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FOOD AND DRINK NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 (con't)

The Chicago office has operated the DSD system since its start in 1975 with one driver and one vehicle. Today, Bridgford Foods now serves retailers with a fleet of nearly 300 vehicles throughout the United States and Canada.

The company's DSD system is comprised of full-time Bridgford employees that drive Bridgford vehicles nationwide. These employees do everything at store level from rotating product and refilling displays to setting up promotional displays and communicating directly with store management.

By offering this level of service, retailers are able to utilize their in-store employees elsewhere and leave everything related to the Bridgford products in the hands of DSD employees. "We like to take as much work off the retailer's shoulders as possible," Baron BridgfordII says. "Once store management agrees to a particular display, we like to tell them that their job is done. They enjoy the personalized service that we offer, and we enjoy providing it."

Bridgford notes that the company trains its DSD sales force by having them ride with members of its management for a couple of weeks. "All of our field management, regional managers and directors of sales were at one time route drivers themselves who proved to be exceptionally capable and motivated," he says. "Part of their responsibilities are also to run routes when a member of our sales force goes on vacation or leaves the company, which keeps everyone familiar with our DSD system and close to our customers at store leve."

The personal training by management, Bridgford says, helps quickly foster strong relations between regional managers and its sales force. "If something isn't working, we can identify the problem quickly and react before it's too late," he adds.

"We also have support available through our chicago office, should our team run into technical problems in the field when their manager isn't available," Bridgford continues. The company makes sure its staff is familiar with its entire product line, inventory and distribution system, as well as logistics.

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