Henry decided to don his creative thinking cap in determining how this time he would create a profitable, healthy enterprise. Apart from introducing huge variety in the range of canned foods offered, he went on to develop a model factory that was in sharp contrast to the sweatshops that pervaded western industry at the end of last century. His workers enjoyed a creative habitat unheard of at the time - a library, lunchtime piano music, their own swimming pool, free medical care, and even free daily manicures. Henry Heinz understood the importance of positioning his company for the future, being flexible and ready for opportunities that would give Heinz a competitive edge. Establishing a habitat conducive to creative thinking was an important part of that, and helped Heinz to become a market leader and household name for over 100 years.
Imagination is the main source of value in the new economy.
Alistair Pilkington, production chief at the glassmaking company Pilkington Brothers Ltd had been struggling for years on a way to rid glass of distortion. Washing dishes in his home kitchen in north-west England one evening he daydreamed as he watched the soap bar float in the greasy water. He visualised glass floating like a bar of soap, and suddenly thought of an idea that revolutionised the glass industry. This small moment of forced connection resulted in the invention of float glass, allowing the world to see clearly through glass windows for the first time in 5,000 years. Kerrie Nairn is a keynote speaker specialising in innovative business building ideas.