It’s a milestone achieved by few, marked by a relentless commitment to quality, integrity, ethics, an innovative spirit, and the agility to evolve alongside societal and scientific advancements. Gordon’s proudly celebrates 100 years of unparalleled success.

Achieving 100 years is no easy feat so we spent an hour with the fifth founder, W. Everett Mealman, chairman emeritus of the PBI-Gordon’s board of directors and Allen Baumstark, senior director consumer & commercial sales, to get the inside scoop on how Gordon’s evolved their offerings and services to deliver unique value to its customers, all while staying true to the core brand principals. At 95, Mealman is a living bridge to the company’s inception. His unique insights not only illuminate the remarkable history of Gordon’s but also embody the resilience and innovation that have been the hallmark of its century-long legacy.

Mealman will celebrate his 96th birthday in September, and he isn’t planning on retiring. It’s possible that he’s the only person alive who was around when the company started. Building relationships is part of his unrivaled success as a leader, entrepreneur, and mentor to many people over his long-tenured career.

The People and Relationships Define Gordon’s Legacy

Mealman told AcreageLife that he doesn’t plan to slow down.

“From my point of view, I really value the relationship I have with the employees of our company. It keeps my mind working. I’m not chairman anymore but still on the board.”

For many years, Mealman always made it a point to meet with each new employee personally. Baumstark said, “I know when I was hired, and I think almost every salesperson who has been hired since then has met with Mr. Mealman. They talk to him and he tells them a little bit about the company’s history, his expectations and the expectations of the rest of the employee-owners.”

That is just one of many examples of how Gordon’s reinforced its “brand” over the last century.

When asked about his favorite aspect of his job, Mealman immediately cited his relationships.

“I always loved to walk around the office and talk with some people, different people in different areas of the company. And that, to me, was one of my favorite things to do. I might walk into somebody’s office and say, what’s new today? What’s going on? When you get them to talk, you’d be surprised what they’ll tell you. Then, you walk down the hall and talk to another person. You get another or similar story, but you tie the two together. I always enjoyed that,” Mealman said.

These daily interactions are not just about building relationships; they’re the heartbeat of the company’s culture.

Gordon’s legacy is a tapestry woven by the individuals whose contributions have been pivotal in its evolution. Among these stories of dedication is one that Baumstark was chomping at the bit to tell. Sandi Genz’s dedication to quality customer service for over 30 years is truly inspiring.

“So, Gordon’s is a little different; almost every employee you walk across is a co-owner. But when I went through the interview process, I sat at a desk, waiting for my interview, and the person to my right was the customer service representative. Sandi Genz is her name. She’d been with the company at that time, probably 30 years,” Baumstark said.

“Every interaction that she had on the phone was always positive. She was always very patient; She listened to them, and she tried to take care of any issues. She made sure to process those orders and work with the manufacturing plant, ensuring everything was online, but she was always a very happy person.” Sandi Genz’s contribution highlights the personal dedication that forms the foundation of Gordon’s company culture.

Q&A With Gordon’s Leadership

Gordon Chemical was founded in 1924 by George C. Gordon. The company focused on pesticides, paint thinners and various chemical products sold primarily in farm stores, lumber yards and hardware stores. Gordon Chemical changed hands a couple of times before it was purchased in 1956 by Private Brands, Inc., now PBI-Gordon Companies. Today, PBI-Gordon Companies is the parent company of PBI-Gordon Corp., Pegasus Labs and PetAg.

Gordon’s brands deliver the dependable, economic products property owners need to care for their lawns, landscapes, and farms. Over the years, Gordon’s steadily burgeoned into a symbol of excellence, embedding its legacy into the hearts of farm customers’ hearts alike. It garnered acclaim for its quality and value, all while fostering a culture of innovation and integrity admired by vendors and partners. This unique blend of qualities cemented Gordon’s status as a trusted name, setting standards for others to follow.

Welcome to our Q&A session, where we delve into the insights and experiences of two remarkable individuals, Mealman and Baumstark. We can’t help but admire Mealman and Baumstark’s mutually supportive relationship, their knack for finishing one another’s sentences and their shared love for Gordon’s.

Q: Reflecting on your role as “The Fifth Founder,” what responsibilities come with this title?

Mealman: I was right there in the early stages of decisions. The four founders took me to lunch with them every day. I was able to hear their stories and develop an understanding of their ethics. Back then, the pesticide industry was not that well regulated; there were a lot of cheaters out there. We had a situation where they had to make this decision. Do they cheat or compete? They said, no, we’re going to continue with quality products, and we’re not going to cheat. We’re going to do what’s right.

I was earmarked to run this company, so I had to be given tremendous responsibility at a very young age. Mr. Mueller, my immediate superior, mentored me and trained me to run the company.

Q: What advice would you give to Gordon’s current and future leaders to ensure continued success?

Mealman: One: maintain our culture, and that’s not easy to do. As new people come in, they try to do it their way; they think the culture has to be changed. I also say that our basic culture is how we treat our employees, our customers and vendors. Treat everybody fairly. We have a set of values of honesty and integrity necessary to maintain our culture. Secondly, think like entrepreneurs do.

Q: Reflecting on your tenure, what is the most pivotal moment for Gordon’s under your leadership?

Mealman: The most pivotal decision we’ve made was changing directions of our company, from private label to creating our own brand. We chose the name Gordon’s and that became our focal point.

Q: How did the values you championed shape the company’s business approach and interactions with the community?

Mealman: Well, I was mayor of Leawood, Kansas, a local community here, and I approached that position much the same way I was running the company with strong leadership. Probably best of all, building relationships with not only various groups in the community but also with the city council.

And without the service in the community, we wouldn’t have Trimec.

Q: Gordon’s is celebrating its 100th anniversary. How do you feel about this milestone, and what does it signify for the company?

Mealman: Well, we spent many years developing a reputation and building relationships. We built a reputation of having ethical standards, providing reliable and unusual products that were different.

Baumstark: There are a lot of successes, there are some valleys and you learn and grow. When you look back to the people who preceded me, it’s evident the amount of work they put in and the relationships they fostered that keep resonating and giving back to the company. You also have to have really good products. When you look at the team that PBI has put together, the formulators to make superior products, that’s what you strive for. When somebody goes into a store and they see Gordon’s brand, they feel confident that the product is going to work the way it’s supposed to work.

The retailer feels confident when we come to them and say that we have a new product we would like to put on their shelf. Here’s the benefits for them and here’s the benefits for the end user. This is why we’re doing what we’re doing, and I think that’s how you survive 100 years. It’s the people, it’s the products and it’s relationships.