2016 MVP AWARDS
was initially drawn to franchising for its strong support system . “ I ’ m not a big fan of reinventing the wheel ,” he says . “ I ’ d rather take someone else ’ s wheel and make it better , and franchising allows me to do that .”
When he made the decision to open a restaurant , he optioned property on the biggest intersection in Donalsonville — and then went looking for a franchise . Ponder ’ s first Hardee ’ s was such a success that his brother Ernest joined him as a
PERSONAL
Formative influences / events : My brother and I grew up in a multi-generational family business . We were given the opportunity to work in positions of responsibility at a very early age . My father and grandfather held us accountable as teenagers , which allowed me to open my first Hardee ’ s restaurant at the age of 29 .
Key accomplishments : I was awarded the John F . Kennedy Profile in Courage award in 2003 related to a speech I gave as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives . That speech and award have affected my life in many ways since then . Within the Hardee ’ s system , I was awarded the Founders Award by the IHFA in 2004 . In 2009 , our company received the first annual Wilber Hardee ’ s Founders Award , as well as the inaugural CKE Star of Excellence Award from the franchisor . We have also been named Hardee ’ s national Franchisee of the Year .
Work week : I would say five and a half days a week , though my wife would say it is more than that . I tend to work early and late , and some on weekends , to get things done when no one else is around . As the mayor and publisher of the local newspaper , I try to balance my time between the entities I am involved with .
What are you reading ? In addition to various trade magazines and the Wall Street Journal , I am currently reading The Road to Character by David Brooks . I also am the publisher of an award-winning weekly newspaper in Georgia , which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year . I read the Donalsonville News cover to cover each week .
Best advice you ever got : My father warned me that I should not measure myself when everything was going good . He told me , “ The measure of a man is determined by how he responds when he stubs his toe .” He was right .
What ’ s your passion in business ? Developing people who become part of our company family . I take great joy in seeing our team take ownership of their responsibility and talk with pride about working for our company . business partner , and the pair — now with 36 Hardee ’ s in 3 states ( Alabama , Florida , and Georgia )— have never looked back .
These days , it is the franchising friendships that Ponder cherishes most , particularly those formed during the early days as a founder of the Independent Hardee ’ s Franchisee Association ( IHFA ). “ We were all talking the same language , fighting the same battles , and trying to help each other succeed ,” he says . “ That camaraderie transcended the business and became personally important and invaluable to me .”
Ponder Enterprises is an operationsfocused franchisee organization , opting to own the building and land underneath . A dozen years ago Ponder scrapped a formal mission statement for a focus on providing employees and various departments with the tools to be the “ best franchise group ” in the Hardee ’ s chain .
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy : Develop a plan for steady sustained growth and then build a team that makes it happen . Build every restaurant with the plan to be operating it yourself for the next 30 years . No shortcuts .
Management method or style : I try to focus on the big picture . We have many good , longtime employees . I try to set expectations for them , make sure they have the tools to succeed , and then I stay out of their way .
Greatest challenge : People . Finding the right people to operate the restaurants at the store level and then keeping them happy . The implementation of the Affordable Care Act has been particularly challenging in the past two years .
How do others describe you ? I would like to think they say I am fair , honest , hard-working , generous , and , hopefully , a good man .
How do you hire and fire , train and retain ? We focus on hiring people with the right attitude . We can train anyone with the technical skills , but we can ’ t teach them to smile . I often ask when an employee is terminated if we did all we could as a company to help them succeed . We are putting more and more resources into training while at the same time developing tools that identify and reward good behavior . Given the high cost of replacing employees in today ’ s market , we try to provide the best benefits we can at an affordable price . This will be the eighth year in a row we have provided a 100 percent match for all employees who choose to participate in our 401 ( k ) plan .
Ponder and his company have been lauded with numerous awards over the years — the most personally notable , the John F . Kennedy Profile in Courage Award that Ponder received in 2003 as a Georgia legislator , after his unplanned , impassioned speech led to the passage of the state ’ s first hate-crimes legislation . The life-changing impact of the award continues to serve as the foundation of his business today .
“ We want to be trend-setters in our brand ,” he says . “ We have always been cutting-edge when it comes to products and equipment . But there is never a question about doing the right thing . And I think we are respected for that .” It ’ s all about being the best you can be , a mantra Ponder lives by .
BOTTOM LINE
Annual revenue : $ 41 million . 2016 goals : $ 50 million .
Growth meter : How do you measure your growth ? We measure comparable sales , transactions , profits , and employee retention , as well as how we performed against our plan . We measure some 16 different items in a matrix to compare restaurants ’ performance against each other .
Vision meter : Where do you want to be in 5 years ? In 10 years ? I would like to complete our current development plan and be operating 45 to 50 restaurants , primarily on our own real estate . I want our management team fully staffed in preparation for the next generation .
What are you doing to take care of your employees ? Each year , we hold a company-wide General Manager Rally at a resort for three days . We provide trips ( a cruise this year ) for our top 10 managers . We try to make our company an employer of choice in our markets by providing competitive pay with excellent benefits at affordable prices . As I mentioned , we have been matching our employees ’ 401 ( k ) contributions with a 100 percent company contribution for the past eight years .
What kind of exit strategy do you have in place ? I grew up in a family-owned business and know all the benefits and disadvantages of working with your children . I currently have one son-in-law involved in the company , though time may bring some of my brother ’ s children back home . Our overall strategy is to have a strong enough management team to allow the company to operate and grow after I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations .
40 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2016