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National Ice Cream Retailers Association

DECEMBER 2013 - $25.00

IN THIS ISSUE Ice Cream Clinic Review.....................................................1 Caramel Apple Sucker Named Best Candy Flavor.............3 Supplier Officers Elected....................................................3 First Iron Scoop Contest.....................................................4 New Officers And Board Members Elected.......................6 Shaine’s Of Maine Wins Promotion Award........................6 This S&@! Just Got Serious Named Your Best New Flavor.............................................................6 Ten Students Win Scholarship Awards...............................8 Butter Prices.......................................................................8 Aglamesis Bros. 100th Anniversary Celebration...............8 New Active Members.......................................................10 Chuck & Paula Kenyon Receive Award...........................10 The Buttons Honored for Make A Wish Contributions....12 Business Owners, Do You Have Obamacare Paralysis?..12 Officers, Board Members, Supplier Officers....................16

IcE crEam clINIc rEvIEwEach year, members of The National Ice Cream Retailers Association, who make their own ice cream, submit samples of their ice cream to a professor of dairy science, prior to the Annual Convention, to be analyzed and compared to ice cream standards. This year Dr. Tonya Schoenfuss, Univer-sity of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota analyzed samples of vanilla and strawberry ice cream submitted by members of the association. A total of 24 vanilla samples, 14 strawberry samples were submitted. The ice cream is scored, according to color, texture, taste, bacterial count, and many other factors. Blue Ribbons are awarded to those scoring the highest marks, then Red Rib-bons, and White Ribbons. The following winners received their certificates at the Asso-ciation’s 80th Annual Convention, held November 5-7, 2013 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

VANILLA ICE CREAMBlue Ribbon: Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co., Madison, WI (Old Fashioned Vanilla)

VANILLA ICE CREAMRed Ribbons: Blue Ridge Ice Cream/Dewey’s Bakery, Winston Salem, NC Cliff’s Ice Cream, Ledgewood, NJ Custard’s Last Stand, Lee’s Summit, MO (CLS Vanilla Frozen Custard) Double Dip, Lebanon, OH Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, TX The Ice Cream Club, Boynton Beach, FL (Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Frozen Yogurt) Karen’s Kreamery, Avondale, AZ

2 NICRA December 2013

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King Cone, Plover, WI (Simply Vanilla) Queen City Creamery, Cumberland, MD (Vanilla Frozen Custard) Royal Scoop Ice Cream, Bonita Springs, FL Scoop DeVille, Hartford, WI Sno Top, Ltd., Manlius, NY (Vanilla Ice Cream 10% Special) Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI (Vanilla & Vanilla Bean) VANILLA ICE CREAMWhite Ribbons: Aglamesis Brothers, Cincinnati, OH (French Vanilla) Anderson’s Frozen Custard, Williamsville, NY Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, KY

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAMBlue Ribbon: Cliff’s Ice Cream, Ledgewood, NJ

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM Red Ribbons: Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, KY Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, TX The Ice Cream Club, Boynton Beach, FL King Cone, Plover, WI (Strawverry) Royal Scoop Ice Cream, Bonita Springs, FL Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAMWhite Ribbons: Anderson’s Frozen Custard, Williamsville, NY Karen’s Kreamery, Avondale, AZ

Next year the Ice Cream Clinic Review will examine vanilla, chocolate and dark chocolate ice cream.

3NICRA December 2013

“caramEl applE SUckEr IcE crEam” NamEd BEST caNdy Flavor “Caramel Apple Sucker Ice Cream was named the best candy flavor at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association An-nual Meeting recently held at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri, November 5-7, 2013. The Best Flavor contest is held each year in conjunction with the Ice Cream Clinic Review at the annual meeting. The ice cream is formulated and produced by King Cone, Plover, Wisconsin. The company won the coveted First Place for its flavor. A total of 16 new candy flavors were submitted by NICRA members. Each flavor is sampled by convention attendees and a vote is taken by ballot at the meeting. The winner was announced during the annual banquet at the end of the meeting.

Caramel Toffee Crunch Ice Cream produced by Karen’s Kreamery, Avondale, AZ, took second place. Third place was given to Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI for Brickle Chip Ice Cream. Honorable Mentions were also given to Clear River Pecan Co., Fredericksburg, TX for Oh Joy Ice Cream; Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, TX for Black Licorice Ice Cream and Cliff’s Ice Cream, Ledgewood, NJ for Mounds Ice Cream.

SUpplIEr oFFIcErS ElEcTEd

The National Ice Cream Retailers Suppliers Association elected new Officers at its 80th Annual Meeting held Novem-ber 5-7 2013 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

Elected as president of the association was Andrew Jones, Lloyd’s of Pennsylvania, Exton, Pennsylvania. Hank Sweeney, Classic Mix Partners, Neenah, Wisconsin was elected as vice president and elected as secretary/treasurer was Lisa Gallagher, ConAgra Foods, Naperville, Illinois. Mary Kircher, Dingman’s Dairy, Paterson, New Jersey be-comes chairman.




FIrST IroN Scoop coNTEST

The National Ice Cream Retailers Association held its first ever Iron Scoop Contest during its 80th Annual Meeting & Trade Show held at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, November 5-7, 2013.

Two teams of five members were randomly chosen to participate in the contest; each team consisted of two veteran ice cream makers and three first time attendees who may or may not have ever made ice cream.

The red team had veteran members Pete Freund, Cliff’s Ice Cream, Ledgewood, NJ and Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper, Mammoth Spring, AR. Rounding out the team were new members Bill Lodde, Igloo Frozen Custard, Lafayette, IN; Ben Bally, Uncle Bob’s Homemade Ice Cream, Eureka, IL; and Mark Robinson, Robinson’s Really Good, Oak Park, IL.

Veteran members of the blue team were Ben Klosinski, King Cone, Plover, WI and Ray Murray, Sweet Temptations, Spring Lake, MI. First time members included John Crandell, Scoops from the Past, Panguitch, UT; Amy Leis, Zozo’s Ice Cream, Marlton, NJ; and Don Lambert, The Colonel’s Creamery, Foster, KY.

Teams were given the rules by master of ceremony, Henry Gentry, Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, TX. Iron Scoop Contest rules:

Proper sanitation must be adhered to.1.

Making noise and having fun is permitted and en-2. couraged!

Must name your entry!3.

Each team must anoint a “captain” to be the spokes-4. person for that team.

Ice cream will be judged on creativity, taste and per-5. ceived “sellability.” Maximum value of 5 points for each of these areas to be awarded per flavor. Bonus points will be awarded to most creative use of secret ingredient and will be used as the tie breaker if nec-essary.

A minimum of 3 ingredients (including flavors) 6. must be used plus the secret ingredient.

The secret ingredient must be used7. in the ice cream!

Decision of the judges will be final and announced 8. at the Awards Dinner.

Both entries will be available for tasting at the Ice 9. Cream Clinic Vanilla and Strawberry tasting tables.

Winning team members and the flavor name will be 10. inscribed on the Iron Scoop Trophy, memorialized forever in NICRA history.

Teams then decided on what ingredients they wanted to use and Henry announced the secret ingredient that must be used in the ice cream – waffle cone pieces. Teams huddled together to formulate their flavor and then began pouring in-gredients into the batch freezers, one from Emery Thompson Machine in Brooksville, FL and one from Advanced Gourmet Equipment & Design in Greensboro, NC. After the required time in the batch freezers teams began to extrude their ice cream, adding mix-ins and ribbons, including the waffle cone pieces.

Teams also had to name their flavors. The red team flavor was Dulce de NICRA and the blue team flavor was Lunch Ladies’ Special. Jeff Myers, Double Dip, Lebanon, OH and Mark Leichtman, chairman of the Ice Cream Clinic Commit-tee were the judges. The winner, the blue team, with Lunch Ladies’ Special was announced at the awards banquet and the flavor name and team members will have their names inscribed on the Iron Scoop Trophy.




NEw oFFIcErS aNd Board oF dIrEcTorS ElEcTEd

The National Ice Cream Retailers Association elected new Officers and Board Members at its 80th Annual Convention held November 5-7, 2013 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

Elected as president of the association was Nanette Frey, Frey’s Tasty Treat, East Amherst, New York. Carl Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky was elected as president elect. Jim Oden, Debbie’s Soft Serve, Smiths-burg, Maryland was elected vice president. David Zimmer-mann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream, Bonita Springs, Florida becomes immediate past president. Elected to the board of directors for three-year terms were: James Brown, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; Mary Leopold, Leopold’s Ice Cream, Inc., Savannah, Georgia; Jim Marmion, Advanced Gourmet Equipment & Design, Greensboro, North Carolina; Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. Terms will expire with the November 2016 Annual Meeting.

SHaINE’S oF maINE IcE crEam wINS promoTIoN oF THE yEar award

The 25th Annual Promotion of the Year Award was presented to Jeff Shaine, Shaine’s of Maine Ice Cream, Sanford, Maine at the 80th Annual NICRA Meeting and Convention at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel, on November 5-7, 2013.

This year promotions were submitted by Carl and Debra Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Henry Gentry, Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, Tex-as; Lisa and David Cunningham, The Ice Cream Bar & Rootbeer Stand, Or-rville, Ohio; Jeffrey Shain, Shain’s of Maine Ice Cream, Sanford, Maine; Kelly Larson, Skoops Ice Cream, Spring Lake, Michi-gan; and Valerie Hoffman, Yummies, Warsaw, New York.

“THIS S&@! JUST GoT SErIoUS” IcE crEam NamEd yoUr BEST NEw Flavor

“This S&@! Just Got Serious” Ice Cream was named your best new flavor at the National Ice Cream Retailers Associa-tion Annual Meeting recently held at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri November 5-7, 2013. Your Best New Flavor contest is held each year in conjunc-tion with the Ice Cream Clinic Review at the annual meeting.

The ice cream is formulated and produced by Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, Wisconsin. The company won the coveted First Place for its new flavor. A total of 22 new flavors were submitted by NICRA member companies. Each flavor is sampled by convention attendees and a vote is taken by ballot at the meeting. The winner was announced during the annual banquet at the end of the meeting. King Cone, Plover, Wisconsin took second place with Lemon Pie Ice Cream. Third place went to The Ice Cream Club, Boynton Beach, Florida for Salty Caramel Peanut Ice Cream. Honor-able Mentions were given to Clear River Pecan Company, Fredricksburg, Texas for Peanut Butter Knuckle Sandwich Ice Cream; Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, Texas for Ginger Ice Cream and Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream, Bonita Springs, Florida for Cupid’s Love Potion Ice Cream.

The National Ice Cream Retailers Association is a trade organization whose members are in the retail ice cream; soft serve; frozen custard, gelato; frozen yogurt and water ice businesses. The members of NICRA are located all across the United States, Canada and several other countries. They operate hundreds of stores and have estimated annual sales in the millions. They employ thousands of full- and part-time employees. Since 1933, NICRA has helped hundreds of ice cream and frozen dessert entrepreneurs get started and prosper.




TEN STUdENTS wIN BrycE THompSoN ScHolarSHIp awardS

During the NICRA Annual Meeting recently held at the Hil-ton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, it was announced that ten employees of member stores will each be receiving a scholarship award. The winners and amounts of the award are: $3,500 Brian Virgile, Bassetts Ice Cream, Philadelphia, PA$2,500 Alicia Speaight, Spring Dipper, Mammoth Spring, AR $2,500 Theresa Corgan, Skoops Ice Cream, Spring Lake, MI$2,000 Brooke Scheider, Page Dairy Mart, Pittsburgh, PA$1,500 Marie Michels, Temptations Ice Cream Shop, Spring Lake, MI$1,000 Tiffany Weems, Shasta’s, Houston, TX$1,000 Candice Chantalou, BG’s Frosty Fare, LLC, Bowling Green, OH$1,000 Lora Sheridan, Anderson’s Frozen Custard, Williamsville, NY $1,000 LeAnn Smith, Sno Top, Ltd, Manlius, NY$1,000 Khailey Joiner, The Front Porch, Spring Lake, MI

This year, during the silent and live auctions at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri $18,396.50 was raised for the Bryce Thomson Scholarship Fund. The suppliers also agreed to contribute $4,000 and the Board of Directors of NICRA approved another $4,000 contribution, for a total of $26,396.50. Kelle Messer, Eskamoe’s Frozen Custard, Monroe, Louisiana, who coordinated both the silent and live auctions, did an outstanding job and the association is grateful to her. The association would also like to thank the team of volunteers who helped coordinate everything, as well as Vince Giordano who was the auctioneer. Thanks also to everyone who donated an article for the auctions and also everyone who attended the convention and were so generous with their donations.

The ice cream cone hat was a collaborative effort again this year. A team of attendees made a bid of $3,000. The team included Ben Klosinski, King Cone, Plover, WI; Mary Leo-pold, Leopold’s Ice Cream, Savannah, GA; Chuck Page, Page Dairy Mart, Pittsburgh, PA; Lynda Utterback, The National Dipper, Elk Grove Village, IL; and David Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream, Bonita Springs, FL.

The Bryce Thomson Scholarship was established in 1995 to honor Bryce Thomson, a long time member and past presi-dent of the association and author of the monthly association publication, “The Sundae School Newsletter.” He worked for Miller Dairy in Eaton Rapids, Michigan for 40 years and eventually became president of the company. He is the originator of the “Ice Cream Sundae Poll,” and the “Educa-tion Through Ice Cream” program which assisted a number of secondary schools with a teaching and learning concept in which students served up frozen treats during the noon hour

in an actual in-school ice cream parlor. The first, called the “Cold Tongue Ice Cream Parlor” was set up in Eaton Rapids, Michigan High School in 1973.

BUTTEr prIcES

October 25, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.4750 The weekly average was $1.4720. (2012 price was $1.8925)

Novenber 1, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.5325. The weekly average was $1.4965. (2012 price was $1.8910)

November 8, 2013 – Grade AA Butter finished at $1.5600. The weekly average was $1.5570. (2012 price was $1.8830

November 15, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.6500. The weekly average was $1.6105. (2012 price was $1.8660)

November 22, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.6800. The weekly average was $1.6580. (2012 price was $1.7033)

Support prices for butter start at $1.05. Butter prices are re-ported from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange every Friday. The Merc is considered a spot market for butter. Merc prices are important to dairy farmers because the value of the fat and fat differentials in raw milk are established from the prices quoted from the Exchange, and Merc prices are used in the BFP update.

aGlamESIS BroS. 100TH aNNIvErSary cElEBraTIoN

NICRA Member Aglamesis Bros., Inc. held its 100th an-niversary celebration of its Oakley location in Cincinnati, Ohio this past September. The celebration culminated in an evening festival throughout Oakley Square on Friday, Sep-tember 13th. The store was opened in the summer of 1913 by founders Thomas and Nicholas Aglamesis who immigrated to this country from Greece at the turn of the century. They opened their first shop in 1908 in nearby Norwood naming it The Metropolitan Confectionary. Soon after opening the Oak-ley location they sold the Norwood shop and re-named their Oakley store to Aglamesis Bros. The shop currently features all of the original fixtures from 1913 including the marble soda fountain, custom built 26-foot long candy case, Tiffany lamps on the soda fountain and paddle ceiling fans. The cel-ebration included free ice cream handed out in the esplanade, as well as free horse and buggy rides to commemorate when Thomas and Nicholas used to deliver ice cream by horse and buggy to patrons throughout the Norwood, Oakley and Hyde Park areas. The company is now run by Thomas’ son, James T. Aglamesis (87) and his children Randy Young and Dianne Lytle. They have a second location in the northeast suburb of Montgomery, Ohio. All ice cream and candies are manufac-tured in their plant, built in 1921, located behind the Oakley store.




NEw acTIvEmEmBErS

Nick Arrington6219 Featherbed Ln.Manassas, VA 20109703/966-8422Fax: 703/754-9621

Bop’s Frozen Custard of Jackson1173 E. County Line StoreJackson, MS 39211601/952-0661Fax: 601/898-1722www.bopsfrozencustard.comJames EckfordDanny WilliamsFC

Carp Custom Creamery3763 Carp Rd. Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0Canada613/839-3336Dustin TherrienDC, DD, SS, II

The Creamery at Daddy Joe’s626 Richard Wright Rd.Tabor City, NC 28463910/653-2155Fax: 910/653-4891www.taborcityjellystone.comRick ColemanJoey ColemanJesse ColemanWD, DD

Howard Milner1624 Eastus Dr.Dallas, TX 75208214/517-5841Fax: 214/217-2705MP, DD, SS

Ice Cream Company417 Robin Hood Dr.Modesto, CA 95350209/402-9347www.icemodesto.comBonnie AcreeJames Acree

Little Dickens2008 Wiggington Rd.Lynchburg, VA 24502434/401-8469Fax: 434/385-6382Danny GivensCortland Givens

Love’s Ice Cream435 Ionia Ave., SW, Stall 123Grand Rapids, MI 49503616/617-7416Chris McKellarDD

Mike’s Ice Cream & Yogurt, LLCP. O. Box 496Allenwood, NJ 08720732/312-4598Mike WashnakDD, YY

Uncle Bob’s Homemade Ice Cream 409 E. Center St.Eureka, IL 61530309/360-2211Fax: 309/467-4200www.unclebobsicecream.comBen Bally Bob BallyMP, FD

Zberry1368-1/2 E. 53rd St.Chicago, IL 60615773/855-8754www.myzberry.comZenzile PowellYY

NIcra mEmBErS cHUck & paUla kENyoN wErE prESENTEd wITH NEIcra pErSoN oF THE yEar award

Chuck and Paula Kenyon were presented with the Bob Bryson Person of the Year Award at New England Ice Cream Restaurant Associaiton’s Annual Meeting. The award is sponsored by The National Dipper and Lynda Utterback, publisher was on hand to present the award. She said

that a few years ago she presented this award to a couple. Well, this year it is also going to a couple. I asked several people, how would you describe them. The phrase old fashioned family values came up again and again. Let me tell you about them.

They met as teenagers during summer vacations with their families at Pettingill’s Campground, now Haigas Beach in Dennisport, Mass. He traveled from Malden and she travelled from Belmont. Not only did they fall in love, they fell in love with Cape Cod so it was natural when they married in 1972 to move to West Dennis on the Cape.

She attended Cape Cod Community College and Southeastern Mass University, now UMass Dartmouth. He was a graduate from Malden who studied electrical in high school. He worked for Fruean Utilities from 1969 to 1973, but when the recession hit, he was laid off. He started his own electrical contracting business while she continued to work at the local electric company.

During these years the couple worked hard, saving enough money to purchase a house on Indian Pond Road in West Dennis, which they gutted and expanded, creating an in-law apartment upstairs for her parents and an office down stairs for him.

By the late 1970s they were ready to start a family, which required a larger home. They bought seven acres behind their house and built their present home on it, nail by nail. They had a son, named Andrew and her parents retired and took care of him while she returned to work. Unfortunately, Andrew passed away suddenly last year.

The plan was to build townhouses on the remaining property. They built nine units, and she jokes that every time they poured a foundation she got pregnant. Justin was born in 1982 followed by Kyle in 1986 and Krista in 1990. While his children were growing up he began a 15-year


affiliation with youth baseball. They both participated in every facet of the program. By 1994, having worked 25 years in the electrical business he decided it was time for a change. She had always had an interest in the ice cream business. They embarked on a two-year study of the industry, found a location across from the Fire Station in West Dennis and opened Krista K’s on July 4, 1997. They built a complete family kitchen at the store so their four children and her mother could have dinner together every night during the six months that the business was open.

Although they own the equipment and do make some of their own product, they have a small dairy make most of their ice cream. He said he didn’t think he could have the same consistency with all the flavors if he made it himself. They added a large candy area, making all the fudge. There is a large “penny” candy selection.

They have also kept their promise to serve the community. They do a lot for the fire department across the street, making cakes for the firefighters on their birthdays and the firemen get discounts when they come into the store.

Every June they invite teachers from the local school to bring their students for a class party. Menu choices are provided in advance and students pay $1 each. The ice cream is also enjoyed at the Town Hall.

Most of their employees are high school and college students, some from abroad. Parents like having their teenagers work at the store because of the family atmosphere. The kids get along great, become friends and share everything. They keep in touch with employees who go off to college or return to their native countries at the season’s end. They never have to advertise for help.

They have both served as president of NEICRA. She served in 2004 and he served in 2009 and they have both served on many committees.

Congratulations Chuck and Paula Kenyon.




THE BUTToNS HoNorEd For THEIr coNTrIBUTIoNS To THE makE a wISH FoUNdaTIoN

Lynda Utterback had a chance to visit with Kim and Duane at their store and farm in 2008. They told me that in 2002 they drove from Griswold to the National Ice Cream Retailers meeting in San Diego, California. While they drove through Kansas, they saw fields of sunflowers growing. When they got home they looked into growing sunflowers since no one in the area grows them.

The next year Duane planted a one-acre field with sunflow-ers for customers to look at while they were eating their ice cream. He also used them to feed the cows after they bloomed. He found that many customers were asking if they could buy a bunch of sunflowers.

At the time Kim and Duane were trying to find a perfect fit for them to give back to the community. They received a solicitation to contribute to the Make A Wish Foundation and Duane actually threw it away. Then he thought better about the solicitation and took it out of the garbage. The Sunflowers for Wishes promotion was about to begin.

The Buttons purchase 400,000 sunflower seeds and plant them in several fields around the farm. They pay for the seeds, printing the brochures for the event and each year they design and print t-shirts that are sold to help the Make A Wish Foundation. It costs them approximately $10,000. About 50,000 sunflowers get picked by employees volunteering their time after work, friends, family and volunteers from the community. They are sold in bunches to customers and 100% of the sale is donated to the Make A Wish Foundation.

Duane staggers the planting so the blooms last longer. Over the years he built roads to get tractors with trailers into the fields for hay rides. Two years ago Duane designed and had built a tractor drawn 20-car cow train that young children could ride in and enjoy without a parent.

Last year the Buttons donated $110,982 to the Make A Wish Foundation. This year’s total was $91,267. Over the past ten years the Sunflowers for Wishes festival has raised nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in donations to the Make A Wish Foundation.

BUSINESS owNErS, do yoU HavE oBamacarE paralySIS? THE cUrE HINGES oN THrEE SImplE—yET amazINGly powErFUl—QUESTIoNS.

When it comes to employee healthcare coverage, “not deciding” is not an option. But what can you do when the rules keep changing, a thousand heated opinions vie for precedence in your brain, and the future is as murky as mud? Glenda Eoyang says you employ a decision-making model hinging on three simple yet powerful questions that will get you unstuck. Whether your politics are deep red, deep blue, or somewhere in between, the Affordable Care Act is making your life more difficult—or at least more confusing. There’s no end to the speculation on what Obamacare may cost companies. You’ve heard reports and rumors of owners dropping coverage, cut-ting full-time jobs to part-time, and passing costs along to employees. And if yours is a smaller company, the possibil-ity of receiving the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credits—which require switching to plans purchased through a government exchange—adds an extra layer of complica-tion. Frankly, all the handwringing and second-guessing has you paralyzed. You just don’t know what to do. Actually, says Glenda Eoyang, the answer is fairly simple: Stop awfulizing, make some decisions, and get back to work. In short, break your Obamacare paralysis. “At some point, you have to stop worrying and take action, even if you cannot predict the future or control what happens next,” says Eoyang, who along with coauthor Royce Holla-day wrote the new book Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncer-tainty in Your Organization (Stanford University Press, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-8047871-1-6, $27.95,www.adpativeaction.org). “It’s true that this is not the best of all possible decision-mak-ing situations. It combines the risks of uncertainty and high stakes. Still, you have to decide. And you can—once you get unstuck.” Why are so many business owners feeling stuck? Quite sim-ply, it’s because they have to make their healthcare decisions



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in a complex, shifting, and uncertain landscape of regulations and options. No matter how much research you do, no matter how many experts you consult, the future of healthcare in the U.S. is as unknowable as the future health of your employees. Your insurance decision space is wide open, dependent on many variables, and tied up with complex interdependencies. “And here’s the thing: These kinds of decisions aren’t just about the raw numbers,” adds Eoyang. “One must factor in ‘intangibles’ like employee engagement and goodwill and the long-term benefits of high productivity and low turnover. In the end, decisions based solely on saving dollars can come back to bite you. Bright, young prospective employees may find better offers elsewhere. And you will surely pay a very high price for healthcare decisions that create or perpetuate a culture of fear and resentment.” So…confusion, uncertainty, and high-stakes outcomes. Sounds relaxing, right? Not really, but it is doable. And only one decision-making method can serve in such a complex landscape. Eoyang and Holladay call it Adaptive Action. Adaptive Action consists of three simple questions that help you deal with any complex problem: What? So what? and Now what? No matter how messy your challenge is, these three questions are certain to get you—and keep you—unstuck. When you consider these questions, you build your capacity to see, understand, and influence patterns even in the most chaotic environments. The discipline of Adaptive Action can help you get the greatest opportunity out of your current healthcare-related challenges.

Eoyang suggests you take out your word processor, legal pad, or video camera and record your most honest answers to these questions.

WHAT? Questions:1. what do I know for sure about health insurance options for my organization and employees? What can I find out? what is totally unknowable until the future reveals it? Un-certainty is the greatest challenge to good decision-making in complex situations. Some things you don’t know, but you can find them out. Other things you cannot know, no matter how hard you try. These unknowables depend on many variables and complex interdependencies, so that only time will tell how and when they will become knowable. If you want to use what is knowable to your best advantage, be really clear about what you do not or cannot know.

“Consult experts or do your own research to fill in blanks in what you can but don’t know right now, but don’t waste time on the unknowables,” advises Eoyang. “Name them, write them on a piece of paper, and put that paper into your bottom drawer. Take it out once in a while and ask yourself if any item has moved into the realm of the knowable or known. Until then, don’t waste any more time speculating.”

2. what has worked well in the past for my triple bottom line of profit, employee engagement, and sustainability? In these complex times, you do not have the luxury of thinking of only one thing at a time. Not only are your major mea-sures and concerns massively interrelated, but they are also related in unpredictable ways. A small change in profitability,




employee engagement, or sustainability may have tremen-dous and long-lasting effects on any one of the other factors. Or not.

“In chaos theory, this is recognized as the butterfly effect, because a sensitive system might respond in unpredictable and exaggerated ways to a small disturbance like the flap of a butterfly wing,” says Eoyang. “On the other hand, a potential tsunami may show up as a ripple. You may never know the answer, but you can increase your adaptive capacity when you ask the right questions. Focus your questions on patterns that are significant to your success and how those patterns are related to each other.”

3. what opportunities for growth and expansion do I see for my business in the next five years, and how will they affect our triple bottom line? It is always tempting to focus on the immediate needs and concerns, especially the ones you can control. For that reason, you may be thinking about your healthcare decision only in terms of your current employees and next quarter’s income statement. That would be a mis-take, says Eoyang.

“The success of your business over the long term depends on what is outside just as much as what is inside your sphere of control,” she says. “Take some time. Look around. Consider the future and its potential as you make this important deci-sion for today.”

4. what am I willing and able to invest in a healthy and sat-isfied workforce? It may be harder than you think to engage seriously with this question, but it is more important than you imagine.

“You may be tempted to answer based on your fading memory of your MBA or the flowery language of your corporate vision or the stories you tell yourself about your values and ethics,” says Eoyang. “None of those will serve you well. Pause and take stock of what really matters to you, your board, stockholders, and other close-in stakeholders. Where does the welfare of workers fall in your hierarchy of values? What are you willing to risk and what do you expect as a reward?”

SO WHAT? Questions:1. So what are the best and worst scenarios for our balance sheet? For my employees? For the future of my business? Your decision is sure to have many consequences, but you can predict only some of them. Whatever you decide, there are likely to be unintended consequences—there always are in chaotic situations. You cannot squeeze all of the surprise out of the environment, but you can spend some of your intellectual capital imagining both the likely and the unlikely consequences of your possible paths.

“Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis, but do look at multiple possibilities from multiple perspectives to keep surprises to a minimum,” advises Eoyang.

2. So what are the expectations of my employees? Their hopes? Their fears? You may not be in the habit of con-sulting your employees on issues of policy, procedure, and practice. But on this issue, it is critical that you consider their perspectives. Why? Not just because healthcare is literally a matter of life and death for them, but because it is the most tangible evidence they have of your investment in them as workers and human beings.

“This is something your employees will notice, and they’ll remember it every time they show their insurance card, write a check for a co-pay, or choose not to take a sick child to the doctor,” promises Eoyang. “It matters to them, so if you want them to support you, it has to matter to you.”

3. So what is the health profile of my community, and how likely is it to support healthy behaviors for my employees and their families? No man is an island, and the same is certainly true of your company and your employees. Health is a systemic pattern that emerges from myriad factors from available bike paths, to local greengrocers, to accessibility of drugs and alcohol, to firearms restrictions, to school lunches, and community clinics. The health profile of your community will influence the healthcare needs of your employees and their families, so it should be one of the factors you consider as you make this critical decision.

“Your investment in healthcare depends on the health of your employees,” says Eoyang. “If they’re healthy, there’s less risk, and you can afford to invest less. And that depends on the support of the community. The more supportive the community, the healthier the employee, the less the risk, and the lower the investment. This leads, ultimately, to the ques-tion about what you can or should do to influence the health profile of the communities in which your employees live and work.”

4. So what are my real options for action, and what are the risks and benefits of each? Depending on how you answer the other questions, you will have identified a range of op-portunities and constraints. As you bring them together, you will recognize a short list of reasonable options from which you can choose. Make those options explicit and be creative as you identify the risks and benefits of each to you, your company, your employees, and their families.

NOW WHAT? Questions:1. Now what will you do in this decision-making cycle, realizing that you will have other chances to make differ-ent decisions as more evidence accumulates? When you’ve identified your options, all you have to do is choose one. This is almost as easy as it sounds. You may want to include other people in your decision-making process as you consider your Adaptive Action questions above. You may want to wait awhile to see if some of the unknowables become know-able. But, ultimately, you will make a choice from a finite list of well-considered alternatives that emerged from your So what? questions.


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“Every Now what? is followed by the next What?” adds Eoyang. “So, depending on what happens next, you will have more information and be more ready to answer the questions in your next Adaptive Action cycle.”

2. Now what indicators will I use to evaluate consequences of this current decision and prepare for decisions in the future? This question constitutes risk mitigation in complex systems because it leads you into iterative Adaptive Action cycles. Because the environment is changing, your assump-tions will change, the answers you’ll give to these questions will change, and your choices should change along with them.

“When you are forced to make a decision in an uncertain environment, your best and safest option is to prepare right away for the next decision,” advises Eoyang. “What? So what? Now what? Next what?”

3. Now what should I communicate, to whom, and how? what should I say about my choices and the reasons behind them? You do not have the option to keep this decision to yourself. This is a topic that is out in the open, and it is loaded with fear for every one of your employees. Even if you have to limit their involvement in the decision or their options for healthcare, you must share what you can with them, says Eoyang.

“You can tell them what you decided, why you decided it, and how you plan to revisit that decision, if and when the situation changes,” she explains. “If you absolutely could not absorb the added healthcare costs and stay in business, let your employees know that. Of course, in such a situation, you should also engage them in brainstorming ways to make your business more profitable so that, hopefully, the situation will be remedied in the future.”

4. Now what have I learned, what do I need to learn, and how will I learn it to be better prepared the next time such a challenge/opportunity arises? Learning is the most impor-tant leadership competency in times of complex change. You have to stay awake, keep your options open, and focus on adaptive action. Ask What?, So what?, and Now what? in it-erative cycles about all your important decisions in all places and times. Yep, there will be a next time. That is the central, and oddly reassuring, truth at the heart of Adaptive Action. Things will surely change, and you’ll get, if not a do-over, at least a do-next.

“The simple questions of Adaptive Action will not give you answers, but they will help you make the most of the infor-mation and options you have,” assures Eoyang. “Then, they will help you do it again. And again. And again. Repeating that cycle is all you will need to do as this complex environ-ment of health and healthcare continues to evolve toward an unknowable future.”

About the Authors: Dr. Glenda Eoyang and Royce Holladay are coauthors of Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization (Stanford University Press, 2013).Glenda works with public and private organizations and communities to help them thrive in the face of overwhelm-ing complexity and uncertainty. She is a pioneer in the field of human systems dynamics (HSD), which she founded. Through Human Systems Dynamics Institute, Glenda helps others see patterns in the chaos that surrounds them, under-stand the patterns in simple and powerful ways, and take practical steps to shift chaos into order. She shares her practi-cal theories and theory-informed practices as she speaks and teaches around the globe. Her clients include Fraser Health Authority, Merrill Lynch, Cargill, McKnight Foundation, Prevention Institute, social service and high-tech start-ups, as well as local, state, and federal government agencies.

Royce is a leader among HSD Associates around the world who use Adaptive Action in their work. She serves as a con-sultant and coach to help individuals, groups, and organiza-tions cope with uncertainty. Well grounded in the theoretical foundations of HSD, she brings a practitioner’s voice to everyday applications. Royce’s deep understanding of the dynamics of human systems has been a springboard for the development of a number of models and methods. She has worked with colleagues to address issues such as school reform, inclusion and social justice, coherent system design, finding and sustaining peaceful solutions, strategic adaptive action, and self-reflection and growth through inquiry.

16 NICRA December 2013http://www.nicra.org

2013-2014 NIcra oFFIcErSPresidentNanette Frey, Frey’s Tasty Treat, Inc., E. Amherst, N. Y.President Elect Carl Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Ky.Vice PresidentJim Oden, Debbie’s Soft Serve, Smithsburg, MarylandImmediate Past PresidentDavid Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream

Bonita Springs, Fla.Executive DirectorLynda Utterback, Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2014Valerie Hoffman, Yummies, Warsaw, N.Y. Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MichiganJohnny McGregor, Clemson University Clemson, South CarolinaBob Turner, Dairy Corner, Urbana, Ohio

Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2015David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream

Madison, WisconsinCliff Freund, Cliff’s Dairy Maid Ledgewood, New JerseyVince Girodano, Sno Top

Manlius, New YorkBob Hearn, Hearn’s Ice Cream, St. Marys, ON, CanadaJuergen Kloo, Joy Cone Co. Hermitage, Pennsylvania

Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2016Jim Brown, Penn State University, University Park, PAMary Leopold, Leopold’s Ice Cream Savannah, GeorgiaJim Marmion, Advanced Gourmet Equipment Greensboro, North CarolinaNeil McWilliams, Spring Dipper Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

2013-2014 SUpplIEr oFFIcErSPresidentAndrew Jones, Lloyds of Pennsylvania, Exton, PAVice PresidentHank Sweeney, Classic Mix Partners, Neenah, WISecretary/TreasurerLisa Gallagher, ConAgra Foods, Naperville, ILChairmanMary Kircher, Dingman’s Dairy, Paterson, New Jersey

commITTEES aNd commITTEE cHaIrmaNExecutive CommitteeNanette Frey, Frey’s Tasty Treat, Inc., E. Amherst, N. Y.Nominating CommitteeDavid Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream

Bonita Springs, Fla.

Convention CommitteeCarl Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Ky.Membership CommitteeJim Oden, Debbie’s Soft Serve, Smithsburg, MarylandIce Cream Clinic CommitteeMark LeichtmanScholarship CommitteeCliff Freund, Cliff’s Dairy Maid Ledgewood, New JerseyWeb Site CommitteeJim Brown, Penn State University, University Park, PA

mISSIoN STaTEmENT For NIcraThe mission of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA), a non-profit trade association, is to be the leader in the frozen dessert industry that others look to for help, support and education. NICRA will promote business growth and development throughout the industry.

vISIoN oF THE aSSocIaTIoNNICRA will associate with similar associations dedicated to the same interests. NICRA will facilitate communication and education that both newcomers and veterans in the industry desire to be successful. NICRA will maintain a feeling of family within the association as it grows, and be dedicated to responsibly managing the association while maximizing value to the members.

NoNdIScrImINaTIoN polIcyNICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.

This Bulletin is published by: National Ice Cream Retailers Association1028 West Devon AvenueElk Grove Village, IL 60007-7226847/301-7500 - Fax: 847/301-8402Carl Chaney, Chairman Publications CommitteeLynda Utterback, Editor©2013 National Ice Cream Retailers AssociationVol. 34, No. 12

This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online at http://www.nicra.org. Click on the Members Only button and enter your Username and Password. If you cannot find your Username and Password, call the NICRA office at 866-303-6960 or send an e-mail to [email protected] requesting the information.

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