At every Caribou store, the employees are taught a basic acronym BAMA: Be excellent, not average; Act with urgency;Make a connection; Anticipate needs. In many places, especially in food services, this would be just another empty slogan in the company training video. But at Caribou, it’s much more than a simple mantra. It stands for a level of connection unmatched by their competition. And because they’ve earned the loyalty of their customers, the bottom line takes care of itself. Caribou’s sales have grown at a compound rate of about 22% since 2002 and their stores have expanded to almost 500 locations across the country. Caribou has earned the right to be named this month’s Trusted Company.