A Visit to an Ice Cream Factory Leaves a Cold Experience

By: Brent Nussbaum

Have you ever visited a business that sold a great product and been disappointed with the experience? Did it leave you wanting to buy their product again? 

One of my colleagues (his name is Bill) was on a family vacation to Oregon last year and decided to visit an ice cream factory (I will it leave nameless) that makes some of his favorite ice cream. Though initially excited, he was very disappointed at what he discovered. He waited in a long line to purchase a few scoops, but the employees at the counter could not see the how long the line was. They were shocked when he shared how long he waited, but they didn’t seem concerned or empowered to address the issue. By the time he left, Bill was questioning why he would buy their ice cream. 

What does this have to do with trucking? Nussbaum celebrates its eightieth (80th) year of business in 2025. How did we arrive at eighty years so quickly, just how old is Brent Nussbaum, and what drives the success of this company?   

A great business can start with a great product or service, but without a great culture, it rarely lasts long. Without building a culture of “care,” it isn’t long before the company is discounting its products to keep people interested.

Our Creator and Heavenly Father made us to be relational with each other. Therefore, we have a God-given tendency to feel cared for when our co-workers are warm and engaging. Great cultures are built on relationships with one another. Greeting each other in the hallways, calling each other by name (not “hey”), chatting at the coffee machine, and having lunch together in the Welcome Center builds relationships and creates outstanding cultures. When our culture is strong, we engage each other and our customers in meaningful ways, and we are naturally in a better mood. We feel good about serving each other and people can sense something special about our company. Ultimately, Nussbaum flourishes. 

Recently, someone from a tech company conducted some group sessions on how we could improve our cybersecurity. At our follow-up meeting, he shared how impressed he was with the groups at the meetings. He said he rarely experiences a company culture as strong as the one here. It made quite an impression on him. We often hear from our customers of the great experiences they have interacting with our people. So, it’s no surprise that Nussbaum has been successful for eighty years. Our people and our culture are the reason! A BIG thank you to everyone who helps build the Nussbaum culture and makes coming to work each day a positive experience!

Brent