BEAR CREEK CEO AND MOTHER NATURE MAKE PEACH OF A PEAR.(Business) From: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA) | Date: August 10, 1998 | COPYRIGHT 1998 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the Dialog Corporation by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

When Bill Williams came to Bear Creek Corp. as its chief executive officer, he thought he knew the catalog business.

He soon realized he had lots to learn.

At the cataloger where Harry and David pears and Jackson & Perkins roses are among the top sellers, Williams not only had to deal with financial balance sheets and profit margins, but also faced some out-of-the-ordinary issues: drought, insects and rot.

``I knew the retail business,'' Williams sa...