After reading an article on Zuke’s in the Herald last week (Jan. 11), I would like to share some reflections and correct a misquote of me in the article.
Upon hearing the news, I experienced deep sadness and loss. My heart is broken for all the change the company is going through, the loss to our local community, and most of all, for the employees who will now face the challenge of digesting this and somehow moving forward in life.
Please know that the selling of Zuke’s was undertaken with honest intentions both by myself and Nestle Purina. Never were staff reductions or relocation intended, nor was there ever a vow by me to “keep the headquarters in Durango and retain its employees” as was written in the article.
The vision was to keep Zuke’s intact and in Durango, and after years of dreaming about it, finally releasing a dog food into the marketplace. Nestle Purina did exactly that. They kept the company in Durango and went for it. However, this doesn’t mean everything works out when you go for it in business. Business life is risky, uncertain, and difficult decisions are the norm. What’s clear is Nestle Purina had to make just such a decision and the pain of it is real.
Please join me in meeting this difficult news with an open heart and offering support to those losing their jobs in the form of new employment opportunities. The company is loaded with kind, talented, loving people.
Patrick Meiering
Durango
