June 2017 Newsletter

Upon graduating, Jack went back to Thruway Molders for a permanent position as a Tool & Die Designer, and Joan went to work part-time for a pediatrician and part-time at A&P Supermarket until the pediatrician job became full-time.  Once married, they bought their first piece of property in Cheektowaga while having a new home built in West Seneca.  Jack’s mother would then live on the second floor of the property while they rented out the lower; their first real taste of property ownership that would later blossom into a full suite of commercial rental properties later in life.  While Jack learned the injection molding business, Joan wanted a better paying job and left the doctor’s office to work for Worthington Pump & Machinery Corporation, a British born company with which her father was already employed.  While there, she gained valuable experience working in purchasing then bidding up to shipping & receiving.  She didn’t know it yet, but that knowledge would become very useful in the future.

Once they started their family, Joan left Worthington to become a stay-at-home mom and Jack continued working his way up through the company, experiencing every job except the head of the company.  At this point, Jack was working as a successful salesman for Thruway, and knew that that was as far up the ladder he could go. With a family of 5 now, he wanted more.  So he decided to leave and spend a few months interviewing to see what else was out there, and to see what he was worth.  After interviewing with companies like IBM & Schick, it became apparent that not only was he worth more than he thought he was, but that if he took a job with a larger corporation his days would be spent in a cubicle and that would ultimately make him miserable.

So the family packed up, sold their home and moved to central New York in the Fingers Lakes Region where Jack had accepted a role with another smaller molder, Auburn Plastics. After much negotiation, he was promised that he’d be part of the major decision making team and involved in the building of the new plant, but that’s not exactly how it all played out, and Jack was seriously disheartened going into his second year with the company.

Meanwhile, back in Buffalo, a buyout of Thruway Molders had taken place by Injectronics.  With that, came an offer to Jack to move back to Buffalo and re-join the “Thruway Team”.  So back to Cheektowaga, NY the Bertsch family went, where they settled into the two-bedroom lower of their rental property, where Jack & Joan had to turn the living room into their bedroom to accommodate the family.  Cramped, but determined, Jack went back to work and Joan again stayed home with the children.

After a little over a month of getting settled back in, Injectronic’s headquarters called and asked to have Jack fly to their home office in Massachusetts.  Intrigued, he packed a bag and left, hoping that this meant bigger and better opportunities in the Buffalo plant – perhaps even an offer to run the show.  Upon arriving in Boston however, Jack was told that they were closing the Buffalo facility and that they wanted him and the family to move to Massachusetts where he would then work in the home office.  Wait, what???  They offered the opportunity to uproot the family and bring them back to Buffalo, only to then close the plant and want them to re-locate a third time, pulling kids out of schools and moving far away from family and friends?  That was it.  That was the last straw that broke the camel’s proverbial back.  Frustrated beyond belief, Jack knew he and Joan had some difficult decisions and conversations ahead of them, so they took a deep breath and decided to put a plan in place to protect their futures.

Where will they get their income?  How will they support their family?  How do they satisfy the need for more without continually being uprooted or disappointed?  By starting one’s own company, that’s how!  A concept they joked about here and there out of frustration from being at the mercy of others.

After turning down the move and knowing that his days were numbered until the plant closed, Jack did something unconventional for his standards.  Before leaving Thruway Molders for the last time, Jack networked with some colleagues and customers like Fisher Price toys and NCR business machines, to gain some insight on whether they would be willing to support him and his wife starting their own business. He had spent many years building a strong reputation in the industry, so chances were good that he could get the inspiration that they needed for even the smallest bit of good luck. Although he couldn’t get solid commitments, he did receive plenty of positive feedback and support – enough to pull the trigger on a final decision.

Ok, so that was easy.  But now comes the hard part.  Where do we get the capital to start a company?  Who else do we need to hire to help?  Where will we locate?  Do we have what it takes to do it all, and do it successfully?  How the heck do we start the process?  After many sleepless nights, cups of coffee and brainstorming sessions, a plan began to take shape.  With Jack’s highly technical skills & knowledge of thermoplastics businesses, and Joan’s sharp financial, management and office skills this really could work!