Heartland heroes. (Anderson Erickson Dairy Co.)(includes related articles) (1993 Processor of the Year) (Cover Story)

Anderson Erickson's high quality standards and community commitment have led the dairy to new levels of performance

Stepping into the lobby of Anderson Erickson Dairy Co., a visitor could mistake the location for a luxurious hotel or a smart shopping center. A soaring atrium, filled with trees and flowers, allows soft light to filter in, and the rose-colored floor tiles add to the comfortable yet refined atmosphere.

Those words aptly describe the organization itself. With a minimum of fanfare and more than a modicum of modesty, family-owned AE quietly generates new products, packaging innovations, and sound financial returns while contributing generously to its local community as well as to the national dairy industry. AE's spirit of cooperation, both within the company and outside, creates an atmosphere of caring that is difficult to preserve in corporate America.

After the Dairy Foods staff had selected AE as its 1993 Processor of the Year, but before any announcement had been made, the Great Flood of 1993 descended upon Des Moines. AE went to great lengths to put personal discomforts aside and work for the good of the Des Moines community. Dairy Foods applauded along with the rest of the dairy industry, and while the flood had no bearing on AE's selection, we felt even more justified in honoring AE with the Processor of the Year distinction. Read on to learn what makes the Des Moines, Iowa-based dairy a real winner.

HISTORY LESSON

AE was founded in 1930 by Iver Erickson and a boyhood friend, William "Andy" Anderson. The two pooled their resources and raised $15,000 to purchase an existing Des Moines dairy. Although his name remains, Anderson sold his interest in the dairy to Erickson in 1938. AE is now Iowa's largest independent dairy company, marketing its products throughout Iowa and in portions of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Today, it is very much an Erickson family affair.

Iver's son Jim Erickson, president and ceo, grew up with AE and has never worked anywhere else. Two of his three children have joined the team as well: Miriam Brown, 32, serves as director of advertising and marketing, and Elizabeth Bush, 30, once the company's controller, now oversees its budgeting process and other financial projects. Elizabeth's husband David Bush, 32, is the general manager of AE's ice cream business. Erickson's son Warren, 25, now works elsewhere as an accountant, but the family has not ruled out a slot for him at AE sometime in the future. Jim Erickson, now 57, has no plans to retire before age 65, and no clear path of succession has yet been determined.

Of course, a number of important AE staffers are not biological family members, but their loyalty and longevity at the company creates the aura of one strong team. For example, Bob Mahaffey, v.p. and treasurer, has worked at AE for 28 years, and two of his daughters are employed there as well. "We've got a very cooperative group of people. The only way you get successful is by everyone…