Quality always trumps the lackluster is a phrase that I have often used.
Quality in business, engineering and manufacturing has a pragmatic interpretation as the non-inferiority or superiority of something; it is also defined as fitness for purpose. Quality is a perceptual, conditional, and somewhat subjective attribute, and may be understood differently by different people. Consumers may focus on the specification quality of a product/service, or how it compares to competitors in the marketplace. Producers might measure the conformance quality, or degree to which the product/service was produced correctly.
Support personnel may measure the quality to the degree that a product is reliable, maintainable, or sustainable. Simply put, a quality item (an item that has quality) has the ability to perform satisfactorily in service and is suitable for its intended purpose.
I would add that passion plays an important role in quality. Many of those with whom we do business are passionate about what they do. Trust me, most people today would not put themselves through what these individuals put themselves through, day in and day out. The Jones family who owns the Chef’s Garden in Huron has been bankrupt twice… twice losing everything they had! Never ever, ever, ever, ever willing to give up, they got back on their tractor and started over. They are passionate about what they do and though their products are pricey, their quality is always unsurpassed.
When Pat and Dan Conway started Great Lakes Brewery in 1988 I thought they were crazy. Pat was a retired teacher and Dan a banker–what could they possibly know about brewing? But Pat’s passion for making a quality crafted beer and never compromising on quality have made them into the brewery they are today. And even today, after all, the accolades they have received, these two are still looking to better their product.
Today the artisan/craft movement is stronger than ever; it can be found in the resurgence of quality cocktails, handcrafted beers and small, biodynamic family farms and wineries. It can even be found in Detroit with the American car industry that now competes and often surpasses their foreign competitors! Made in America and damn proud of it!
