Family Express talks about hiring practices, innovation

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Updated: January 19, 2012 7:10PM

VALPARAISO — Gus Olympidis, president and chief executive officer of Family Express, shared some of the secrets of his company’s success Thursday for the 16th Innovators Cafe.

About 80 business and community leaders from throughout the region attended the event, held at the company’s Morgan Township corporate headquarters, which includes a training center set up like a Family Express convenience store.

The Society of Innovators and Ivy Tech Community College Northwest host the cafes, which began in 2005 and rotate around businesses to spotlight innovative practices.

Family Express has 57 locations in north central Indiana.

“As you look around, you’re in a gas station, a convenience store, a service facility with, truly, an emphasis on service,” said Guadalupe Valtierra, chancellor for the region’s Ivy Tech campuses. “What is it that Family Express does that is truly innovative?”

Using a company training video, Olympidis said Family Express focuses on efficient logistics to get perishable products to its locations once a day and providing unique brands of everything from coffee to milk, as well as its square donuts.

“We start our day competing with folks who are much, much bigger than we are,” he told the audience.

The company has thrived, in part, because of its stringent hiring practices — only one in 50 who apply is accepted, and Olympidis said jokingly that Family Express discriminates against the grumpy.

Olympidis answered questions from the audience, including one on how big Family Express could get.

“Oh, we don’t know,” he said. “The question is, do we really care?”

The company just saw the most growth in its 40-year history and is in the mode for greater expansion because it makes economic sense but has no business plan setting a deadline to open a certain number of new stores.

He also fielded a question on the upside-down cow featured on the company’s blue delivery trucks, which is meant to draw a focus to the Family Express brand.

“The cow doesn’t have a name,” Olympidis admitted.