Jack Groot Realtor at Towne Square jbgroot@gmail.com Summary Jack grew up in Grandville, lives in Hudsonville and owned his business in Holland for over 20 years. Jack Groot s entrepreneurial example was his father, Jake Groot. The family business of home building and developing/selling real estate started in the late 1940 s shortly after Jake emigrated from the Netherlands. Jack credits his father for being a great example of customer service, problem solving, and thinking outside the box. In 1993, Jack founded JP s Coffee in Holland MI, named a Top 10 Coffeehouse in America by USA TODAY Travel Destinations. He also created an international coffee & business training school and was an industry consultant, industry magazine columnist and blogger. After Jack sold his business interests he returned to his homegrown roots of customer service through buying and selling real estate and consulting others in business start up and operations. Experience Realtor at Towne Square Real Estate 2015 - Present (less than a year) Jack Groot, a consummate entrepreneur, follows in the footsteps of his father Jake, a Dutch immigrant who flourished in home building and real estate. Past clients describe him as trustworthy, customer focused, effective and a true professional that cares deeply about his clients. Consultant at Streamline PMC 2015 - Present (less than a year) Streamline PMC offers Property Management and Consulting Services to multi-unit property owners. Principal Consultant at Jack Groot Consulting 2015 - Present (less than a year) Jack offers limited business consulting to assist: 1. Budding entrepreneurs launch a successful and sustainable business. 2. Existing small to medium-sized businesses build leadership teams, maximize profitability and create systems-based operations. For more information, www.jackgroot.com. Director of Retail at Ferris June 2014 - March 2015 (10 months) Oversee all retail operations. Founder/principal consultant at On Track Coffee Consulting 1995 - March 2015 (20 years) Page1
Senior consultant Monthly Columnist at Specialty Coffee Retailer Magazine January 2006 - June 2014 (8 years 6 months) Founder at Midwest Barista School January 2007 - May 2014 (7 years 5 months) Founder at JP's Coffee November 1993 - May 2014 (20 years 7 months) Located in downtown Holland, Michigan, JP's has a warm family friendly atmosphere with great conversation, delicious treats and of course, JP's great coffee and espresso. Opened in 1993, JP's has become a valued part of the Holland community and a destination coffee house for the area. Founder, Franchisor at Rubyjuice May 2000 - September 2007 (7 years 5 months) Rubyjuice is a franchisor of fruit and smoothie bars. The first store opened in Holland, MI. That store was closed in 2005. The franchise was later sold to Cutting Edge Foods out of Nashville TN. Material's Group at Prince Corporation October 1985 - October 1993 (8 years 1 month) Material handling, shipping and receiving. Banquet steward, prep cook, room service cook at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel June 1981 - October 1985 (4 years 5 months) Volunteer Experience Vice President, Church Administrator and Board Chairman at Carpenter's House Outreach Church January 2000 - Present (16 years) Elder at CHO since 2000, V.P. since 2008, Board Chairman since 2010, Church Admin since 2008. Skills & Expertise Entrepreneurship Retail Food Food Service Customer Service Team Building Marketing Strategy Training Page2
Franchising Management Leadership Catering Sales Strategic Planning Food & Beverage Food Safety Restaurants Food Industry Menu Development Blogging Hospitality Wine Business Strategy Time Management P&L Hotels Culinary Skills New Business Development Small Business Gourmet Chocolate Business Planning P&L Management Specialty Coffee Ingredients Profit Cooking Parties Restaurant Management Profit Maximization Market Planning Start-ups Baking Wine Tasting Purchasing Key Account Development Wholesale Hiring Marketing Public Speaking Education Ferris State University Page3
AAS, Food Service Management, 1980-1983 Interests Real estate, Investing, Buy, Sell Organizations Bluebird Cancer Retreats Board of Directors October 2015 to Present Bluebird Cancer Retreats of West Michigan seeks to provide a dynamic, healing journey toward emotional and spiritual well-being for persons who experience cancer. Parking Board Holland MI Board of Directors December 2009 to Present Parking board for the City of Holland. Principal Shopping District (PSD) Board of Directors July 1994 to July 2007 The PSD is the marketing arm for the downtown of Holland MI--formerly Downtown Holland Inc., which then became the Shop of Downtown Holland. These were both volunteer organizations supported solely by donations. I served on the task force committee which brought the organization to become the PSD, a tax funded staff and board run organization, under the City Council of the City of Holland. (Act 120 of the Public Acts of 1961 (MCLA 125.981 et seq.).) Page4
Jack Groot Realtor at Towne Square jbgroot@gmail.com 12 people have recommended Jack "Many of our Retail Specialty Coffee Industry POS customers have been through Jack's school and have worked with Jack in his consulting business. His experience and expertise as a business owner and knowledge of Specialty Coffee make him a great choice to assist with the planning and implementation of a Specialty Coffee Business. Regards," Lee Alexander, worked with Jack at On Track Coffee Consulting "Specialty Coffee Retailer exists to provide the nation's coffee shop owners with more than information... Jack Groot's monthly column delivers insight that is pithy and self explanatory and personal. His voice is authentic. His enthusiasm for the coffee trade rings true. Jack's columns are well written, timely and reflect the strong work ethic, discipline and creativity of a brilliant entrepreneur. His guiding words are always welcome, but the special quality that Jack brings to the page is leadership by example that inspires as it informs." Dan Bolton, was Jack's client "We have had many customers that have graduated from MBS and report that thy really like the hands on approach of jack and his staff. We find them well prepared to go into business post the MBS experience!" Lee Alexander, was with another company when working with Jack at Midwest Barista School "I have known Jack for over 10 years. He is very well respected and trusted in the specialty coffee industry. Jack has been operating a very successful cafe for several years. This allows him the opportunity to train and educate his students in a real life atmosphere. I have worked with several customers who attended the Midwest Barista School and they all spoke very highly of Jack and were impressed with the quality of the school and the value it provided. I would highly recommend Jack to anyone looking to open a new cafe or to get training to improve their skills." Tom Palm, was with another company when working with Jack at Midwest Barista School Page5
"Jack has an amazing passion for specialty coffee. He is a talented coffee trainer and takes the time to present true education, not just his particular perspective. I freely recommend Jack and the Midwest Barista School for coffee training and consulting." Spencer Turer, was with another company when working with Jack at Midwest Barista School "As a customer and business associate to Jack for 15 years I have been impressed by his exceptional talent for systematizing operations and creating marketable products. Jack is a "creative creator" and I believe he will continue to successfully create regardless of the venture. I highly regard Jack's work and recommend him without hesitation." Robert Tennant, Manager, Healthcare Advisory, KPMG, was Jack's client "Jack is an strategic thinker and great asker of questions and giver of insight. I greatly value his mentoring in business and I don't throw that around lightly. His proven track record as a builder of business, an optimizer of existing business, and adviser to others in business is extraordinary. Anyone who has the opportunity to benefit from Jack's advisement or partnership going forward in his future will be greatly blessed, I'm certain." Shawn M. Miller, CEO, Performance Institute, was Jack's client "Jack is an incredible example of someone who knows the coffee shop/cafe market at an almost instinctive level. His help and insights for my new book have been very valuable and I'm very grateful for his help. " John Richardson, Partner, The Coffee Boys, was with another company when working with Jack at JP's Coffee "Jack is a very hard worker. He is always thinking of new ideas, new innovations, and working hard at applying them. He cafefully analyzes if it is a sustainable practice and then executes very well. I highly recommend Jack as a business partner or as a consultant." Rob Visser AAI, CLCS, was a consultant or contractor to Jack at JP's Coffee "Jack's one of those guys that will sit down with you and really care about who you are and what you're doing. That personal care is what has grown JP's Coffee, MidwestBaristaSchool.com and OnTrack Consulting into what it is today - a personal touch to continuing your passion and furthering your craft." Aaron Schaap, was a consultant or contractor to Jack at JP's Coffee "I've worked with Jack at Prince Corporation and he currently owners the best coffee shop in Holland - JP's. His staff is very friendly, helpful and make the best lattes. I'm very impressed with Jack's training program for coffee shop entrepreneurs. This is an excellent way to give back to others. Gwen Auwerda" Gwen Auwerda, worked with Jack at JP's Coffee Page6
"Jack and his colleagues at JP s in downtown Holland, MI have created one of the nicest coffee shop s I have been in. In my current position I travel in all 50 state s and find myself in quite a few coffee shops, and I can say that the atmosphere and friendly service model that Jack has created at JP s is of a standard that is hard to find elsewhere. The loyal clientele is evidence of this, and the fact that it has stood the test of time over many years is another." Jeff Pett, worked with Jack at JP's Coffee Contact Jack on LinkedIn Page7