SupHerb Farms

SupHerb Farms is a leading grower and processor of IQF culinary herbs based in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley. For more than 25 years, they have served as a farm-to-freezer supplier for foodservice operators and food manufacturers the world over.

Sustained Growth in Food & Agricultural Manufacturing

Unsatisfied with the patchwork improvement efforts of previous partners, SupHerb Farms was in search of a different kind of consultant – one that could not only deliver better workflows but also motivate employees to embrace the Continuous Improvement mindset on a personal level. The team at Leading North Advisors dove right in and worked with all levels of staff to gain a deep understanding of the business and the trust of their people. Through one-on-one coaching, training, and improvement events, LNA fostered a fundamental shift in the company culture at SupHerb Farm – revitalizing the company from the inside out.

Challenges

SupHerb Farms wanted to operate more efficiently across the board – from growing fields to manufacturing plants. But truly, the company’s focus was on rapid growth rather than cost reduction. In order to remain competitive and accommodate increased demand, their main goal was freeing up capacity and developing their people in order to take on more business. Company leadership knew, however, that initiating that kind of large-scale change would be the main challenge, requiring significant employee buy-in and an evolution of the company’s culture.

Performance Improvements
across the Board

Over 18 months, Leading North Advisors have touched all aspects of the organization – from high-level business strategy to more granular everyday tasks. At the factory level, Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs) have made processes more robust, able to produce more with less labor. In the home office, LNA’s consultants innovated new product development, sales, and marketing workflows. But beyond production gains, LNA’s team worked individually with staff members to achieve the culture shift SupHerb Farms was truly after.

Increased Entperise Productivity

Lead-Time Reductions

Daily Improvement Culture

“We’ve used other consultants, and I have never seen someone cherish individuals and work as hard to improve people like LNA does. Business is made up of people, not machines. Their ability to connect with people and get them to see the value in what they’re teaching is just exceptional.

 
— Matt Reid, SupHerb Farms CEO

Leading Growth from Top to Bottom

The consultants at Leading North advisors stepped in to act as trainers, mentors, and coaches within all levels of the organization. Leadership coaching and key individual coaching were critical to shifting the company culture and employee mindset.

There was a learning curve, but soon workers and business leaders began to internalize the changes and improvements they were seeing within in the organization.Coaching at the executive level also revealed a path forward for company leadership to manage and measure their company’s transformation, as well as better prioritize new projects.
 

Working in partnership, Leading North Advisors and SupHerb Farms have developed a strategic plan that will carry them to even more sustained growth in the coming years.