Leonard Green & Partners
by John Mackey, November 7, 2008 | Permalink
I’m really excited to announce that Leonard Green & Partners has invested $425 million in Whole Foods Market (a 17% percent ownership). We are pleased that Leonard Green, one of the most experienced and successful investors in the retail industry, has decided to make such a significant investment in our company. We view this as a strong vote of confidence in our business model and our long-term growth prospects, despite the tough current economic environment. This equity infusion, combined with our strong cash flow from operations, gives us the financial flexibility to manage through these difficult times while continuing to prudently invest in our long-term growth as we remain committed to our mission and core values. For my further thoughts, check out this video.
Categories: investors
Right on, Mr. Mackey. You’re a part of the debate as much as any of the Democrats or Mr. Obama!
You are spot on when you express concern over government taking over health care. It’s obvious that’s what the Democrats’ goal is: government run, single-payer health care. To me, that is health care suicide. Who enjoys their interactions with government agencies? IRS? DMV? Local and state bureaucracies?
No one does. The Obama-Care plan seeks to destroy the private health insurance industry and replace it with government run care: socialized medicine.
Stop the government power grab! Oppose Obama care. Support legislation to improve the system without trashing it!
I have been a loyal customer at my local Whole Foods store in the past. You are a very wealthy man and I’m sure you can get the best health care money can buy. How could you possibly understand the needs of working people. You are just another greedy ceo. You are entitled to your opinions Mr. Mackey and I am entitled to spend my food dollars elsewhere.
Mr. Mackey; I have never shopped at your store but will be tonight for the buycott. I believe this country is more in need of factual information and better health choices which start with our decisions in many of the preventative area’s.
Please keep being inovative and strong. Thank you so much for all of your charity work and not being afraid to put your ideals out there.
CC
I am so sad that the CEO has decided to reveal such a narrow minded, evil side. I shopped 2x a week at Whole Foods in Chelsea, New York city, and today was the last day I’ll EVER be a customer in any Whole Foods market EVER AGAIN.
Ihave been a very loyal and once, happy customer of the company for over 12 years! The amount I spent there, and thank goodness can afford it, was about $1,200.00 a week. That was over the last 5 years.
My entire family, (3 sisters, with kids, both my parents and my 87 yr. old grandmother who used to shop there for years in Maryland, we have all decided to never again give another red cent to the Whole Foods companies, or its affiliates!
It is unfortunate that such a fair minded, earth loving company is run by another conservative dolt. Goodbye and good riddance WholeFoods! F O R E V E R !!!!!
Hi Mr. Mackey,
I am small business owner. your story and your faith real gave me a big hope! thank you for being strong and giving us small business owners a hope! I support Whole foods! and now i make sure that my family and freinds will go there too!
Mr. Mackey: I loved your 8/10/09 article in the WSJ so much that I copied it and sent it to my Senators the very next day. I never heard back from them, but when I found out about the boycot of you stores because you had the audacity to voice your good ideas….I got in my care and drove 15 miles to shop at the store in Jericho, NY. I had never been to Whole Foods, but I am now a regular customer. Thank you for supporting Free Market Principles and American Entrepenuership. You a fine example of a good corporate citizen!
Thank you for your Op-Ed piece. I am so grateful for your courage and willingness to stand up against the proposed healthcare bill and show there are viable alternatives to what Congress and the White House are proposing. I have been a customer for many, many years and will continue to shop at Whole Foods to show my support. I did my normal shopping last night but went again to the ‘buy-cott’ at Town and Country, MO again today to shop more but more importantly, to show others that together, we can make a difference. Thanks again!
Just wanted to say I have joined the buycott. I will be shopping at your store Thursday for the first time. I do not have a store near our home in Winchester, Virginia but will travel several miles to show you our support and Thank-you for speaking up. My husband and I plan on speaking up with our dollars.
I support your op ed. If there was a store by my home, I would support it. Thank you for your corage and comments.
Steven Heath
I live in St. Louis, MO and have shopped at the Brentwood store.
Thank you for yoru WSJ article. The people who are boycotting your stores need to get life. When has freedom of speech become evil.
I will do MORE shopping at your stores.
Glad to see your stock has stayed OK
Mr. Mackey, You are truly a leader and right on for speaking out… I have always and continue to support Whole Foods Market!!! My favorite store! The closest one is 5 hours away in Ft. Collins, Colorado and I stop there every chance I get… I do know many more people now that will be BUYcotting your store now… Way to go!!! Keep it up and YOU ARE A GREAT AMERICAN!!!
Mr Mackey has plenty of goods ideas to offer here about many subjects. His views on healthcare are quite good but there are elements that are missing. No big deal. If he was a healthcare genius, he’d be running hospitals not a supermarket chain. Lots of tasty, healthy things at Whole Foods this week. I’m stopping in!
This is a joke. More Right Wing talking points that don’t solve anything and suggests that deregulating the health insurance industry would actually fix part of the problem. Healthy people have NO clue what people who require insurance need. Then you go on to suggest that people should get tax rebates to pay for people who dont have health insurance because, as the right likes to point out; they don’t want it or need it. All the while people who need expensive treatments end up possibly losing that treatment because there is no longer any regulation in place. Then not only do you have people who need health treatments paid for but their cost of living subsidized because they can no longer work. Capitalism is self sustaining for so long, we have plateaued and are on the slope downward. That Margret Thatcher quote is a great example of propaganda and the truth being hidden away from people. I wont go into that here but it is sad that you felt the need to inject your opinion into this and decided not bring anything new or substantive to the topic.
Many thanks for your “cluttering the issue with Common Sense”. Loved your points on improving/providing viable alternatives to the current proposals. Can’t understand the opposers who are high on invective but short on offering alternative or reasons as to why your logic is faulty. Indeed, as one blogger opined :” who among us is happy with any government provided service: IRS, DMV, ..et al” Keep up what you’re doing..very positive and good for us..much like your stores.
I’ll be taking my business elsewhere (New Seasons Market).
You should be ashamed of yourself.
My friend is boycotting your store. After reading your oped piece I will continue to shop and make up for what she’s no longer spending at WFM. Continued success to you!
Freedom of speech…a right as an American… we all have a right to our own opinion … and thank you for speaking from your wisdom, experience, expertise and for your honesty.
Mr. Mackey,
Thanks for your courage to speak out against government-run health care. Existing government programs are poorly administrated financial disasters, why should we turn the whole system over to proven failures? You are a producer running a successful company that employs hundreds of thousands of people, something most of the bureaucrats in D.C. haven’t done and don’t respect. People who claim health care is a right and “for the public good” just have their hands in every tax payer’s pocket. I’m participating in the “buycott”.
With all the hullaballo about the CEO, I decided to go visit the Whole Foods market in South Orlando. What a wonderful place! The selection is incredible and the array of foods from all over the world is marvelous! Count me in as a new customer along with the other ladies in our family.
I have been shopping at Whole Foods for over 9 years I drive over 35 miles one way to get there 2 times a month I love your store and your employees are always friendly and seem very happy. Last time I went I asked the cashier about her benefits, she said she had great health care and did not pay one cent! I am more than sure all the people from the left will be replaced with new customers!
Mr. Mackey,
I applaud you as a great American. You are absolutely correct to join the debate and you have expressed some clear, valid and to my mind feasible options for reforming health care coverage.
I have been shopping at Whole Foods since the store in my area was Wild Oats and will continue to support your store. Also, I’m talking with all my friends about the health care topic, as many people are, and I consistently tell them about your story.
Bravo!
Best wishes,
Skylar
Thank You Mr. Mackey!!! Way to go. I support your thinking 200%. I’m going to search for a store near my home and will be a firt time customer.
Hang in there…we need more like you speaking out!