There might be a few thoughts while presenting one’s views on political topics and the thoughts might multiply when big business is involved. However, being silent was not an option for CEO Bill Penzey who did not let any power suppress his voice. He expressed his views on the current issue without the fear of losing a few corporate deals. He even went ahead and “looted” his own store when things took a messy turn.
Penzy’s Spices is the largest independent distributor of spices in the States. The CEO of this spice retailer, Bill Penzey has never opted for silence. Even when the matters were highly political, he voiced his opinion. He raised his voice on every subject and expressed his beliefs openly!
When the country was fighting a battle against racial injustice, Penzey spoke for and supported the ones who protested. The protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin turned quite destructive with many stores being plundered and protesters being attacked severely.
Someone wrote a letter addressed to Penzey stating that if one of his stores had been attacked, he would not have the same attitude.
The CEO wrote a response to this comment! He explained that nothing would change even one of his stores was robbed. He would still stand on the same ground and have the same voice.
The entire letter written by Penzey could be summed up with the one line that he wrote, “Human life means everything; stuff, not so much.”
Bill Penzey of Penzey's Spices, on the subject of if he'd still support protests if one of his stores got looted. pic.twitter.com/Wmt29UP39a
— If you're not furious, you're on the wrong side. (@MoggieBoourns) August 27, 2020
Then, this man came up with an idea!
He wrote, “My mind went to that idea that we would feel differently if it was our store that was looted. When I asked around: ‘What if we looted our own store?’ What if we took a snapshot of our Kenosha store’s inventory tonight and simply gave away exactly that amount of inventory in the coming weeks?”
Penzey made sure that his actions send the right message in the world. He wanted everyone to understand the gravity of the present situation. “What if we just gave our spices and seasonings to food pantries and gift boxes to organizations trying to raise money to fund change,” he added.
Everyone seemed to agree with his plan including his mother. So, he gathered customers in the Kenosha region. He wanted to know where the items from the store should be taken.
After the Penzey store in Minneapolis was attacked a while ago, he wrote an email to the customers. “If sweeping up some glass and replacing a couple windows is a piece of everybody realizing the costs of racism-fueled police violence towards minorities is no longer affordable, then so be it,” he wrote.
