Buffalo Rock president describes company future at chamber luncheon

Over a Thanksgiving lunch of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, Buffalo Rock President Matthew Dent talked to the Chamber of Commerce about the plans and goals of the local bottling company.

The luncheon on Nov. 17 was sponsored by the Jimmie Hale Mission. Dent grew up in Homewood and is still a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church. He said that Buffalo Rock got its start as a wholesale grocery store in the late 1800s, with the signature soda being made in the basement.

Now, Buffalo Rock owns 2 percent of the U.S. bottled drink market, with $520 million in annual sales of Aquafina, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, Sunkist and other drinks.

Despite this large growth, Buffalo Rock is still owned by the Lee family that started it. Dent said the company is making strides in new markets, such as Auburn University, and the 2,100 employees must be quick on their feet. At any one time, Buffalo Rock only has about eight days’ worth of inventory produced and waiting for distribution.

“I’m a steward in time,” said Dent, who is the first president who was not part of the Lee family.

He said his philosophy is to be “servant-minded” and leave the company better than it was when he took the leadership position.

Some new projects underway for the company include a coffee and tea franchise with Red Diamond and a new manufacturing system for Fruit Shoot, a popular U.K. drink that Buffalo Rock has been importing for several years but will now produce locally.

Buffalo Rock also just launched its new wastewater plant, as previously another company had handled their wastewater. After the meeting, Dent said that the company had investigated resident complaints about a foul odor near the property and had been meeting with homeowners and council members. The smell, Dent said, is not coming from the bottling company’s facilities.

“It is not our system that is the problem,” he said.

Dent added that county officials had been in the area in mid-November testing at neighboring sites to find the source of the odor.

During his luncheon speech, Dent recommended “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel Brown as the best book he’s ever read on teamwork. The book is based on the story of an American rowing team competing in the 1936 Olympics.

“What I like is just to read something that makes sense,” Dent said.

A critical part of the rowing team’s success, Dent said, was learning a way to row slower yet still set a faster pace than their competitors. Dent said Buffalo Rock is entering a stage with a “slower oar rate” that will focus on the company’s growth and reducing costs.

The chamber’s next luncheon will be Wednesday, Dec. 16. The speaker will be Gov. Robert Bentley.