Miss You, Dad

It was fifteen years ago today that Dad's funeral took place. He had died on November 15th after a massive stroke on the 14th.

I was just entering the hospital when death came. It just doesn't seem to be that long ago.

To Our Dads

This Father's Day, Liz and I are without ours, as we have been since 1997.

My dad died in 1997 at age 69. He would have been 83 this year. I was really hoping to get to enjoy his company after my retirement, but it was not to be. He is the reason I am such a Civil War buff and newspaper reader among other things. he is the reason I still have the junior in my signature.

He worked most of his career with the Quaker Oats Company, which is how I ended up in Illinois (the home office is in Chicago).

However, he was not into music at all and was always after me while growing up for buying too many records. I sure liked to rub it in with how much money I was making off those worthless records while I was deejaying.

Liz's dad, Ambrose, would have been 100 this coming July. I really got along with him and have missed him since he died in 1986 at age 75.

He owned a small corner store in Chicago and worked for General Finance Corporation before retiring.

Sure Miss You and Still Thinking About Both of You.

Dad and Quaker's Snapple Fiasco

The June 16th Chicago Tribune business section had an article about the world's largest confectionery company, Cadbury Schweppes PLC, is trying to sell their US soft-drink business which would include Dr. Pepper, 7 Up, Canada Dry, and Snapple.

They're expected to get as much as $16 billion for it. Possible buyers might be Hershey, Tootsie Roll Industries, or Kraft.

I have never seen Dad as mad as he got when Quaker Oats spent what he considered to be way too much for a business which at the time was on the downswing. Dad would bleed Quaker if you cut him. His loyalty to that company was tremendous. He was livid with CEO Smithberg's decision, against all advice, to buy Snapple. He said, it would bring about Quaker's downfall, which it did.

Smithberg kept selling off parts of Quaker to prop up Snapple which was hemorrhaging money. Finally, Quaker ended up being bought by PepsiCo which had always wanted Gatorade. They came up with their own Gatorade-type products, but just couldn't break its hold on the sports drink segment of drinks.

Smithberg, in true CEO fashion, golden-parachuted his way out the door. I'm sure that if Dad had been Quaker's CEO, they would still be their own company.

FACTS ABOUT CADBURY SCHWEPPES:

Headquarters in London, empolyees about 60,000 worldwide, some major US brands: Trident, Dentyne, and Motts as well as the drinks already mentioned.

SOME FACTS ABOUT SNAPPLE:

Started in 1972 by childhood friends Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden, and Arnold Greenberg who began selling their pure fruit drinks to health food stores around Greenwich Village in NYC.

The name Snapple comes from a discontinued carbonated apple soda that had a "snappy" apple taste.

In 1987 they began making teas with Snapple Lemon Tea the first effort. This continues to be the best-seller even now. Currently, Snapple makes 30 different juices, lemonades, and teas.

Somehow, I Need to be a CEO. Imagine getting to Screw Up and Walk Away with Millions. --RoadDog