One World Enterprises

Directed by Barry M Rubin, PhD

Over the past 30 years, One World Enterprises (OWE) has expanded its business from its first handmade pizzas (now Pizza X) to include a portfolio of businesses: Lennie’s Restaurant and Brewpub, Bloomington Brewing Company (BBC), One World Catering & Events, and, most recently, Loesch Farm. Co-owners Jeff Mease and Lennie Busch have built and managed the business with a focus on quality products and service, and with the vision that financial sustainability can go hand in hand with nurturing the wellbeing of its employees and the community as a whole. In the spring of 2014, our team partnered with OWE to discover how the company could further enhance its commitment to “people, planet, profit.” Based on Lennie and Jeff’s vision, OWE has already established a number of practices that look beyond profits, including open-book management practices and green restaurant certification for Lennie’s. We have identified several key areas where OWE can enhance the programs and processes already in place, including environmental sustainability, open-book management, triple bottom line accounting, a sustainable business model, and education and outreach. One overarching recommendation for improving performance in all areas is to establish a baseline for goal setting and measuring progress. OWE should develop a standardized and efficient process for data collection on key financial, environmental, and employee satisfaction indicators.

We recommend that OWE establish processes for tracking energy and water use, employee and customer satisfaction, and non-monetary indicators of success such as employee turnover. Armed with this information, managers can better identify opportunities for improvement, integrate non-financial indicators into accounting frameworks, engage employees in pursuing the social and environmental goals of OWE, market OWE’s unique practices to the wider community, and educate other business owners.