Morton Leon Mandel (September 19, 1921 – October 16, 2019) was an American business magnate, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Along with his two brothers, Jack and Joe, he founded the Premier Automotive Supply Company in 1940, which later became one of the world's leading industrial parts and electronic components distributors. His philanthropic activities in Cleveland, and in Jewish and Israeli institutions, were via the Mandel Foundation.
Mandel received a bachelor's degree and eleven honorary doctorates.
Biography Mandel was born to a Jewish family in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother, Rose, along with his older siblings, Meriam Ellen (died June 10, 2010, age 100, nine days before age 101),Meriam Ellen Cole obituary Jack N. (died May 12, 2011, age 99), and Joseph C. (died March 22, 2016, age 102),Remembering Morton L. Mandel immigrated from Galicia to the United States on June 19, 1920, with the help of the Red Cross. Morton's father, Simon, had already immigrated from Nowy Sącz in Poland to the United States in 1913, planning to bring his family once he became established in Ohio.
Morton was born 15 months after his mother's immigration, in Cleveland, where his parents ran a dry goods shop. The family then moved several times because they could not afford to pay their monthly rent. Growing up, Mandel shared a room with his two brothers, wore hand-me-downs, and had few financial means. However, despite their economic difficulties, Mandel's mother often gave the little she had to charity. His family continued its Jewish tradition, sending young Mandel to an afternoon Hebrew school.Michael E. Bennett Mandels now Major Force in Jewish Philanthropy Cleveland Jewish News, August 19, 2010
After his bar mitzvah, at age 13, he started working after school selling hot dogs, drinks, peanuts, and popcorn at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.Charles A. Radin Mort Mandel talks about doing good, doing well BrandeisNOW, December 10, 2012 Mandel's father suffered from multiple sclerosis, and as the disease progressed, he had to be taken care of by his wife. Eventually he became bedridden and his wife became the sole provider for the family, selling clothing out of suitcases on the streets of Cleveland. After graduating from high school, Mandel attended the chemistry program at Adelbert College, but dropped out in his second year to join the automotive parts shop that he and his brothers had purchased from their uncle, Jacob Mandel.PERSISTENCE PAYS, Think - The Magazine of Case Western Reserve University
In February 1949, Mandel met Barbara (née Abrams)Philanthropist Morton L. Mandel recalled as a mensch at memorial service whom he later married, and with whom he had three children, Amy, Thom, and Stacy. Mandel and his wife own homes in Cleveland, Florida, and New York.
In 1967, after the Six-Day War, Mandel and his wife first visited Israel, which along with his involvement in the Jewish community in Cleveland, became an important part of his life.Guy Rolnik and Tali Heruti-Sover The stress-free life, March 18, 2010, Haaretz
In 2012, Mandel published his book It's All About Who You Hire, How They Lead ... and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader explaining his business and philanthropic philosophy. The book was also published in China and Israel.
On May 19, 2013, Mandel received his bachelor's degree from Case Western Reserve University, after completing the academic studies started during his first enrollment, in 1939. He was an active member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
Mandel died on October 16, 2019, at his home in Florida.
Military service In 1943, Mandel was recruited by the U.S. Army to fight in World War II.Morton L Mandel : Enlistment Record from WW2 A few months after he enlisted, the Army sent him and thousands of others back to school, due to fear of a wartime shortage of engineers. Mandel spent two years as a student for the Army, first at Pomona College in Claremont, California, and later at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1946, once the war was over, Mandel, now a 2nd Lieutenant, was sent back home to Cleveland.
During his service in World War II, Mandel was put in charge of transporting fifteen wounded American soldiers from an army hospital in Memphis to another hospital further south. Along the way, the group stopped for lunch. The African American soldiers in the group were refused admission to the restaurant, one in which German prisoners of war were being served. Outraged by this act of racism, Mandel took the group away from the restaurant, where they would have been able to pay with meal vouchers, and bought them sandwiches from a street vendor.
Business career In the spring of 1940, Mandel's uncle, Jacob Mandel, decided to leave Cleveland for Chicago, and offered to sell his auto repair shop to Mandel's brother, Jack. Jack gathered his two brothers, Joe, who sold soap, and Morton, who worked in the shop after school, and opened their first business. They spent their $900 savings to buy it and also received a $3,000 loan for inventory from their uncle, Conrad Mandel. On August 1, 1940, they opened Premier Automotive Supply Company, which sold car parts.
Premier Industrial Corporation In 1945, upon Mandel's return from service, he returned to his family's business with Joe, who had also returned from a job in a war plant, and Jack, who had kept the business running during his brothers' service. Following his return, Mandel acted as general manager of the company and handled the business's management. Originally an auto-parts distributor, Premier Automotive was incorporated as Premier Autoware in 1946. Shortly after, the brothers realized that their parts were also being sold by many other distributors, and that their resulting profit margin was barely enough to live on. After a few months of asking their customers what parts they needed, they formed a list of "hard to get" parts, and found sources to buy them. They then sold those "hard to get" parts, and as a result, their sales increased with a large demand and their business began to grow.
The brothers also founded their business around the principles of customer service, using such slogans as "Killing Yourself for Your Customer", "Always Trying to Raise the Bar", and "A Focus on Our People".Mandel, pg. xxvi In fulfillment of this goal, they hired an engineer who was responsible for assisting and understanding their customers' needs. Later, they built a customer service department that operated 24-hours, including holidays and weekends, answering and handling clients' needs. An example of this service is when a ride at Walt Disney World broke down on a Saturday and the company had the necessary part shipped within hours that same day.Jon Ostrowsky Mandel continues work to invest in humanities and Jewish education, January 18, 2013, The Brandies Hoot
They later acquired an electronic supply division, which led the company to expand its scope and business. In 1955, Mandel hired Bob Warren, who helped transform the company, and in 1972 became its President. In May 1960 the company changed its name to the Premier Industrial Corporation, and Mandel launched its initial public offering, with his brothers retaining 70% of the ownership. Four years later, the company was listed on the NYSE. This allowed the company to acquire more than a dozen industrial and electronic parts companies. The purchase of Newark Electronics, in 1968, significantly expanded the company's reach into the electronic components business. In addition to specializing in the distribution of electronics equipment, maintenance products, and firefighting equipment, Premier Industrial Corporation also marketed a wide range of products including lubricants, welding supplies, and fasteners to its over 100,000 customers around the world.
In the late 1960s, Mandel began working in the Cleveland business community, serving as a Director of the Central National Bank of Cleveland and the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. until 1979, when he left them to focus on philanthropic activities. As Premier Industrial Corporation grew, Mandel met on a monthly basis with Peter Drucker, who consulted on various matters regarding the company.
In the 1970s, the Premier Industrial Corporation began operation in Europe, and by 1977, the firm had opened a corporate research and development center, where the company tailored its products to customers' needs. By 1984, the company had 18 divisions, with electronics constituting half of $465 million in sales, and the company making a net profit of $48 million. It later became one of the largest U.S. distributors of auto parts and electronic components. During his stay at the Palm Beach Country Club, Mandel met Bernard Madoff, and although most of his advisors favored investing in Madoff's fund, Mandel declined because of Madoff's lack of transparency.[ ]New York Social Diary Premier Industrial Corporation earned numerous business awards, including being one of fifty top companies profiled in the 1995 book, Making It in America.
In 1996, when Premier Industrial Corporation had 16 different divisions and was worth nearly $3 billion, it merged with the British company Farnell Electronics PLC to form Premier Farnell PLC, one of largest industrial and electronic components supplier in the world. Mandel served as the Deputy Chairman of Premier Farnell until 2002.Hoovers a D&B company, Premier Farnell plc
During Mandel's 36 years as the Chairman of the Premier Industrial Corporation, the company had 34 years which ended in profit growth and in 30 of those years, its net profit after taxes, was more than 10% of its business operations.
Business ventures in Israel Mandel's first business involvement in Israel occurred in 2003, when Parkwood Corporation, the Mandel Brothers' private investment company, established Israel Equity Limited (IEL). Mandel served as Chairman of this company. IEL is an investment company which aims at contributing to Israel's industrial sector by buying industrial companies and improving their management and business results. IEL has acquired and invested in Tadbik Group, Bikur Rofe, and Phoenicia Glass Works Ltd. These investments in total employ more than 800 workers.
Mandel invested in the hi-tech sector. His first such investment was in Medivent, the second hi-tech company in Israel. In 2011, Mandel was one of Pontifax's first investors, which focuses on investing in life science companies.
Philanthropy In 1953, the three Mandel brothers founded the Mandel Foundation, which supports many charitable causes. The foundation headquarters are located in Cleveland.
In the late 1970s Mandel started devoting more time toward philanthropy in the Cleveland area, serving as: Case Western Reserve University, Trustee Cleveland Museum of Art, Trustee Musical Arts Association (The Cleveland Orchestra), Trustee Cleveland Tomorrow, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, President, 1952–1957 Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, President, 1974–1977 United Way Services, Chairman of the Board, 1979–1981; President, 1977–1979 City of Cleveland Project MOVE (formerly Mayor's Committee on Volunteerism), Founder, 1981 Park Works (formerly Clean-Land, Ohio), Co-founder and Trustee, 1981–1997 MidTown Cleveland, Co-Founder and Chairman, 1982–1985; Trustee, 1982 Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, CWRU, Co-Founder, 1984 Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1998