Green Bay Packers Shareholders Meetings Like no Other

Tomorrow at 11 o’clock AM the Green Bay Packers will convene their “Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Green Bay Packers, Inc.” at Lambeau Field with approximately 20,000 exuberant owners and guests in attendance.

It is one of the most amazing scenes in all of professional sports - the annual Green Bay Packers Shareholder Meeting. 

Tomorrow at 11 o’clock AM the Green Bay Packers will convene their “Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Green Bay Packers, Inc.” at Lambeau Field with approximately 20,000 exuberant owners and guests in attendance. 

Although large by any standard it will not be near a record.  Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Corporation for example will host double that attendance at this year’s shareholder meeting.

Officially this business meeting will be called to order and will report to the team’s owners the state of the treasured franchise that they have chosen to invest in. 

Oc course the Packers are much more than a franchise football team. They are an entire community and a way of life. Many consider their Packers stock which has no dividend payout to be one of their most valuable possessions.  A possession handed down to heirs in wills. 

The lack of a dividend and inability to sell the stock has skeptics pointing to Packers Shareholders as the most gullible investors ever.  But to those of us who own the team know the jealousy that the rest of the NFL fans have for us.  Here the fans are the owners.  Pretty neat!

The meeting typically begins with presentation overview’s of the previous year from the President/CEO—now Mark Murphy—and a few remarks about the future. This year Murphy may use the occasion to announce what will be happening with “Titletown” – the area to the west of the stadium purchased by the team over the years and slated shortly for development. 

Titletown is a big deal as the Packers strive to make Lambeau Field a destination attraction on days when games are not played.  The 50 acre site adjoining Lambeau Field has the potential to add tens-of-millions in additional revenue so vital to its’ future.  The team may also provide additional information on the plans for a $50 million upgrade to the stadium’s sky boxes. 

The recently opened and highly touted 1919 Kitchen and Tap located in the Lambeau Field atrium which replaced the popular Curly’s Pub might also be a destination for hungry and thirsty shareholders.

Yet it’s the following presentation that the assemblage has come to hear: the general manager’s report, broken down by position group, addressing the team’s prospects and personnel. In the days of General Manager Ron Wolf there were insider-tidbits thrown out such as a mention of working on a contract extension or an update on the status of certain star players.

But these days if you expect to find out the details on previous injuries, his plans for dealing with suspensions, or even the color of the teams uniforms this year you may be disappointed.  General Manager Ted Thompson is adept at telling you just enough to fulfill his duties but almost nothing concerning inside information not previously known.  The notoriously dry Thompson might as well be reading from a dictionary. 

Subsequent reports on finance, marketing, investments, and community relations are important, but the majority of people want to hear about Green Bay Packers football, not business.

The Packers balance sheet remains strong as the team officially disclosed the year-end financial statement last week. 

This year’s record of $375.7 million in revenue, up more than $50 million from a year ago. The bottom line produced a $13.8 million increase in operating profit, up from $25.6 million last year to $39.4 million this year. Net income reported was $29.2 million after interest on debt and other costs were factored in.

Speaking of the color of the teams uniforms, perhaps there could be an announcement in that regard – the designated throw-back uniform that the team has chosen to wear this year on at least one occasion.  Now there is some red meat!

The team also has taken fans inside on occasion.  One year into the locker rooms and on another to the newly built south end zone section.

All-in-all it is a festive day and serves as a calendar reminder that the opening of training camp is only days away.  Packers football is in the air and these owner-fans will be on-hand to soak up every bit of it.

 

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Comments (1)

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D.D.Driver's picture

July 27, 2015 at 11:00 am

I know the Packers usually opt for some type of throwback jersey, but I think they'd sell a lot of blaze-orange camo jerseys during hunting season.

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