Evergreen Natural Foods is a Crescent Valley’s specialty retailer that features a broad range of quality products: organic produce, natural food groceries, vitamins and supplements, quality pet supplies, and natural beauty products. Founded in 1990 by Kit and Dave Mason, Evergreen started as a dirt-floor fruit stand and has now grown to become a full service health food grocery store. It continues to be a family-run business with core values of health, integrity, honesty, and generosity.
Category: Retail
West’s Department Stores
West’s Department Stores included a diverse selection of retail stores, with specific product and service offerings, including Ellison’s Market, GE Appliances, Home Hardware, West’s Travel, West’s Fashions, and Sleep Experience.
Letter of Reference
May 2008
Hartley Berg was hired as our General Manager on September 2007. His contractual position was set for an 8 month period and was hired to support Business Development for Ellison’s Market & Cafe, Wests Home Hardware, Wests GE Appliance Centre, West’s Travel, Wests Fashion and Sleep Experience.
Hartley set out to quickly learn about all the operations and began to identify, plan and launch initiatives to build communications and training among over 80 of his general staff and Managers. This included the creation of comprehensive Policy & Procedure Training Manuals for each business. Team building was certainly one of Hartley’s gifts. Hartley’s personal approach to quality service also won the hearts of our customers. Over some time, we clearly saw that sales and profits were exceeding expectations. Existing customers shopped more often and new customers were coming in. We attribute this, in large part, due to Hartley’s ability to motivate and stimulate new and positive directions for all our businesses.
Hartley’s mandate was to identify areas of concerns and issues and to inspire a proactive approach to staff training, day-to-day operational activities as well as business and marketing development strategies. Hartley provided conflict resolution training and created consensus among management, staff, customers and suppliers.
Hartley quickly defined, created and launched effective marketing initiatives that helped to build our business profiles within our communities. The results of his efforts could be measured with increased customer counts and increases in average dollars spent per customer. Hartley initiated, created and launch a natural foods Café in Ellison’s Market, with live music every Saturday. He produced print and radio advertising campaigns and trained our staff in effective product merchandising and layout strategies to optimize store space, visual effectiveness and ultimately sales. Hartley supported structural changes, systems and procedures, community fund-raising, customer appreciation events, product purchasing and strategic financial management, to name a few.
As one of Hartley’s Senior Managers of West’s Department Stores, I can say without hesitation that Hartley was directly responsible for bringing our businesses to the next level of success. Chairing weekly management meetings, Hartley brought about a way to optimize our collective efforts. Having served in our community as President of the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce, I have worked closely with many Business and Marketing Consultants. Hartley has earned my respect and gratitude for his abilities and integrity. He has also earned the respect of many within our business communities. Hartley has effectively supported business development and positive change for all of our businesses in both Castlegar and Nelson.
I give Hartley my highest recommendations for any company looking to build their business.
Sincerely,
Mark Melnyk
West’s Department Stores Ltd.
Castlegar, British Columbia
Noah’s Natural Foods
Hartley Berg has worked as my Store Manager for over five years. During this time, Hartley has excelled in all areas of business management, including marketing and financial systems and analysis. The results of his efforts are reflected in: the increase of YOY sales within virtually all product categories; positive customer, staff and supplier relations, and ensuring a consistently smooth-running overall store operation.
Hartley developed and launched our extensive private-label brand of products, which proved highly successful; Noah’s vitamins and nutritional supplements, pastas, veggie burgers, snacks and beverages categories.
Hartley created and implemented a comprehensive Policy and Procedure staff training manual. This has enhanced employee productivity and customer service quality.
Hartley developed an on-going consumer product demonstrating program, utilizing extensive support from many of our suppliers, which effectively built product and brand awareness – leading to customer appreciation and impressive sales growth.
Further, Hartley provided assistance in the opening of our second Noah’s store, where he created and managed Toronto/Canada’s first commercial hydraulically-pressed juice bar and vegetarian café, which became a leading source of revenues for this new store.
In summary, Hartley has consistently demonstrated strong work ethics, every day, and displays creative and effective management skills. His loyalty to my company and to the natural products industry has been truly inspiring. I extend my thanks and gratitude to have had Hartley Berg as my Manager in charge of my operations.
Dave Titcher, President
Noah’s Natural Foods
322 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Noah’s commitment to excellence in producing the healthiest and most delicious fresh juices in Toronto comes from our belief in the importance of drinking the juice of fresh/organic vegetables, fruits, berries and grasses. We begin each day with Nature’s finest bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits. After special cleaning and preparation, they are ready for our unique processing methods. Then, each variety of produce is pulverized into fine particles, then hydraulically pressed between fine mesh cloths to release every tasty, nutritious drop. This process is completed without the use of heat or pasteurization, and with minimal exposure to oxygen, which breaks down the nutrients. Our commercial hydraulic juice press will extract the vitamins, minerals and other vital elements from vegetables and fruits while retaining the live enzymes more completely than any other juice producing method.
Noah’s freshly pressed juices are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, and purified water. Because it is in liquid form, fresh raw juices supply nutrition that is not wasted to fuel its own digestion. As a result, the bodycan quickly and easily make maximum use of all the nutrition that fresh juices offer.
Scientific evidence recognizes the ability of raw food nutrients to help build up our immune system and to shelter us from the ever increasing toxins and pollutants in our air, water and foods. Presently, raw juices are successfully utilized to aid in recovery from a number of ailments and conditions and to maintain abundant energy to keep us in good health. Enjoy the health benefits of Noah’s delicious selection of blended juice recipes prepared fresh daily on the premises, or let us cater to your specific needs.
To maintain optimal health, consume fresh raw juices daily. To compliment our juices, Chef Raymond creates a delicious and nutritious selection of all natural fresh vegetarian foods, prepared daily for take-out and catering.