Position: Supplier Development Manager

Torani Team Member Since: 2012

george hauser with big smile and holding coffee cup

 

Meet Torani’s Supplier Development Manager, George Hauser. With extensive experience in purchasing and vendor partnerships, George makes sure Torani has strong relationships with its suppliers and partners. We sat down with George to learn about his experience at Torani and why he loves being a Torani team member.  

 

Who is George?

What is your role at Torani?

Supplier Development Manager

What work did you do before Torani?

I’ve been in purchasing before and the restaurant business for 50 years. I currently own a restaurant with my wife called Communite Table in Oakland, CA.

What made you want to join the Torani team?

I’ve worked for industrial food manufacturers before but this is great. Working at Torani is fun because it reminds me of the restaurant business. The flavors are fun and we make people happy. The work environment is like our flavors, they can be bubbly and exciting.

What gets you excited about coming to work? What gets you up in the morning?

The team. Everyone around here is a lot laughs and a lot of fun. Also, I think the challenge of producing a world class product as a team. That still really excites me and I think once that excitement is gone, I’ll be retiring.

What are you drinking these days? Which flavor is your favorite right now?

I like the Peach Syrup with sparkling water and powdered potassium. I usually drink that after I go for a run.

George receiving a hug from Lisa Lucheta

George receiving a hug from Torani Principal, Lisa Lucheta

 

His Role

What has been your favorite project so far?

I think my favorite project would be the Puree bottle that I helped design. That was probably the most joyful project because the cap was so elusive. It took us almost two years to find the cap. I eventually found it in a drawer full of samples of all places. I was flying all over the country looking for the right cap and I had it in my drawer. Definitely the entire journey of it all that makes it my favorite.

torani drinks and syrups on table

 

What’s it like working with your team?

It’s very fast paced. It’s very detail oriented since we are doing packaging from concept to commercialization and you have to constantly push the ball up the court. We all have a lot of experience since we all come from a purchasing and design background, so we can all do both. We get to be creative but still be have fun.

Do you have a work besty?

I would say Sue Funk. We travel a lot for QA and I believe she and I are of the same personality. We expect the best out of everyone and work really hard but we can still have many laughs. With her it’s always a great time.

What have you felt to be the most rewarding part of your job?

Knowing that I’ve done a good job. I know the company does a good job of recognizing everyone. They’re always thanking you and give lots of encouragement. At this stage in my career, money is secondary. What makes me make the long journey to the office every day is the fact I can come into work, have some laughs, get some work done and go home. I don’t have to worry about people calling in the middle of the night like I’ve had previous jobs that I’ve had.

 

Thoughts on Torani

What’s been your favorite team event here? Why?

My favorite team event would probably be the Golden Gate Gardening Day. 3 years ago I was crawling up a steep hill in Golden Gate Park, and I came across a dead raccoon. I knew it was fresh because it was still warm so I picked it up and asked our team members what I should do with it. I ended up walking around with it until I found a park ranger that would take it. I think I’ll always be remembered for that one.

What do you find motivating about working for a company like Torani?

I think the way the company treats us. Everything is serious but done with a fun twist. A lot of companies try to be fun but sometimes they go too far and they don’t have the discipline to run properly. Other times, some companies are too strict and there is a lot of turn over. If you look around the office, there are a lot of people who have been here for a very long time so I think they’ve found a great balance.

What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you while working at Torani?

Sometimes I wear a blonde wig and have to create my own fun. Probably when Melanie and I start teasing each other. She treats me like a peer so she and I have a back and forth banter going on.

 

george cleaning up weeds in golden gate park

My favorite team event would probably be the Golden Gate Gardening Day.

 

Does the company do a lot of community service?

We do a good amount. We do the cleanup, I play Santa Claus for the boys and girls club. That always brings tears to my eyes and makes me really happy. I’ve done it for 6 years now and I feel like I’ve absolved all of my sins by playing Santa Claus!

If you could do anyone else's job in the company for a day- who's would it be and why?

I think it would be fun to have Melanie’s job. I want to run the company for one day. I’d probably give everyone a day off.

What about Torani's future excites you?

I’m excited that we are going to the next level and building a new plant. I’m excited to have a state of the art facility, not only in manufacturing but also in the offices.

 

To learn more about what it’s like inside our flavor factory, read up on our other team member profiles. Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page for our open positions.