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Taking the Lead in the New Era of Business Efficiency

Mark Simmons is the chairman of Arkansas-based Simmons Foods, Inc., a leading U.S. poultry processer. The secret to the 60-year-old company’s continued success? According to Simmons, it’s the considerable time he spends visiting customers and suppliers, many of whom are located in communities with limited or no access to commercial transportation.

So how does Simmons Foods, an industry leader in cost-reduction initiatives, provide so much business face-to-face time while enabling executives to better balance their family lives?

The Ultimate Growth Strategy
The company is located just minutes from the Siloam Springs airport, and Mark Simmons has maintained a business aircraft as part of his company’s growth strategy for over half a century. Today, the company’s fast turboprop Piaggio P180 Avanti II is essential to developing and maintaining vital business relationships. “I think we’ve been able to grow faster because we’ve been able to touch more customers,” he says.

He particularly likes the Avanti’s ability to travel at jet-like speeds up to 450 mph, as well as its large cabin and exceptional fuel efficiency, which enables Simmons’ management team to make trips it might not otherwise consider. That translates to stronger ties with the nation’s top restaurant chains and big buyers like Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Costco, he says.

Simmons points out another of the Avanti’s essential functions: The fast and comfortable aircraft also allows him to bring customers to his company facilities. That provides them with a firsthand understanding of Simmons Foods’ capabilities while maximizing their time, he explains. Many customers wouldn’t visit if they had to spend more than a day to do so.

“I think we’ve been able to grow faster because we’ve been able to touch more customers.”

Mark Simmons, Chairman, Simmons Foods, Inc.

For Simmons, integrity, quality and cost savings are critical, but so is his ability to beat the clock. Through the economical use of the aircraft, the company has replaced tiring four- to five-hour car journeys with 30-minute flights. Although many trips are hops of under 1,000 miles to local airfields, he can also reach out as far as either coast via nonstop flights.

While the cross-country trip times for the Avanti are slightly longer than those in a midsize jet, the Avanti offers a spacious midsize jet cabin featuring a fully enclosed lavatory—something many small jets lack. In addition, the Avanti’s rearward-facing engines result in whisper-quiet comfort. Add to that its notable ability to depart from smaller airfields and quickly climb to 41,000 feet above weather and airline traffic, and you’ve got a winner, comments Simmons.

Even with two or three aboard, Avanti efficiency beats commercial alternatives based on fares alone, and it eliminates the debilitating travel experience and the overnight costs. Just considering the time savings alone, Simmons is delighted.

If the Avanti is big on performance, it is huge on value. “You can get a lot more done,” says Simmons, explaining that a company plane like the Avanti helps maximize executive efficiency while gaining major cost savings. That’s been a key factor in his company’s success and a necessity in today’s market environment, he adds.