Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Edney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses.
I truly believe in the power of family business to transform lives!
My great-grandparents, Fred and Ferne started Edney Distributing in 1951 to care for their family, their employees, and their community. Each subsequent generation of leaders from the Edney family has built upon and strengthened the foundation they laid. As a fourth-generation leader, I take stewardship of this legacy seriously. It is an honor to walk alongside our team members as they navigate their lives…experiencing joys, celebrations, heartbreak, grief, and everything in between…just as my father, grandfather, and great-grandparents did.
I am deeply grateful for the employees of Edney Distributing, both past and present, who have given their time, talents, and heart to help our business meet the needs of our customers, develop mutually beneficial partnerships with domestic and international suppliers, and continuously evolve in an ever-changing business environment. Every individual in every role at every location has the responsibility and opportunity to make a positive daily impact.
Our exceptional people understand and are intensely focused on our shared goals at Edney Distributing. They are trusted with company data, they are given the latitude to use their experience and skills to solve issues, they truly care about each other and those they serve, they are invested in and cared about as human beings with sacred dignity and worth, they are open to learning and trying new things, and they are able to meet the needs of their families and always put family first. Along with our 50+ worldwide suppliers and 1,000+ regional dealer network, the people of Edney Distributing are helping to feed a hungry world, care for animals, make the landscape more beautiful, keep people safe, and care for the planet. We are also helping to usher in technology and sustainable practices that will boost grower profitability, productivity, and soil health.
Just as it was over 70 years ago, we grow our own company when we help our dealers and suppliers grow their businesses. The success we achieve together is used to care for our employees, families, and communities. We are problem-solvers, educators, and innovators. We create growth for the economy while we build up and equip people. Family business takes grit, determination, humility, courage, and, most importantly, love.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Professional Biography
Jennifer L. Edney helms Edney Distributing Co., Inc., as its President/CEO and EOS Visionary. She has propelled the company to new heights through her insightful leadership, focused on collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota, a NAW Wholesale Distribution Manager Certificate from the Max M. Fisher College of Business/The Ohio State University, further complimented by her current studies in The College of St. Catherine’s MBA program. She keeps her SHRM-CP designation active through continuous education and participation in the Annual SHRM Conference, is active in her local Vistage group (voted one of three 2022 MN Vistage Impact Award Finalists), and is an enthusiastic member of the EOS community. She also belongs to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and TeamWomen, a premier professional women’s non-profit organization deeply committed to developing future generations of women in leadership.
Prior to taking over as President/CEO and Visionary, she served Edney Distributing in Vice President, Integrator, and Organizational Development Manager roles. Having previously held management positions at several industry-leading organizations in retail and finance, Jennifer draws upon experience from a rich and varied professional life. She also served on the Core Team of The Grove United Methodist Church for five years. A strong academic foundation, combined with her practical experience, has been instrumental in shaping her forward-thinking approach to business and human resource strategies.
Jennifer’s expertise in human resources played a pivotal role in fostering a company culture that values integrity, innovation, connection, customer service excellence, and teamwork. Staying true to these Core Values has led to the company’s growth and expansion. She puts her heart into creating a sense of purpose and belonging, casting a compelling vision, and investing heavily in her team members’ individual development. She models and encourages curiosity and commitment to continuous learning. The ability to retain key team members, attract new talent in a competitive market, as well as to maintain key supplier relationships while expanding territory and product offerings with new strategic partnerships has given the company a competitive edge.
Committed to the wholesale distribution industry, Jennifer was the first woman (and the second member of the Edney family) nominated to the Equipment Marketing and Distribution Association’s Board of Directors which she served for seven years in progressive roles, including director, secretary, VP, treasurer, and scholarship committee chair. From 2019-2020 she was the association’s president, overseeing the association’s website redesign project, awarding the association’s first scholarship, and facilitating joint association meetings with the Farm Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA) to address issues including increased cooperation, membership benefits, workforce development, and equipment safety standards. After Jennifer participated in an event hosted by speaker Dirk Beverage called Disrupt Distribution, Edney Distributing was featured on his first We Supply America tour, highlighting what he calls “the noble cause of distribution.”
Jennifer’s dedication to the family business is evident in her willingness to face challenges, battle the status quo, and steward a legacy built with care by three generations of Edney family members and dedicated employees before her. Edney Distributing was nominated for the Minnesota Family Business of the Year Award for three consecutive years. Last year, they were chosen as an Award Finalist. This year, they are proud to be selected as a 2023 Minnesota Family Business Award Winner by Twin Cities Magazine. She also invests her time and effort in the Prairie Family Business Association, the Prairie Family Business Board School program, and the Family Business Center at the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas. Jennifer has been a webinar panelist discussing generational transition for the Prairie Family Business Association. She was a conference panelist advocating distribution as a go-to-market strategy for agricultural robots at FIRA-USA 2022 (International Forum for Agricultural Robots) and was invited to speak again as a panelist at FIRA-USA 2023 in September.
Outside of her professional life, Jennifer is an avid reader and traveler. She also enjoys spending time outdoors paddling, walking her rescue dog Ollie, and collecting stamps in her National Park and Minnesota State Park Hiking passports. Jennifer has been married to John Schrieber for nearly a decade and is the proud mother of two college students, Alexander and Ellen Cameron. Charitable organizations she supports include the Animal Humane Society, Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue, Tubman Center, and the YWCA Minneapolis.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
As an entrepreneur or business owner, I believe one of the most important responsibilities we have is people leadership: selecting the best candidates, investing in your team members, and maintaining team health. A cohesive and collaborative team is essential to the success of any business venture. To achieve maximum productivity and effectiveness, teams must be led with the utmost care, respect, and dedication.
Leading a team is not simply about delegating tasks and keeping people on schedule. It is about creating a culture of trust, respect, and psychological safety where everyone feels valued and supported. It’s about casting a compelling vision, creating purpose, building structure-like processes and procedures, offering the tools and training team members need, and then giving them the trust and space to navigate. This can be challenging, especially in high-pressure environments. But, with the right strategies and tools, leading a team can be the most rewarding and fulfilling part of your work.
The most effective teams are those that are made up of diverse individuals who bring a range of skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table. The role of a people leader is to bring all of these elements together and create a cohesive unit that can collaborate, innovate, and produce excellent results. This requires excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills. It also requires vulnerability, transparency, and trust.
The way employees feel about their work directly impacts their productivity, so when morale is low, it can lead to decreased motivation, engagement, and overall performance. High morale, on the other hand, can improve problem-solving skills, promote innovation, and lead to better results.
To maintain high morale in your team, it is crucial to celebrate achievements and recognize the contributions of each team member. Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones can help create a sense of community and promote positive relationships. Other morale-boosting activities can include team-building exercises, and regular communication and feedback sessions. Our company uses a peer-to-peer recognition platform called Nectar since our four sites are geographically spread out and we have remote workers to include. Sharing memes, gifs, and appreciative notes that highlight one of our core values, employees give each other points that can be redeemed for giftcards or company swag.
Psychological safety is an essential element of a healthy and positive team environment. It is the belief that team members can take risks, share their ideas, and be their authentic selves without fear of negative consequences. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more confident in their abilities and more willing to share their thoughts and ideas.
To create psychological safety in the workplace, people leaders must create an open and transparent culture. Encourage individuals to speak up without the fear of judgment, ridicule, or retaliation. Other tools can include regular team meetings where everyone is encouraged to share their perspectives, ideas, and feedback. Our company uses EOS to develop and communicate our 1-,3-, and 10-year plans. Company results and goals are shared with all team members quarterly, while departments meet multiple times a month to raise and solve issues, and people leaders connect with their employees in regular 1x1s and in genuine quarterly conversations to check in on how people are doing as human beings, to highlight actions they took that align with core values, and to discuss how their quarterly ROCKS (most impactful tasks) are progressing.
Leading a team requires a range of skills and knowledge, but there are many tools and resources available to help you succeed. These include software and apps to help with project management, time tracking, and communication. Other tools can include coaching sessions, team-building exercises, and employee recognition programs.
As a people leader, it is also important to stay up to date with industry trends and best practices. Attending conferences and training sessions can help you stay ahead of the curve and develop new skills and knowledge to help you manage your team more effectively. You set the tone by being curious and open-minded. Encourage the same from those whose career development you influence.
In conclusion, leading teams requires dedication, skill, and commitment. It is not just about delegating tasks but creating a cohesive and collaborative unit that can produce exceptional results. By focusing on building trust, promoting high morale, and creating psychological safety, you can create a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and supported. With the right tools and resources, you can manage yourself and lead your team effectively, achieving limitless success together.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
As a fourth-generation family business leader, I’m fortunate to have a carefully earned 72-year reputation to build from. Since my great-grandparents founded our business, we have lived our core values: Integrity, Service Excellence, Teamwork, Connection, and Innovation. In order to meet the needs of our dynamic customers and to evolve our business as conditions change around us, we need to innovate, be curious, and have a vision for the future. We have pioneered zero-turn lawnmowers, changes in farming practices, and even the forerunner to the John Deere Gator. In addition to maintaining our current partnerships and market segments, we are working to usher in incredible agricultural technology that includes ultra-precision sprayers and autonomous agricultural robots to help growers solve big problems like operating during a worker shortage, using less chemical to save money and build soil health, and to help answer the question: how will we feed a hungry world as the global population continues to grow.
1. Agricultural Robots – After years of careful evaluation and relationship building, we invested in agricultural robots. There is some risk, as we are early to the market, but we believe that by developing our own experience and choosing the very best suppliers will give us a competitive edge. We also believe that helping these suppliers find their way to the market aligns with our core values. Ultra-precision and autonomous robots will help growers reduce the time and cost of labor and increase productivity. They will have more accurate and consistent results, which will translate to better crops. Right now, we are focused on education and demonstrations, but interest and momentum is quickly escalating. I hope to look back in 5 to 10 years and reflect on the way that investing in ag-tech helped to usher in a revolution in agricultural equipment and practices.
2. Innovation – We understand that the market is dynamic, and we always try to innovate our processes and products to stay ahead of the competition. We constantly review our equipment and systems, look for ways to improve our processes, and test new technologies. We also listen to our clients’ feedback and implement changes accordingly. By being innovative, we’ve been able to expand our business, open new markets and revenue streams, and keep our clients happy.
3. Curiosity – We believe that curiosity drives innovation and always encourage our team to be curious. By being curious, we’re always looking for new ideas, technologies, and trends that we can apply to our business. We participate in associations and industry events, voraciously read, and love to connect with others. We’re not afraid to try new things, even if it means making mistakes. Our curiosity helped us discover new ways to improve our processes, meet new clients’ needs, explore new markets, meet new people, and establish flourishing partnerships.
4. Vision – We always had a vision for our business, and it’s been our guiding principle for the past years. Our vision has helped us focus on our goals and make strategic decisions that align with our mission. We believe that having a vision means having a roadmap that shows us where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. Our vision, along with the ability to clearly articulate it and to hold ourselves accountable for results, has helped us build our reputation within the market and has paved the way for our future growth.
Conclusion: Our journey to building our reputation within the ag-tech market has just begun. We are building partnerships, speaking on panels, educating growers, and building a channel to bring ultra-precision and autonomous ag robots to market in a meaningful way. This isn’t the first new market we’ve explored, and we have a track record of success. Over the decades, we’ve built our business and our dealer network by selecting innovative, reputable suppliers. By expanding our thinking with courage, curiosity, and tenacity, we chase our vision. These are key ingredients to our success. I believe that these qualities can help any entrepreneur, business owner, or family business reach their goals and build their reputation within their respective markets. We encourage you to open your mind, show up, and embrace these qualities. I hope they can transform your business, help others, and maybe even make the world a little better place.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.edneyco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edneyco/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edneyco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edney-distributing-company-inc-
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdneyCo
Image Credits
My headshot was taken by: Jordan Buckellew. Her company is Joy by Jo. ([email protected])