Series:

Entrepreneurs of the West

Topic:

Business

Biographical Note:

Chair, president, CEO, and director of Magnetek, Inc. a material handling company. Chair and director of Petco, Inc. Chair and CEO of the Galef Institute, an integrated interdisciplinary curriculum and teacher development program in Los Angeles.

Interviewee:

Galef, Andrew

Persons Present:

Galef and Altman.

Place Conducted:

The Spectrum Group Offices in Westwood, California.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Michael Thomas Altman; MBA, Anderson School of Management, UCLA.

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording. It was transcribed by a professional transcribing agency using a list of proper names and specialized terminology supplied by the interviewer. Galef was then given an opportunity to review the transcript and made a number of corrections and additions. Those corrections were entered into the text without further editing or review on the part of the Center for Oral History Research staff.

Length:

5 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

This series is a cooperative venture between the Oral History Program and the MBA Program in UCLA's John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management and has been further supported by the Price Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Family Background—Growing up in Yonkers—His family’s move to White Plains—Attended Deerfield Academy—Attended Amherst—His first entrepreneurial venture—The draft and his service in the United States Air Force—Attended Harvard Business School—His decision to go to Business School and not into the law (the family business)—His father’s involvement with the temple and his associations to Judaism—More on his childhood—More on Deerfield—More on his time at Amherst: Robert Frost, sports and his social life.

More on attendance at the Harvard Business School—Finds a first job—Moves to New York to work at Kamkap—The purchase of a metal factory in San Jose, California—The sale of Kamkap—More on Kamkap and working in manufacturing—The relocation of his family—The work week and company incentives—More on the sale and negotiations of Kamkap—His move to Zeigler Harris and a focus on stainless steel sinks—Balancing work and children—Friends in the business and joining Fullview Industries.

An appointment to Mordy & Company—Expansion of the firm—Consulting for “medium tech” companies—Consulting for a winery—Grisanti & Galef—Analysis of failed businesses—Frequent relocations as a consultant—Management in a wide variety of fields—Consulting and management as an outsider—Dealing with adversity—Bergen Brunswick and supply chain management—The turn to international business—His second marriage and spending time with his family—The winding down of Grisanti & Galef.

Consulting for Edward Hyman Company—Move to Aviation Power Supply—Working with the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Cincinnati—Strengthening Coca Cola’s network in the Midwest—An “IOU” for Exide and turning the company around—Purchase of Century Electric—Leveraging a company—Working as a chairman—Grantree—A third marriage—Galef’s last venture, Petco—Going public with Petco—Retirement and membership on non-business boards—Working in a wide-variety of industries—Undisciplined business—The benefit of Harvard Business School connections throughout his career.