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Linda Graebner
CORE San Francisco
LG Associates
4096 Piedmont Avenue
Suite 123
Oakland, CA 94611
phone: 510-759-7222
fax: 510-428-0482
email: linda@lindagraebner.com
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Linda Graebner brings expertise in growing consumer
products and particularly housewares companies.
In her position as President & CEO for Tilia,
she transformed this relatively small, unprofitable
company into a leading manufacturer of premier lines
of small electric kitchen appliances and ultimately
led the sale of Tilia to Jarden Corp. (NYSE Fortune
500). She brings extensive experience in fnancial
re-structuring, selecting and scaling global manufacturing
and distribution, leading new product innovation
and building and re-structuring an organization.
She played a key role in several acquisitions that
led Jarden to grow ten-fold within three years.
Linda also brings extensive experience serving
on the Board of Directors of a number of private
and public companies including several housewares
companies. Linda also served as Chairman of the
Board of Directors of the International Housewares
Association (IHA).
Since leaving Tilia, Linda founded LG Associates,
a consulting firm which specializes in creating
and implementing business growth plans for consumer,
manufacturing and retail businesses to help "jump
start" their top-line growth by identifying
new markets, products and channels as well as assisting
in plan execution.
Prior to Tilia, Ms. Graebner held various executive-level
positions in consumer products companies such as
the Dole Food Company, James River Corp. and Crown
Zellerbach Corp.
"CORE members value being part of a
professional group of executives with a wide range
of talent and experience. Candid discussions and
shared insights provide each member the tools and
inspiration to grow their business to the next level."
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Dan has been a management and research consultant since
1986. He started his first consulting firm, Prime Consulting
Group, in 1996 and turned it over to his partner in 2003
when he launched Raftery Resource Network.
R2N is a diverse team of independent professionals from
consumer goods production and distribution industries,
who solve business problems for clients in any segment
of the supply chain. R2N functions as a change agent for
innovative solutions tailored to the individual client.
Dan has authored over three-dozen reports on a variety
of leading-edge subjects for food, drug and housewares
industry associations. For individual companies, he and
his network team deliver custom assignments for manufacturers,
wholesalers, retailers and service providers to the consumer
goods industry. Dan is a regular columnist and featured
writer for Advantage magazine.
Since 2002, Dan has developed the IHA State of the
Industry Report and the annual Compensation Report.
Dan also authored the Reverse Auctions White Paper
for IHA. He is one of the facilitators for IHA's CORE
groups.
"Each CORE group is a unique brain trust of entrepreneurs
who bring diverse experiences and insights into the housewares
businesss. All it takes is one key takeaway to make the
time investment a no-braner. Meetings help the bottom
line and offer a bit of business therapy."
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Chuck Rosner
CORE East Coast
CIR Assoc LLC
5 Taylor Road
Huntington, NY 11743
phone: 631-271-8149
fax: 631-424-8440
email: cros117@optonline.net
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Chuck Rosner has more than 20 years of experience
in the housewares industry, serving as president
and chief executive of several manufacturing
companies, including Robinson Knife Manufacturing
Company, EKCO Housewares and GemcoWare Inc.
He currently is president of CIR Associates
LLC in Huntington Bay, N.Y.
His jobs outside the industry included group
vice president of Cole National Corporation
and vice president of marketing for American
Greeting Corporation.
Chuck is a charter member of CORE, and over
the years has served on boards and committees
for several industry associations, including
GMDC’s General Merchandise Advisory
Board, IHA’s Education Committee and
the Board of Directors of the American Cutlery
Manufacturer’s Association.
"The biggest benefit of belonging
to a CORE group is the camaraderie that one
feels with industry peers after the discussions,
the socializing and networking that takes
place at the quarterly meetings."
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Testimonials: Our CORE Members Say It Best
Listen to these testimonials (.wav format)
Rick
Martz, President, STYLETTE
Barry
Harper, CEO, Harper Brush Works, Inc.
James
Glenn, President/CEO, Whitney Design, Inc.
Marilyn
Beckham, Chairman, Cadillac Shoe Products, Inc.
John
Roberts, President, Kitchen Supply Co.
Lynn
Conway, President/CEO, Terra Coasters
Bob
Sachs, President, Arden Companies
Don
Switzer, Executive Director, Westgate Center, Inc.
Some additional comments from your industry colleagues:
“The information and relationships I have
gotten from my CORE group are of a higher quality, interest
and value than any other forum I have participated in
during my career.”
“CORE gives me the opportunity to take off the
blinders…I walk away from each meeting energized
and with ideas on how to improve my business.”
“It’s always hard to give up a day, but missing
a meeting costs both me and my company a great deal more.”
“After a CORE meeting, I feel revitalized and ready
to conquer the issues.”
“I’m able to acquire knowledge from a four-hour
meeting that would take years of experience to learn by
trial and error.”
“CORE gives me a reality check on my business as
well as tips and inspiration for improving it.”
“The cross-fertilization of ideas has been invaluable.”
“CORE has fulfilled a long-standing professional
and personal need to discuss industry conditions and company-level
challenges within a forum of my peers.”
“It’s like having a private consulting service
available to you.”
CORE
Agenda Highlights
The agendas at each session are always relevant as they
reflect the input of group members.
Agenda highlights—See what issues your
colleagues are addressing:
- Reverse Auctions, “Shoot-outs” and Sealed
Bids
- Developing Private Label Programs with Retailers:
Pros and Cons
- Warehouse Inventory Shrink Management
- Supplier Sourcing in Asia
- Targeting Small Independents for New Business Growth
- How to Outsource
- Review of the International Housewares Show
- The Internet: What works and what doesn’t?
- Cybermarketing: What are the opportunities and problems
of marketing on the internet?
- Web Share: Web site demonstrations and review by members
with online capabilities
- POS Data: What to do with it?
- Rep Selection, Motivation, Management and Contracts
- Incentives: What do we measure; what do we offer?
- Staffing: Finding, attracting, compensating and keeping
good people
- Policy Manuals: How much and when?
- Supplier Survival: Dealing with a market where there
are fewer, larger, and more demanding customers
- Five Imperative Steps for Successful Merger and Acquisition
Management
- Unauthorized Deductions and Claims Dilemmas
- The Challenges of Chargebacks and Credits
- “What have you done in the last 90 days to make
your company/business better?”
CORE
Guest Presentations
Guest presentations, also selected by the group, enhance
each agenda. Here are some of the critical topics addressed
at recent meetings.
- Minimum Advertised Pricing Agreements &
the Robinson-Patman Act
Vedder, Price
- Insurance Negotiation, Timing & Coverage
Insurance Consulting Associates
- Housewares Packaging: The Power of Packaging
Tulino Design
- Expense Reduction
Arlene Kahn
- Intellectual Property: Copyright, Patent &
Trade Dress Infringement
Kirkland & Ellis Law Firm
- Branding & Brand-building
Adrienne Weiss Corporation
- Design Dynamics: It’s Value & Importance
in New Product Launch
Cousins Design
- Freight Program: How to Secure the Best Rates
Transport Players Alliance
- Growing Your Business
Dick Albu
- The Internet
Impact Communications
- Trade and Tariffs
Economic Consulting Services, Inc.
- The Maquiladora Program in Mexico
American Industries International Corp.
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