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October 3 1 ,1990-The Portland Observer-Page 5
SUCCESS
IN
BUSINESS
The establishment of a Strategic
Framework process which encour
ages participation from all 15,000
employees and provides a clear
articulation of company values is
propelling a major pharmaceutical
company towards its goal of being
an industry leader by the turn of the
century.
Sterling Drug Inc.’s Strategic
Framework emphasizes that the
company is a worldwide team com
mitted to creating distinctive solu
tions for the needs of mankind in
pharm aceutical and consum er
health products. It measures its
success by the achievement of
market leadership, superior finan
cial returns and an environment of
trust and personal growth.
Already, Sterling Drug Inc.,
produces Omnipaque, a leading
nonionic imaging agent used in X-
rays and CAT scans. It also makes
medicines used for heart patients
and for the relief of pain, and a
number of leading non-prescription
medicines, such as Bayer aspirin,
Panadol, Midol, Stri-Dex skin care
products, Campho-Phenique topi
cal antiseptics and Neo-Synephrine
nasal decongestant. Sterling prod
ucts are manufactured in more than
30 countries and marketed in more
than 100.
Sterling, acquired by Eastman
Kodak Company in 1988, comple
ments its parent company’s strength
in chemistry, developed through
more than 75 years of industrial
research. Kodak provided an expe
rienced, disciplined research capa
bility and a strong chemical back
ground. Sterling provided a world
wide development, registration,
m arketing and distribution net
work. Sterling also brought with it
a strong non-prescription business
with excellent growth potential.
Sterling’s goal is to rank among
the top 20 pharmaceutical compa
nies worldwide by the year 2000. To
that end, it’s developing a full pipe
line of important prescription drugs
and a world-class portfolio of non
prescription medications. Research
efforts are now focused in five key
areas: diagnostic imaging, cardio
vascular medicine, oncology, viral
diseases and disorders of the cen
tral nervous system.
Whatever happened To Minority Business Part 3
BY PROFESSOR MCKINLEY BURT
When a black business fails, the
situation is not like a certain solemn
occasion in the great hall o f “ Lloyds o f
London” , no grave and austere official
bangs his gavel to bring all activities to a
halt as the traditional ringing of an an
cient ship’s bell precedes the announce
ment that a vessel has been lost at sea.
Business gone-gone business. Another
statistic.
Let us get on with our analysis.
When I described the operation o f the
“ black lumber broker last week, I should
have connected this success with the
advice I gave to my minority business
students at Portland Sate University:
‘ ‘Expand your horizons-join the campus
business clubs-engage in extra-curricu
lar activities, associate with students of
other ethnic groups when possible or
comfortable. Generally, they have supe
rior information sources-exploit those
contacts. This ‘networking’ is the Ameri
can way, w hatever your opinion o f the
m atter.”
In the particular case, this black
lumber broker had established a friend
ship with a white teammate on the Stan
ford basketball squad. They frequently
exchanged visits at their respective homes.
When they graduated with business
degrees, the white father, a wealthy
lumberman, decided he would set them
‘both’ up in business. After an on-the-
job learning period in San Francisco the
black young man was financed in pur
chasing an available Portland opportu
nity in specialized “ R edw ood” market.
Sweeping
interest
In N e w S w eep stake s
Anyone who loves a good contest
should get a scent of th is one early.
Literally.
The contest is called “Escape To
Aspen S w eepstakes.” The, grand
prize is a 4x4 Chevy S-10 B lazer
an d th e th re e first prizes a re all-ex
pense-paid trip s for two to Aspen,
th e historic and fam ous ski town.
In addition, 50 M urray 15-speed
M ountain Bikes will be aw arded to
second prize w inners.
Part of equipment complement at McKinely Burt Associates in 1969. Perfectly suited for the lucrative alternative
phase projected: “Kwik Kopy Print Shop'(C) 1969, McKinley Burt.
An everyday occurrence in the nation’s
business world-except for the ‘color
schem e’.
Now, when we posed the question,
“ Is your Government User Friendly?”
(title o f the O ctober 17 article), we could
have told you this: A LOT DEPENDS
ON YOU! Consider the scenario as you
are directed (encouraged) to interface
with any or all o f a host of governmental
institutions, all with the advertised goal
o f bringing minorities and women into
the econom ic mainstream of America.
W here to em bark? Small Business
A dm inistration-B usiness Incubator-
Minority Set Asides-Lease Gurantees-
Specific programs o f various Public
Agencies or Large Corporations?
There are, of course, many advisors
and consultants around, some independ
ent, but most employed or contracted by
the agencies named above. You must
understand, however, that few if any of
these persons have had ‘real-tim e’ suc
cessful business experience-meeting
payrolls, marketing a product, or making
a profit (if so, they would still be in
business!). Most have simply met the
required employment criteria of a civil
service exam written by a ‘non-business
person-or have demonstrated an ability
to ‘successfully relate’ in some social/
community service area. A year or two
of college business courses is quite ac
ceptable, as is knowing som eone already
on board.
These points should prom pt a con
sideration that ‘you ‘ may be in mind
rather than the system, when the judg
ment is pronounced, “ Designed To Fail.”
The more prelim inary research and in
vestigation perform ed, the better and
more detailed information and advice
you will receive when first entering the
system. Usually your initial contact will
quickly refer you to someone more knowl
edgeable when realizing that he is inade
quate to the occasion. This is not always
the case and often one loses a great deal
o f valuable tim e in such a situation. It is
best to allow a good m easure o f ‘lead
tim e’ in all phases o f your p ro je c t
You m ay think it o f little conse
quence that you have neither the re
quired capital or experience prerequisite
to success in the particular business en
terprise-’’A fter all they know I ’m a
minority, and if I had all that ‘good s tu f f
I w ouldn’t need them anyw ay .” You
would be surprised at how m any enter th
system with this attitude; I encountered
dozens o f them in the business classes I
taught. Another consideration is that while
it is pretty certain that the governm ent
will hold you to your contractural obli
gations to perform in a certain m anner-it
is not at all certain that they w ill do
likewise.
I encountered this situation in m y
Education Venture in 1969. G iven that I
furnished well over half o f the initial
capital and resources for the business-
and that in the projected operation there
was allow ance for a switch o f portions o f
a $25,000 S.B.A. loan to finance a sec
ond incom e-producing phase should the
original plan encounter sales resistance-
the governm ent officer assigned to the
project absolutely refused to consider
this option until much too late (see photo
and caption).
Ever try to force the governm ent to
do anything? Ever try to force them to
live up to a contract? Better have a
senator or two squarely behind you un
less, o f course, you can afford the high-
priced attorneys needed. M ore next week
(Also see “ Perspectives” )
DRIVE
RECOGNIZES NO
LIMITS TO LEARNING.
BUSINESS PROFILE
People of Every Stripe
Edward Cooper & Barbara McIntire
BY CYNTHIA BROWN
W hen their construction business
failed a few years ago, Barbara McIntire
and Edw ard Cooper w eren’t sure what
they wanted to try next. Their inspiration
cam e July 1, 1989 at a neighborhood
event, the W est Irvington Parade and
Festival. Both Barbara and Edward, an
interracial couple, were com m itted to
confronting prejudice and working to
dispel racist ideas and, for the 1989 fes
tival, Barbara had designed a T-shirt
celebrating interracialness. The 200 T-
shirts they had printed up sold out im m e
diately. “ W e could have sold lO tim esas
m any,” said Edward. “ Then we started
figuring out how we could sell more. W e
realized we could sell them around the
United States, not ju st Portland.” They
eventually got the idea of starting a mail
order business and developing a catalog.
The business (People of Every Stripe)
and catalog represent a long evolution
ary process which com bines their per
sonal philosophy with a money-making
endeavor. Barbara had worked for years
conducting unlearning racism workshops
to teachers and school children and she
started the International Family Network
of Pordand and Vancouver, a support
group that m eets regularly and gets to
gether for picnics, workshops, rafting
trips, etc. She also produces a monthly
new sletter for the organization. “ The
philosophy was in our hearts long before
we turned it into a business,"said E d
ward. “ The merchandising really came
along to support the philosophy.”
The catalog (now in its second edi
tion) features dolls with a choice o f 11
fabric/skin colors. “ W hen my wife did
workshops for Kindergartners and pres
choolers, she would bring in a dozen
eggs, one white and the rest of all differ
ent shades of brown,” Barbara used them
to make the point that no o n e ’s skin was
the color of a white egg shell, but every
one was different in shades o f brown.
The dolls arc an important item for chil
dren o f interracial parents. “ Kids want
to have a doll that looks like they d o ,”
said Edward.
The doll selections includes dolls
with dark skin and blonde hair, some
have oriental features, and som e are
balding with a gray fringe o f hair.
This year’s expanded catalog also
sells a clothing line for children and
adult pillow s, artw ork and books. All the
dolls are made locally and the clothing is
silkscrecned by a local business.
Edward and Barbara are com m itted
to living and working in northeast Port
land. However, Edward is concerned with
the general perception o f the area. “ If
som ebody gets shot in northeast, it’s
autom atically on the front page o f the
newspaper. But if you thumb through it,
you see somebody else was knifed in
Troutdale or shot in Tualatin, but it’s
buried in the back pages,” he said. “ And
on TV , when they talk about crim e on the
new s, say bank robberies, the file foot
age always shows black people. The
negative perception is prom oted by the
m edia.”
Edward is a strong believer in blacks
supporting black businesses. "Every black
person should bank at American State
Bank,” he stated. “ I don’t own any
stock; I’m not on the board of directors.
And 1 think it’s curious that the PUSH
people who arc here from Chicago-whcrc
is their checking account, if they have
one in Portland? I know where they don’t
have it. Not as A SB .”
Edward Cooper and Barbara M cIn
tire, as they state in their catalog, hope
that, “ our merchandise provides things
that arc a source o f cultural and racial
pride for every person on earth, not just
for the sake o f price but also to share with
others whose background is different so
that we know a lot about each other so
that ‘other’ people aren’t scary to u s.”
For information on how to receive a
People of Every Stripe catalog or infor
mation on the International Family N et
work, write to PO Box 12505, Portland,
OR 97212.
African-American achievers
share a common trait: a profound
commitment, an inner drive, that
lets nothing stand in the way of
education. Because they know
that education is critical for
success.
At RJR Nabisco, we share that
drive for educational opportunity.
So that every African-American
son and daughter can achieve
the potential within them.
RJR Nabisco: Committed to Education
• A century of support for minority education-including
millions of dollars nationally for scholarships, faculty and
fa cilitie s-fro m Richard J. Reynolds’ personal gift in 1891
to help establish historically-Black Winston-Salem State
University to the company’s $4-million grant to WSSU this year
A major contributor to the United Negro College Fund since
it was created in 1944, and a founding member of its
“Million Dollar Roundtable”
Dedicated to improving K-12 public education by funding
NABISCO BRANDS, INC.
PLANTERS LIFESAVERS COMPANY
R J REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
innovative programs through our $30-million Next Century
School Fund, which this year awarded many of its first 15
grants to schools with predominately minority student bodies
Proving Our Commitment...Every Day.
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