Starting Agfiin Starting Again
Another Country, a New Family
of aluminum and alloy, so I was in demand; people with my skills always were. I had twenty years’ experience in the field and was well networked. I went to work at General Aerospace in Plainview. I worked there for two years, but found no opportunity for cre- ativity. At my other jobs, I had always enjoyed being creative, and I missed it. All we did was buy and sell aluminum sheets or extrusions. Over the years, I would often have lunch in the same coffee shop with Mel Greenberg and Frank Marchhart, the owners of a local lighting company, Aluminum Louver. One day during lunch, they sensed that I was unhappy with my current job and invited me to work for them. Their offer was attractive, and I agreed to join their company. Finally I had a job that was literally around the comer from my house. I enjoyed working for Aluminum Louver because we created things. We manufactured tubular lighting, built fixtures, and made louvers (the slots that diffuse light in fixtures). We designed and produced custom made lighting for places like Trump Towers in New York, Atlantic City casinos, and the Fort Lauderdale airport. The Gap and Casual Corner had us reequip all of their stores. We had to find sources for new materials, unusual switches, custom- made items, and fulfill the specifications for each new design. The work was quite interesting, the products were of high quality, and I was involved in every phase of the design and creation of the new product. I worked for Aluminum Louver for twelve years until I retired. Bob Marchhart, Frank’s son, kindly let me retain an office there. I enjoy being in a business atmosphere. I do some work for my son, Ben, because after I had heart surgery, I was somewhat depressed. Ben felt that, after a lifetime of being productive, I was just not built to be idle. He had certain work he wanted me to handle for him; mostly, he wanted to encourage me and get me out of the house. Retirement can be too quiet. Going to work has always been good for me. corner
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