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November 29, 2011
In Memoriam: Gerald ‘Jerry’ Lieberman, Founder, B&G Lieberman

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gerald “Jerry” Lieberman, founder of B&G Lieberman, died Thursday at his home while surrounded by his family. He was 86.

Lieberman was born Dec. 2, 1924, in Munich, Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1939, was drafted in 1942, and was given his citizenship. He volunteered to the MISB(A), the Soldiers of the 7th Military Information Battalion, and was trained as an interrogator of German soldiers captured during World War II.

In 1949, he started his B&G Lieberman Co., which today is a distributor of sewing equipment and supplies to dry cleaners and tailors. He was a community and environmental activist, serving in various capacities for many organizations during his lifetime.

A memorial service celebrating his life is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church in Charlotte, with military honors to follow.

Memorials may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, 1420 E. 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28204.

November 2, 2011
In Memoriam: Sid Millman, Founder of H-M Commercial Laundry Equipment

CINCINNATI — Sid Millman, founder of H-M Commercial Laundry Equipment, died Oct. 17. He was 81.

Millman, who was raised by his immigrant mother and grandparents, was driven by his humble beginnings. He started selling newspapers at age 5.

In 1957, he purchased a small residential appliance repair shop in downtown Cincinnati, brought in a partner, and created H-M Company, a commercial laundry equipment distributorship now run by his two sons, Mike and Steve.

“H-M Company exists today because of my father’s founding principles and his unyielding belief in honesty and customer service,” says Steve Millman.

“My dad was always a giver, someone who was more focused on other people than himself,” says Mike Millman.

A pioneer in the laundry industry, Sid Millman established H-M Company as General Electric’s first commercial distributor and engineered H-M’s widely used drain troughs.

He was an Air Force veteran who served during the Korean War. Shortly after returning home from the service, he met Bernice Markell. They married in 1956.

August 4, 2011
In Memoriam: Leonard Frushtick, Leonard Automatics

DENVER, N.C. — Leonard Frushtick, founder of Leonard Automatics, died Monday at age 80, the company reports.

Frushtick started his career selling buttons to the garment manufacturing industry, and later expanded the business to include a variety of machinery.

In 1969, he moved his family to North Carolina to be closer to the garment industry and founded Leonard Automatics. As garment manufacturing began to decline in the mid-’80s, Frushtick migrated to the laundry industry. His creativity gave him the ability to develop new technologies involved with garment finishing, and has lent itself to promoting an atmosphere of creativity and innovation at Leonard Automatics that exists to this day, the company says.

Frushtick became a prolific painter after his retirement, and he and his wife, Phyllis, traveled extensively, providing a wealth of experiences for him to express on canvas.

A private memorial service for Frushtick is scheduled for Friday in Bluffton, S.C. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice Care of the Low Country, 119 Palmetto Way, Bluffton, SC 29910.

July 6, 2011
Market History Shows Profit Potential

CHICAGO — This is a difficult time for anyone trying to build a portfolio of savings and investments capable of providing a financially secure retirement. According to the Center for Retirement Research, more than half of the Baby Boomer generation will not be financially prepared for retirement even if they work until age 65.

With corporate pension plans now largely just a memory, it’s up to individuals to design their own financial plans for retirement, and that calls for making some tough decisions.

I can’t remember a time when the economy has seemed more uncertain and fluid. Are interest rates for savings set to rise after a long period of stagnation, or will they continue to remain mired abysmally low? Is it time to start investing in the stock market again, or is it better to wait? How about real estate? Is this a good time to buy or sell a house? These and other questions about our economic future are never easy to answer, but they seem especially problematic in mid-2011.