Driven by a Tradition of Service
903 Geneva St. PO Box 485
Delavan, WI 53115
800.241.2601
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Delavan Holiday Party 2009
Sheboygan Holiday Party 2009
It's a zoo around here!
Delavan 4th of July Parade
The 2009 Trailblazer Award Presentation
2nd Graders Visit the Dairy
Deb Alder to Receive Trailblazer Award
Delavan Dairy Gets Renovation
Delavan Holiday Party 2008
Sheboygan Holiday Party 2008
Roger Larsen - The Milk Dude
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Delavan Holiday Party
This Alder Companies tradition of Safe Driver Awards dates back 53 years, when the first awards were a subscription to National Geographic magazine. Today, these awards are given to honor each driver who completes a year of “incident free” deliveries and driving. The annual award is $100 with incremental awards of $250 given in addition for each five year milestone. We have also developed team awards to recognize a group of drivers when all eligible receive their one year safety status. The MGA team of drivers have achieved this group achievement for 2009.
This year, as a company, we honor 77 drivers, In addition, tonight we recognize seven drivers achieving milestone awards. John Horgan and Joe Kersten have reached the hallmark of fifteen years, noted with an award of $750. Jim Jarosz, Andres Miranda and John Musch are awarded $500 for incident free travels over the past ten years., and John Anderson and Gary Noe receive five year awards of $250. Congratulations on your professionalism and commitment to safety!
To see more photos from the Delavan Holiday Party click here.
Sheboygan Holiday Party
This year we honor 27 drivers representing MTW, Inc. Congratulations and thank you for your careful driving as you completed close to a million miles of travel. In addition, we have two MTW drivers achieving milestone awards. Brian Mueller has reached the hallmark of fifteen years, noted with an award of $750. Jeff Schwinn is awarded $250 for his incident free travels over the past five years. Many sincere thanks for your professionalism and commitment to safety!
Sincere Congratulations to each of you!
To see more photos from the Sheboygan Holiday Party click here.
It's a zoo around here!
What happens when you mix 81 Alder Companies’ employees, 68 adult family members, 117 kids, (including 20 babies!), perfect weather, great food and over 2500 zoo animals on a beautiful Sunday in September? You have the perfect scenario for the Fall family picnic held at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday, September 13th, 2009!
Many families arrived as the zoo opened at 9:00am and spent the day traveling the 200 acres, viewing the animals and enjoying time together. Considered one of the top zoos in the country, there were favorite animals and exhibits for everyone’s interests.
The group gathered at the Zoo Terrace for lunch at mid-day. Provided by Saz’s catering, the food included traditional picnic fare as well as delicious cookies and brownies for dessert. Sporting their new, blue “It’s a Zoo around here” t-shirts, all the Alder Employees gathered first for a big group picture. The group was then split by dispatch locations and all the family members joined for four additional pictures. Even though the sun was very bright, there were a lot of smiles and friendly chatter as the pictures were taken.
After lunch and pictures, many families headed back to continue the day exploring the zoo. A number of families included 3 or 4 generations and everyone seemed to enjoy the day. To see more pictures of the family picnic at the zoo click here.
Plans are already being made for Zoo Day 2011!
Delavan 4th of July Parade
The Alder Companies made an appearance in the Delavan 4th of July Parade. Milk was a big hit at this year's parade. We handed out 750 half-pints of milk to parade goers.
2009 Trailblazer Award Presentation
Congratulations to Deb Alder! The 2009 Governor's Trailblazer Award was presented by Wisconsin Department of Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel. The award program was held at the Wisconsin State Capitol Governor's Conference Room with a luncheon at the Governor's Executive Residences.
2nd Graders Visit the Dairy
We think of our work days as being “routine”, with nothing out of the ordinary happening very often. At the Delavan office recently, a group of second grade students proved that our “ordinary” is their “exciting”!
As part of a Jobs in Our Community program, the students walked from one end of town to the other, making short stops at seven different places. When they arrived at our offices, thanks to Dave Perkins , Mike Aldrich and Chuck Sittler, the kids climbed into a tractor and blew the airhorn (the folks at the nursing home across the street may never be the same!). They were then treated to a carton of chocolate milk, but they had to ride the trailer’s side lift in order to get it! It would be hard to say which was better, but the airhorn and the ride were both rated “awesome”!
We finished the mini-tour by walking through the cooler (“what a huge refrigerator!”) and then the offices where the phones were busy and it gave us a chance to talk about the accounts we serve and the orders that are called to the offices.
We talked about the different jobs we do in all of our locations and they were very excited to know that we have 75 or 80 tractor trailers and 12 straight trucks. They thought it would be “cool” to deliver milk, especially chocolate, and driving or fixing trucks would be great jobs!
The students also toured the Community bank, fire station, bakery, library, auto shop and police station. They had a picnic lunch and then spent the afternoon bowling. Made us all wish we were back in second grade – although the kids seemed to think we led the more exciting lives!
Trailblazer keeps family business trucking
By Ann Marie Ames/Janesville Gazette
Photographs by Dan Lassiter
DELAVAN — She doesn’t love being called a “pioneer” because she thinks it makes her sound a little old. But Debra Alder did get her start in the business “way” back, when it still was OK to ride on a milk crate on the back of Dad’s company truck. And “way” back when computers were huge things with 6-inch screens.
For 27 years of sticking with it, Alder is one of 12 businesswomen in Wisconsin to win the 2009 Governor’s Trailblazer Awards for Women in Business. Trailblazer awards honor women pioneers in the business community, according to the Wisconsin Women’s Council. Awards go to businesses owned by a woman or a group of women for more than 25 years. Alder also was awarded a Torch Award for being the owner of a family business that’s been running for three generations or more.
Alder is the CEO of Alder Companies, headquartered at 903 Geneva St., Delavan. The business hauls milk products, and Alder’s biggest customer is Dean Foods. Alder Companies delivers product from Dean to grocery stores and food service locations. Drivers also haul milk and products between Dean plants and do work for other companies, Alder said. Alder Companies has three other locations—Chemung, Ill.; Huntley, Ill., and Sheboygan.
Alder had to think for a second when asked about her title. “My title is CEO, probably,” Alder said. “But we’re not very good at that. It’s not very formal around here.” Alder’s first official position at Alder Companies, which was founded by her grandfather in 1921, was as an office manager in 1982. She wrote a formal letter to then-CEO George Alder, her father, stating her interest in the job. George interviewed Debra for the position. Her first duty on the job was installing the company’s first computer. Before being hired in an official capacity, Alder worked for her dad through high school as a “go-fer” in the summers, she said. She graduated in 1973 from Delavan-Darien High School and went on to earn a degree in home economics education from UW-Madison. She interned at Craig High School in 1977 and went on to be a teacher for two years. She traveled with her husband, who was in the U.S. Navy, before deciding to come home to the family business.
Alder didn’t have advice specifically for other female business owners. All business owners—men and women—need to give their employees flexibility in the workplace, she said. To keep quality people, you need to let them work around their lives and their families’ needs, Alder said. Flexibility also helps her 110 employees commit to the community service projects she encourages, Alder said. “We have deadlines,” Alder said. “You might not think we could be flexible, since the trucking industry seems so regulated and regimented. But people have different schedules, times. Some want 40 hours. Some want 55. Some want 20. All that allows us the flexibility we need.” The best part about being a small-business owner is the diversity in her daily responsibilities, Alder said. “One day you’re making huge decisions,” Alder said. “The next day, you’re dumping the garbage and picking up the yard.”
Delavan Dairy Gets Renovation
The Delavan office got it's first renovation in nearly 20 years. With new windows, a new roof, and a remodeled and refreshed interior, the dairy has undertaken quite a facelift. If you would like to see pictures of the interior renovations and see some of the Delavan staff in action click here.
Delavan Holiday Party
Since 1956, the Alder Companies have honored all drivers completing a year of “incident-free” deliveries and driving. What started with a subscription to National Geographic Magazine has evolved into $100 annual awards and incremental awards of $250 for each five year milestone. We have also developed team awards to recognize a group of drivers when all eligible receive their one year safety status.
This year, as a company we proudly honored 68 drivers with our annual thank you gift. We also recognized TWENTY years of safety and professionalism with an award of $1000 to Jeffrey Alder. FIFTEEN years was recognized with $750 to Ron Shepstone. Reaching the TEN year, $500 milestone were three drivers; Jerry Bauer, John Jacobs and Chuck Sittler. FIVE year awards were given to Mark Jack and Gordie Siebert.
To see more photos from the Delavan Holiday Party click here.
Sheboygan Holiday Party
Twenty-four drivers were honored as part of the MTW team. Thank you for your careful driving as you traveled close to a million miles in the last year! We would also recognized FIFTEEN years of safety and professionalism with an award of $750 to John Haese. Reaching the TEN year milestone was John Stieber.
To see more photos from the Sheboygan Holiday Party click here.
When milk was delivered in bottles
Roger Larsen has been making the rounds for 50 years
By Mike Heine/The Week
Photographs by Terry Mayer
(Posted Feb. 16, 2007, 10:45 a.m. Originally published in The Week May 21, 2006)
Editor's note: This column recently won first place in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Better Newspaper contest for feature story in a weekly newspaper.
Milk, it does a body good.
Roger Larsen knows that probably better than anyone in the area.
The 73-year-old Larsen has been giving kids milk mustaches in several Walworth County school districts for 50 years.
Since 1956, Larsen has toted bottles, cans and cartons of milk to schools to make sure kids got wholesome lunches.
He started with Delavan distributor Robert Alder and Sons. In 1961, he started his own dairy delivery business in Elkhorn.
Larsen had a small garage on North Lincoln Street where he kept his trucks. His office was in his home.
He has almost always kept a few school districts on his route schedule.
"When I first started, it still came in glass bottles," Larsen said. "We couldn't leave the glass bottles (at schools). It was too dangerous. They would break. So we brought it in five-gallon steel cans."
The cans were packed in ice. Milk trucks didn't have refrigeration in the mid-'50s when Larsen started hauling in a tiny Divco truck.
The milky-white goodness also spoiled in just five days. And back then, it was just white, 3.5 percent fat, whole milk. No chocolate. No skim.
Boy, how things have changed.
Flavored milks are sold in schools today, along with the now-standard skim and 2 percent white. Resealable plastic milk "chugs" tumble out of vending machines in many cafeterias with no risk of breaking.
And today's processing can keep cow juice fresh for 18 days.
Throughout the changing containers, added flavors and bigger refrigerators, Larsen has remained constant.
With routes starting at 4:30 a.m., Larsen doesn't see the students too often. He is instead a familiar face to the other early birds who open the schools, mostly in the Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Delavan-Darien school districts and Lakeland School in Elkhorn.
"I made some great friends with these janitors," Larsen said. "They make sure they have the door open for me, and they all wait for me. They're just great."
Don't forget the kitchen staffers, who rarely let Larsen leave empty-handed.
"I can't get away without taking something," he said of the treats. "They have my coffee for me, or sandwiches. Everything before I go to my next stop. I can't eat it all, and you can't say 'no.' And there's lots of cookies."
That's not a problem for the rest of the crew at Alder Companies in Delavan, where Larsen is back after selling his business in 1996.
"He comes back with sandwiches, doughnuts, cookies. Anything you can think of," said Steve Haxton, sales manager. "We look forward to him coming back from his route."
Besides the goodies, Larsen is appreciated for his high-quality work.
Haxton does the bidding for milk contracts and uses Larsen as an incentive for districts to choose Alder Companies Dean-brand products.
"Roger-just the fact of who he is-helps us get the business," Haxton said. "In Elkhorn, I put an asterisk that it will be delivered by Roger."
Deb Alder, granddaughter of Robert Alder and manager of Alder Companies', couldn't ask for a better driver.
"He's what you want when you have your name on the side of a truck and you're sending them out representing you."
Larsen's dependability and personality have made him popular among customers.
Pamela Lange, Elkhorn Area School District food service supervisor, recommended getting Larsen back as the milkman after he sold his company and temporarily stopped delivering to schools.
"The milk can be wonderful from many different companies, but it's also the service that comes with it," Lange said. "He provides that."
Lakeland School officials recognized Larsen for his 50 years of service at a ceremony last month. He's been delivering to the school almost since the day it opened.
"Whenever I see him, he never seems like he's having a bad day," Principal Greg Kostechka said. "He always has something positive to say."
Larsen loves his job. Over the years, the routine hasn't changed much.
He still wakes before most cows are milked and is at the distribution plant about 4 a.m. The routes start about 4:30 a.m.
Armed with a handcart, Larsen moves 750 to 800 crates of milk per week, a number that has grown since his beginnings.
His stops, now 45 between Monday and Thursday, are still done by noon.
"I had so much time in the afternoon, so I'd go out and help my dad on the farm after doing the milk route," said Larsen, who grew up on a dairy farm in Sugar Creek Township with his seven brothers and sisters.
Larsen used to have to stand while driving the old Divco trucks, which carried about 40 cases of milk. Standing made it easier to jump out from stop to stop along his route. He delivered to restaurants, grocery stores and homes, sometimes putting the milk in the refrigerator for the customer.
Today, he can pack 300 cases of half-pint milk onto his diesel truck. That equates to about 40,000 cartons to 20,000 happy customers per week, Haxton said.
His job is important to kids.
"It's reasonable for them price-wise in schools, and I don't think they get it as much at home," Larsen said. "They don't always get it with their families like they do at school."
Laws actually require schools to provide milk for their students.
Even though Larsen is driving the milk, it's the milk that's driving him.
"I like to do it," he said. "I like to get up in the morning and get going. People get old when they sit around. Personally, I don't like to sit around."
So it's true. Milk, it does a body good.