The 100 year wind is the notion that a totally random event – in this case the strongest wind to blow by in 100 years – could huff and puff and blow the house down and there’s absolutely nothing we could do to predict or prevent it. It could happen in 100 years or 100 hours. It could be the 100 year wave, the 100 year rain storm, or in my case since I run a food plant, the 100 year ingredient shortage.
We can’t design for it and if it happens, we can’t avoid it. No one writes bankruptcy or illness into their business plan. We can, however, try to be ready for it. It’s a lot more than taking out an insurance policy.
Grandma’s safety net #1 – Train the staff. Only 15 employees and they’re trained to work to top industry standards used in major food plants. Why? Because we can. Because we can control the variables like inspection of raw materials, employee hygiene, the condition of the ventilation system, the way we clean and sanitize. With so many variables out of our control in that big wide world, we control everything we can.
