Author: Jadie Regard

Blog Post – October 2024

When October finally comes around, I really start thinking pecans.  This is the time of year that you begin to see Halloween, Thanksgiving and fall decorations hit the store shelves.  Clothing catalogs appear in your mailbox featuring cozy sweaters and corduroy pants.  Food magazines begin to showcase the classic pecan pie recipe.  It’s my favorite time of the year.

When I was young, this would be the time of the year my father would “leave for the farm.”  Our pecan farm was located about two and a half hours from our home in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Papa would oversee the harvest and that meant, unless it was raining, he was there in Natchitoches, Louisiana, along the Cane River, making sure tractors, shakers and harvesters were ready to go, the orchard was swept of broken limbs, and his harvesting supplies were at hand.  Getting the harvest “in” before the winter rains was the job.  And what a job it was.  Between managing the labor you needed to haul in the tons of pecans he grew, and keeping up with broken farm equipment and dodging weather, it was real work.  But he loved it.  He loved his trees, he loved being outdoors, he loved problem solving and he loved seeing his pecans picked, sorted and sacked and ready for the market. 

I can still hear my brothers and I running though the dried pecan leaves on the orchard floor.  It’s so noisy you can’t dare sneak up on anyone.  It was the sound of October, the sound of fall, and the sound of my favorite time of the year.

Jady Regard, CNO – Chief Nut Officer,  Cane River Pecan Company 

Holidays often represent the height of corporate gifting in all of its forms. Meanwhile, clients, team members, managers or vendors all need fun events to look forward to at work — and especially during the holidays. Over time, seasonal activities can become favorite office traditions that everyone will look forward to year after year, building enthusiasm, motivation and good will. All it takes is the right mix of thoughtful corporate gift giving elements—a bit of time, a few resources, some effort, a shot of creativity and lots of inclusive ideas. Here are some of our all-time favorites:

1. Organize a Team Outing

Keep it fun and simple. It should be a few stress-free hours for everyone to do something together and power down—go out to lunch, go bowling, tour a local attraction or even volunteer at a favorite charity. Just about anything off-site can be a refreshing change of pace. Ask for ideas, and be generous with the invitations. You might be intrigued by how interesting some of the suggestions might be.

2. Arrange an Ugly Sweater Day

Gaudy, loud holiday sweaters that are too much of everything have become a must-have holiday activity for many. In fact, ugly holiday wear has expanded to allow for a truly impressive holiday ensemble that may include pants, ties, leggings, shoes and more. You might even want to award a few superlatives for employees who show up in the most creative outfit. Set your office’s official “Ugly Sweater Day,” and watch the festivities unfold!

3. Cheer Up Their Day with a Cookie Tray

Cookies are the classic holiday sweet. Pick a day for your cookie event, invite everyone to bring servings of their favorite cookies and show up ready to share. If people in your office like to bake, homemade is great. However, purchased trays are also great (and convenient), offering tasty varieties of holiday favorites. Be sure to include a few diabetic-friendly or gluten-free selections for those with dietary restrictions or allergies.

4. Give to a Local Charity

Donating to a good cause together is a wonderful way to grow closer as a team. Elderly residents at your local nursing home may be thrilled to receive new slippers or nonslip socks. Local animal shelters love holiday donations of cat and dog food, cleaning supplies and litter. Boys & Girls Clubs often have donation wish lists that include everything from school supplies and movie tickets to USB drives and scientific calculators. Giving to those in need is truly corporate giving at its finest — and it’s a great way to make your entire team feel warm and fuzzy this season.

5. Declare a Decoration Spirit Week

Nothing says Christmas like cheerful decor to set the mood. Cubicles, lounges, meeting spaces, offices, lobbies, lockers, and even doors and thresholds can benefit from a bit of holiday sparkle, so why not make things fun by hosting an office-wide decoration contest for work spaces? You can even choose to incentivize team members by offering a prize for the best decorations.

6. Have a Potluck or Catered Lunch

Sometimes humorously referred to as “pig-ins,” potluck lunches are amongst the most popular workplace holiday events. The idea is simple: Everyone brings a favorite dish to share, and with so many participating, it becomes a great time to not only enjoy holiday staples but to also expand your palate with new culinary delights. An alternative option that requires less work on your team’s part is to have a large catered lunch. Regardless of which option you go with, be sure to have takeout boxes available for individuals who might otherwise miss out or for anyone to take leftovers at closing time.

7. Exchange Gifts at Work

Two perennial favorites in gifting games are Secret Santa and White Elephant gift exchanges. For Secret Santa, gifting is anonymous, and the fun is in each recipient trying to guess who their Secret Santa might be. For white elephant exchanges, the fun is in watching each participant decide whether to open a new gift or steal one that someone else already has. Either game offers plenty of entertainment and fun for your crew — with relatively little investment or time commitment.

8. Give Corporate Holiday Gifts That Everyone Will Love

An official gift from the company or business brings a successful year to a close on a high note of appreciation for jobs well done, challenges well met and potential for the year to come. Like all of the other traditions we love, the best gifting strategies are inclusive rather than exclusive:

• Employee gifts represent a huge thank you to the workers who have remained committed to doing a good job despite the challenges of the past few years.
• Vendor gifts serve as a reaffirmation of the partnerships you’ve struck with other business owners and suppliers.
• Client gifts deliver that extra attention so crucial for keeping current clients happy and firming up relationships with newly developing ones.

A lot of options are available out there, but gifts of food are always winners—especially when they’re distinctive treats that recipients can share with family. The best choices often become something everyone looks forward to year after year.

Give Tastefully This Season

Nothing else is quite like the look, taste, smell, texture and crunch of a gourmet pecan, and we take it all a step further with custom arrangements and personalized tins that leave no question in a gift recipient’s mind of the quality treat they’ve received.

If you want to give something memorable this holiday season, let our corporate gifting specialists help you find the perfect gifts to make their season. Whether you’re gifting clients, employees or vendors, the selections at Cane River Pecan Company have you covered with premium pecan treats, pecan pies, popcorn and a variety of Southern specialties.

Corporate gifting has always been a great way to build strong, long-lasting relationships with your clients – but the Covid-19 pandemic has actually made gifting more important than ever before. With so many businesses struggling to stay alive and many having to lay off employees, fear, anxiety and stress have become commonplace throughout the business world. So what better way to lift spirits and remind your clients that you are here for them than giving them a wonderful gift?

Following are five reasons that go into more detail about why corporate gifting has become so important to maintaining strong business relationships during the pandemic.

1) Connect

Trade shows, conferences, seminars and many other such traditional in-person “networking” events have mostly been cancelled (or gone virtual) because of Covid-19. This means that one of the most effective ways to connect with current clients and meet potential new clients is simply gone. By giving corporate gifts to your clients, you are able to stay connected with them. It shows them that you are thinking about them, you care about their business and you want to stay in touch with them even in the midst of this terrible pandemic. A real, tangible gift that your client can hold in their hands is truly an effective way to stay connected in today’s evolving and increasingly isolated and virtual business world.

2) Be Top of Mind

With physical meetings and in-person visits being extremely limited nowadays, you need new ways to keep your business top-of-mind with your clients. Gifting is a great way to get this done. Your gift says “we’re still here” and really helps your clients to remember your company and keep you in mind. Having your gift show up at their door can also serve as a kind of “pop in” that shows you are thinking of them.

3) Stay Relevant

With so many businesses closing, reducing in size or even changing their business model, you need to ensure that you stay relevant to your clients. With so much uncertainty throughout the business world, your gift will reinforce to your clients that your company is still going strong, remains relevant and is always here to help.

4) Engage

Never underestimate the importance of simply engaging with your clients regularly to let them know you are thinking about them and are grateful for their business. Gifting is an ideal way to engage, especially during this time of social distancing and extremely limited personal contact. It’s also a smart idea to touch base with your clients after your gift has been delivered by calling them on the phone. This makes gifting even more effective by allowing you to interact with your clients twice within a fairly short period of time.

 5) Show Compassion

As mentioned before, the pandemic has caused a big increase in stress and anxiety throughout the business world. Giving your clients and/or your employees a thoughtful gift communicates that your company is compassionate and that you truly care. Even a small gift lets them know you are thinking about them and helps to spread a little kindness and goodwill in these trying times.