Page 34 - Lighting Magazine April 2019

How did you enTer THe liGHTinG indusTry?
My grandfather (my mother’s father) started the electrical supply company in 1926. My dad, Sol Minsberg, joined the family busi- ness when he married into the family in 1950. Today my brother, Michael (Mickey), and I operate the business and have switched titles and responsibilities over the years.
In my junior and senior years of college, I’d work in the show- room, but I really wanted to become a rabbi and teach Jewish history. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Judaic Studies from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities in the early 1970s, but at that time the business was faltering. I felt that helping my parents out so they could fund my brother’s college education was the responsible thing to do.
In the years since, I continue to volunteer as the main tour guide for our congregation – which is the 10th largest in the U.S. – and I’ve learned how to give 5,000 years of history in 45 minutes. It’s like talking to people in bumper stickers instead of paragraphs.
My brother Mickey and I have di erent strengths. He comes up with the great ideas, and I sit down and plan it out, writing two to three pages on how to make it work. We work well together.
wHaT are THe biGGesT cHallenGes you’ve seen?
In the pre-internet era, we had a catalog business called Golden Valley Lighting (named a er a suburb in Minneapolis). We did a tremendous catalog business, even selling lighting to customers in Japan. Eventually the catalog business declined as the internet took hold and Mickey came up with the idea for the online busi- ness that became Bellacor.
The lighting industry today is a far di erent business than when
I entered it. Back then, there was time to talk to people, and there was a reason to talk to people. Before there was a Dallas market, the industry met in New York City and not only would we spend time ge ing to know our suppliers, but they would interview us, too! We’d learn the story behind the production...like this is a die- cast piece, or this crystal is made in Austria. Most dealers had a relationship with their suppliers. They would sit and talk with you to see what you needed from them. We’d get to know their fami- lies and their hobbies and we’d genuinely look forward to them visiting us in Minnesota. Now [at a market] you have about 15 min- utes to go through a few lines. It’s a whole di erent world. It used to be enjoyable to go to market, but now you need a stop watch. You used to carry a vendor for years, but now it’s “What have you done for me lately?” There’s not enough loyalty anymore. It’s a dif- ferent set of criteria — not be er or worse, just di erent. We’re a boutique industry, but we’re treating it as a mass-market industry.
wHaT do you THink Has been THe key To your success?
I still treat the business as an extension of my personal goals. Maybe that’s old-fashioned, but I think you have to feel good about the product you’re selling. While my responsibilities have been exclusively focused on product, I’ve developed criteria for the companies I want to do business with. I think dealers should come to Dallas market with a “hall of shame” list from your sta — the companies who are di cult to do business with. Is there one that has too great of an aggravation factor? We give our suppliers an overall grade. Life is too short to work with di cult people. I make a list of my top 10 easy-to-deal-with suppliers and go to
30 enLIGHTenment Magazine | april 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com
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JONATHAN MINSBERG
Vice President/Co-owner, Creative Lighting | St. Paul, Minn.