I started my week visiting our Jacksonville branch and had the pleasure of enjoying some of the absolute best soul food a person could ever eat! Mr William “Willy” Dean, our ABM, got up at 3:00 in the morning to get this incredible meal going, and fed our team a meal fit for a king and a queen. Ribs, roast chicken, cilantro rice, yellow rice, collards with meat, collards with cabbage, baked beans, green beans, potato salad, rolls, macaroni and cheese, shrimp gravy, and the best dadgum jerk chicken I have ever tasted, complete with Jamaican chilis. Oh boy, what a feast it was! Your effort and hospitality truly made the day special.
Buying businesses is easy, whereas integrating them is like making sausage. For the last 90 days, this team has had to be patient as we’ve worked through changes, and overcome challenges. We’ve done this now eight times—ten if you include our own recapitalizations. Every time, it’s hard work that never gets easier.
I spent most of my visit interacting with the team, asking them what we can learn from this integration, what we could do better, and what we’ve done well. The answers are always enlightening, and if we listen closely, we will gain a deeper understanding of how we can improve for the next integration.
I’m so thankful for the teams we have in Florida and North Carolina who are providing the support for this integration. Within the next month, we’ll be wrapping up the transition as spring comes in full swing. By mid-summer, this team will be ready for another celebratory cookout that I am hopeful to attend.
Great food, great conversations, and a bright future ahead!
