I’ve written about my next mentor often.  (Here’s but one example– with another great story about Cary.)  He was but one half of the management team that took a chance to hire me.  A 14 y old kid.  And, let me basically take over their baby.

HarryCary is what I called them, when they were together.  I. Harry Mazur and Cary Rollner planned to grow their store into something big.  Arlee Cleaners and Launderers was a pretty big shop on Merrick Road (Merrick, NY) on the South Shore.  Back then, it had the state-of-the-art (SOTA) dry cleaning machine (solvent extraction, heat exchangers, steam generators- the unit operations that chemical engineers all studied), with some 5 or 6 employees, plus the two owners.  Pretty big business for the South Shore of New York- especially back in the early 60s.

Cary was the one who took a very special interest in me.  I really didn’t recall that he was born on the 4^th of July, just like my son.  Even as I think of this, it brings tears to my eyes.  Cary was 9 years older than me- which when you are 14, was a lifetime.  But, as you can see, he was pretty young himself.

I was hired to help clean up.  No, I was hired because Cary wanted to give me a chance.  I took it- and gave it my all.

Cary’s next real encounter with me was when I got my first paycheck.  I was paid $ 22.10.  And, I quit.  Because I would not work for minimum wage.  He agreed to pay me the princely sum of $ 1.45 an hour- a full 25% premium over the minimum wage.   And, for that he got someone who helped him make Arlee what he dreamed.

But, he taught me plenty.  That having the best equipment and doing the best job doesn’t always get you the business.  You have to provide more- be interested in your customers.  Know what goes on in their lives.  So, they feel-  no, so they know!- you care about them and their lives.

If that were the only thing I learned from Cary, he would be qualified as my mentor.  But, he taught me more.  He let a little kid (come on, no matter what I thought I was- or where I was going to school, I was 14 and 15 when this was going on) go to Baltimore to get trained by the International Fabricare Institute (now known as the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute).   He let a little kid take over his collection activities (ok, he and Harry did an abysmal job collecting)- and then resented that he agreed to pay a percentage of what was collected, because that meant my pay was now pretty darned good.

He let me try out a new compensation plan for the employees.  Instead of paying our garment workers an hourly wage, we paid them by the piece. No, we didn’t pay them by the piece to become slaves, but to pay them by the piece (with quality standards to assure customer satisfaction) so that our clothes were ready earlier in the day than any other competitor could offer.  And, let our staff make the same wages they made before- if not higher (often)- and leave the shop earlier because their day was done.

He and I started a drapery cleaning business.  From his point of view, it meant he didn’t have to be “stuck” in the shop, that he could be visiting our customers, doing work outside the shop.  Oh, and making even more money than one could “for just dry cleaning”.  It let me work out logistical planning,  to have more employees, more clout with the customers, and more fun.

Cary also “coached” me in my dating efforts.  In that regard, he was like an older brother and not a boss.  He thought my dating only one girl was crazy- he thought that someone of my age should date many and find out what life was all about.  (He didn’t win out in that regard.  But, given the results- maybe I should have!)

Cary met an untimely death.  He was killed driving on the expressway; a vehicle crossed the very narrow, unprotected median.  (It now has 4 foot tall Jersey barriers.) On the day after Halloween, when he was 29.

But, his spirit lives on.  He’s why I mentored others.  He’s why I never paid someone minimum wage- even when our companies were small and just starting out.  He’s why I give folks a chance when I hire them, and give them opportunities to train and learn and grow- and sometimes even go.

Born on the Fourth of July and his spirit lives on.

(And, I didn’t remember this- or maybe even know it at all.  But, the attorneys who helped me commercialize my artificial kidney- Freeman & Hyman- they were the attorneys who helped transition Arlee to new owners after the untimely demise of Cary.)

 

This is the week of thanks.   I am honoring my mentors.

The mentors I have known.

Sol Kuchlik- quiz and tell

Sue Katzman- My ID partner

Cary Rollner- A big brother of sorts

Arthur Lipper- The 3^rd is the charm!