The J.M. Smucker Company is a well-known household name with iconic brands, including Smucker’s® fruit spreads, Folgers® coffee, Jif® peanut butter, and Milk-Bone® dog snacks. Since its beginning over 125 years ago, this business has been successful under five generations of family leadership that have consistently provided consumers with quality products they trust for themselves and their families.
The challenge:
The J.M. Smucker Company believes meaningful connections are vital to a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. This philosophy translates to the policies and practices implemented to support their employees through their everyday work. To remain true to this sentiment, Smucker embarked on an initiative to upgrade their collaboration technology with videoconferencing solutions in their Orrville, Ohio, headquarters and other manufacturing and sales sites to evolve their culture while retaining their values. With facilities spread across the US and Canada, it is important to support effective communication and to create a consistent user experience across every site.
The solution:
James Colson, AV specialist at Smucker, and the IS team were tasked to create a standard room experience for the 120 meeting rooms and 100 huddle rooms at the headquarters and over a dozen remote sites. The solutions had to be reliable and easy to use to support the business during hybrid meetings, which would be critical as Smucker implemented a transition to enable employees to work on hybrid schedules. After a history with Crestron and existing technology present throughout their meeting rooms, the AV team selected the Crestron Flex platform to ensure collaboration throughout each space.
The technology:
Outfitting conference spaces with solutions that reduce the friction of joining a meeting — and managing those spaces — was a significant consideration for this project. With Crestron Flex, collaboration and hybrid working became easier for everyone in the office and at home. The technology from Crestron was deployed throughout small, medium, and large meeting rooms and collaboration areas, enabling employees to come together for every type of meeting while matching their modern office aesthetic.
Within the Smucker headquarters are small huddle spaces, larger conference rooms, and an auditorium where company-wide meetings occur. For large corporate events, there is also a ballroom-style area that can be combined to seat approximately 1,400 employees. While no two meetings are the same, the Smucker AV team wanted to equip their employees with collaboration tools that would be. Despite the variety of meeting spaces, each one is equipped with full Crestron Flex and Microsoft Teams® software conferencing capabilities, allowing for a high-quality meeting experience from a familiar interface. This ensures that employees are comfortable using any room, whether that be a conference room at the headquarters or a huddle room on a remote site.
Crestron Flex installed in each meeting room creates the same sleek look and a user experience where employees can arrive and get started without any connection hiccups. Every space has been designed intentionally with Microsoft Teams software friendly peripherals and Crestron control to elevate the meeting experience. Crestron Flex allows Smucker’s employees to have face-to-face meetings even when they can’t be in the same physical location. With the addition of the Crestron AirMedia® Connect Adaptor, employees can leverage wireless presentation and conferencing to seamlessly present to the in-room display with a simple workflow to get employees connected.
Smucker recently added intelligent video technology into a collaborative space on campus with multiple cameras and displays around the room to create a Sightline experience. As a space used primarily for meetings with customers and retailers, ensuring a high-quality and inclusive experience for far-end participants was critical. Crestron intelligent video technologies integrate with the Crestron Flex for Microsoft Teams Rooms system to enable an effective virtual meeting with auto-switching video streams that capture the active speakers. To ensure quality audio pickup across the room, microphones are scattered around the table surface to capture each participant, no matter where they are seated.
The Crestron XiO Cloud® technology operations management platform allows the AV team to monitor and manage all devices from anywhere. Being able to control each device remotely gives Smucker flexibility to solve any issues on the spot. It also enables the team to experience the same hybrid flexibility as the rest of the organization by empowering them to assist colleagues without physically being onsite. With more technology solutions being implemented than before and employees located all over the map, this platform has become critical. The Crestron XiO Cloud platform notifies the team when devices need attention before problems occur and enables them to resolve complications easily.
The results:
With Crestron digital workplace solutions implemented, the Orrville headquarters supports a streamlined workday experience for every employee and benefits the dispersed workforce with collaboration tools that support them in every space.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
