Good morning.
Let’s take a break from Big Tech to look at three business models that are thriving right now with real-world products.
On a steamy summer day in New York, a cold-storage company from Michigan racked up the biggest public offering of the year. Lineage raised $4.4 billion yesterday in its Nasdaq debut, selling nearly 57 million shares for $78 each. As befits a man who oversees about 3 billion cubic feet of refrigerated warehousing, CEO Greg Lehmkuhl was notably cool about the hot debut.
“Do I want to do earnings calls every quarter? I don’t,” Lehmkuhl said. “This was about optimizing the cost of capital.” Translation: It’s cheaper to raise money through issuing shares or raising funds as an audited public company than as one that’s private. It’s also easier to spread wealth throughout the company.
It’s notable that Lineage’s growth comes through making tactile products—in this case, building an infrastructure around preserving food. Lehmkuhl is not that worried about a volatile political climate: “People are going to eat, no matter who’s in power.”
People are also seeking ways to connect and make an impact, which bodes well for those who can turn their businesses into a village green. I recently spoke to Tom Nolan, CEO of Kendra Scott, for our Leadership Next podcast. He has helped founder Scott build a billion-dollar jewelry brand by combining affordable luxury and philanthropy. The retail chain hosted some 21,000 events in 134 stores this past year, most of which were rooted in philanthropy where a portion of sales supports a cause.
“We feel like we’re a part of the fabric of the community,” Nolan said, “and it’s because of the events, it’s because of our reach out into the community, it’s because of the charitable nature of our business. We become more than just selling goods to somebody, it’s selling an experience, and it’s selling something greater than that.” (Listen to the podcast here.)
One of the most visionary CEOs I met this week was Taylor Shupe. I know him as the founder of the wildly popular sock brand Stance. (Well, it’s wildly popular in my house, at least.) A few years ago, Shupe left to start circular knitwear manufacturer FutureStitch. Along with trying to create new materials and processes to reduce waste, Shupe is creating a new manufacturing business model that’s addressing a critical social need.
He’s turning a manufacturing facility in California into a campus where formerly incarcerated women can get housing, childcare, services and a job. The goal is to give them the kind of training and support network that most women lose when they go to jail. “It’s like taking an individual who has been treated as if they were a waste product and creating a culture for them to thrive,” said Shupe.
More news below.
Diane Brady
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AROUND THE WATERCOOLER
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This edition of CEO Daily was curated by Nicholas Gordon.
