For our Christmas program this year, we feature two entrepreneurial businesses that each has a story: Radio Flyer and Eddie Z’s Blinds & Drapery. Robert Pasin, whose grandfather founded Radio Flyer, will talk about how Radio Flyer grew to become what every American boy wanted for Christmas. Jimmy Zakoor will discuss his move from corporate America to founding Eddie Z’s.
The story of Radio Flyer is really the story about Antonio Pasin, a young Italian immigrant who began making wooden wagons for children in 1917. In the late 1920’s, he saw an opportunity to begin using assembly-line techniques borrowed from the auto industry and introduced a line of red metal wagons. Because the technologies of radio and airplanes were capturing the attention of Americans, he named his new line of wagons “Radio Flyer.” So, a unique brand was born.
In contrast, Eddie Z’s Blinds & Drapery is only 20 years old. In 1992, Jimmy Zakoor decided to enter the window treatment business. Eddie Z’s now is the largest blinds and drapery retailer in the Midwest, serving northern Illinois, northwest Indiana and southern Wisconsin.
Come to hear Bob Pasin and Jimmy Zakoor discuss how their companies continue to grow and the challenges they face in today’s economic environment.
This program is being sponsored jointly by the alumni associations of Chicago Booth and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Please come out and network with Kellogg/Chicago Booth alumni and guests, enjoy some refreshments, and don’t forget to bring your business cards.