FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOLLAND & DAVIS AND WINSTON WEBER & ASSOCIATES JOIN TO CREATE “THE PROCESS PERFORMANCE GROUP^SM”

Alliance Will Focus on Retail Excellence 

HOUSTON, TX--September 16,2002--Two highly respected consulting firms, Holland & Davis (HDI) and Winston Weber & Associates, Inc. (WWA) have entered into an alliance dedicated to helping retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers adapt to rapidly changing industry dynamics. Known as “The Process Performance Group^SM”, the alliance combines the extensive retail experience and expertise of Winston Weber & Associates Inc. with the operations integration and change the business capability of Holland & Davis, LLC. This world class capability enables “The Process Performance Group^SM” to uniquely possess the best attributes of both specialty consultancies as well as those of the largest consulting firms, creating a powerful resource and consulting offering within the retail industry. 

Retailers and CPG manufacturers are experiencing difficult challenges in the face of a tough economic climate, industry consolidation, a highly competitive environment between trade channels, considerable pressure for lower costs and higher ROI and changing consumer behavior. In order to survive and grow in this environment, HDI and WWA believe companies can get ahead and stay ahead only with fundamental big changes, not incremental changes in their status quo. This will require an enterprise-wide view with a process mindset and a focus on three critical, interdependent factors: 

• Optimal Solutions

• Maximum Power Information Technology

• Flawless Implementation 

What’s at stake? Lack of a company-wide view or process mindset or weakness on any one of the factors above will result in failure of the company to remain competitive. 

In the view of The Process Performance Group^SM, agility and execution will define the leaders in the retail industry.  Leading retailers and CPG manufacturers of the future will continuously adapt to the market. They will be agile enough to make underlying changes as market demand shifts.  

The Process Performance Group^SM will be ideally positioned to work with retailers, wholesalers and consumer packaged goods companies…from multinational, large national and small companies to industry associations. PPG experts with extensive industry experience will work side-by-side with client executives in the development of optimal solutions and when integrating the right applications and systems with people and strategies. They will also play an important role developing the mindset for simultaneously running and changing the business.    

“The industry landscape is always changing for retailers and manufacturers of consumer packaged goods.  WWA brings retail industry expertise to The Process Performance Group^SM, which aligns extremely well with Holland & Davis’ extensive experience in business transformation. We will be able to deliver solutions with global understanding and strategic involvement to clients who demand to stay at the top of their industry,” said Michael A. Zeher, President of Winston Weber & Associates, Inc. 

Bill Nash, President of Holland & Davis, agrees “Today, more than ever, it is critical for companies in the retail industry to maintain flexibility to change with market demands.  We have 30 years of experience in helping organizations implement strategic changes for maximum results.  By partnering with Winston Weber & Associates, Inc., we can utilize their strength of knowledge in industry dynamics and deliver significant business value for clients.” 

About Holland & Davis

Holland & Davis LLC provides strategic change to firms in retail and across industries…helping clients reach their business vision …on target, on time, on budget.  HDI goes beyond consulting to actual implementation, providing experienced “been there, done that” project resources and world-class change tools. 

About Winston Weber & Associates, Inc.

Winston Weber & Associates, Inc. provides strategic solutions and practical applications to retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and sales agencies in the consumer products industry.  WWA’s emphasis on quality, combined with a global perspective and unique capabilities, enables them to be more than a typical consulting firm.  WWA brings sustainable value to each client relationship. 

PPG^SM offices are located in Chicago, Memphis, Houston, San Antonio and New York.  Consultants are headquartered in North America and Europe.

CONTACT: