(NAPS)- Legendary brands are not born, they’re made. A delightful new book tells the story of how one dynamic executive took a beloved Maine company and turned it into a retailing giant with sales surpassing 1 billion dollars a year. “L.L.Bean: The Making of an American Icon,” by current Chairman and former longtime President Leon Gorman, offers the first true-to-life account of the iconic retailer and its colorful history and culture. Gorman candidly reveals the behind-the scenes struggles to preserve the identity that built the company as he opened the door to needed change. Woven throughout the story are the valuable lessons Gorman learned. These include: + Building a powerful brand around bedrock beliefs and values + Balancing growth and tradition + Crafting and preserving an authentic corporate identity + Creating a platform for growth in a time of accelerating change and stiffening competition + Maintaining family ownership in today’s transient and highly volatile retail arena. “This book tells a compelling business story about the challenges and milestones along the way to building a venerable American company. Yet it is more than the usual business book. Leon Gorman tells this story with his characteristic charm, wit and self-effacing humor, making it a delightful read for any audience.” – Senator George J. Mitchell According to David A. Garvin, the C. Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School: “L.L.Bean is much more than a folksy, friendly, direct-mail retailer. It’s an extraordinary corporate success story, with powerful lessons for managers about strategic positioning, marketing and brand, organizational culture and values, and the challenges of explosive growth.” To learn more about the book, visit www.hbspress.org.
