Taylor leads growth at food-service firm
Fresh out of college, Tim Taylor joined Menomonee Falls-based Davians as a vending route driver in 1996.
A few years later, he was promoted to route supervisor, and then he became a district manager.
In 2015, Taylor was appointed chief executive officer of the family-owned business.
Taylor’s climb up the corporate ladder is remarkable, especially given that he’s not a member of the family that owns the business.
Davians was founded in 1958 by Dave and Vivian Kwarciany. (The name Davian is a mashing up of their first names). As the company grew and his roles of responsibility expanded, Taylor said, he was not aware the Kwarciany family was grooming him to become their next CEO.
Today, Davians is on the forefront of one of the hottest food trends in the nation: micromarkets. Driven by trends that range from Americans’ demanding more nutritious food choices to a tightening labor market, companies across the U.S. are seeking to enhance their break rooms and, in the process, are creating opportunities for food and beverage companies to grow significantly.
Davians is filling that demand for employers throughout southeastern Wisconsin, operating 46 self-serve micromarkets in the market.
The micromarkets add to the company’s other divisions: catering and events, coffee and vending, and dining and corporate cafes.
The firm operates cafes at the Schlitz Park office complex in downtown Milwaukee and the Badger Meter Inc. headquarters in Brown Deer. Davians’ newest cafe recently opened at the Parkland Center office complex on Milwaukee’s far west side.
Davians also operates the Brown Bottle restaurant at Schlitz Park.
“We make and prepare all our food, fresh every day. We have lots of controls,” Taylor said. “By keeping it internal, we can stay on top of food trends and health trends. That’s important.”
The company has grown to 225 employees and annual revenue of more than $22 million.
The Kwarciany family is counting on Taylor to execute Davians’ expansion. That can be a tricky proposition, considering that four of the second-generation Kwarciany siblings have roles in the company: David Kwarciany Jr. is vice president of the vending division; Scott Kwarciany is controller; Sue Hillstrom is vice president of human resources; and Pat Huhn oversees research and product development.
Why would the family chose an outsider to lead the business?
“Tim has extensive knowledge of our business from over 20 years of experience in several roles of increasing responsibility,” Hillstrom said. “He has proven himself to be a very effective manager and leader. He has earned the respect of our employees and has developed a trusted relationship with our family ownership.”
I asked Taylor to provide tips for thriving as the CEO of a family-owned business when he’s not a member of the family that owns the business. Here are his best ideas:
Be a steward and caretaker of the brand and reputation.
Balance a respect for past successes with the need to be a change/ innovation advocate for the future.
Honor the ownership family’s legacy, values, history and standing in the community.
Even as the company grows, maintain a family atmosphere and culture, both internally and externally (“Treating our customers as one of our own”).
Be a great listener, whether it’s listening to the employees who are on the front lines taking care of customers or hearing the instincts of experienced family members.
Be a consensus builder among a leadership team of family members and nonfamily members, as well as the
broader employee base.
“I have worked alongside all of the family for 20-plus years. They all have their strengths,” Taylor said. “We work very closely together. Listening is very important. I take time to listen to each one of them. Dave and Vivian have created something very special here.”