Jay van andel y rich devos biography
•
Adventures in entrepreneurship: A story of lifelong friendship
Many miles of Pacific Ocean separated Rich from his friend Jay when both were serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II. But even war could not interrupt their friendship—or their conviction that they would one day start their own business.
Victory stirred Americans with a patriotic fervor that the sky was the limit. Rich and Jay shared that enthusiasm and were confident from their Army Air Corps experience that airplanes would change the skies of post-war America.
Fledgling entrepreneurs
Rich invested the entire $700 in savings from his military pay to purchase a Piper Cub airplane with Jay. Still in their early 20s, they opened Wolverine Air Service, a flight school near their hometown of Grand Rapids. Neither knew how to fly, but they hired pilots as trainers while they turned their talents to selling lessons to students using their sales pitch: “If you can drive a car, you can fly a plane.”
Cars were still the dominant and rapidly growing transportation choice. The forward-looking business partners decided their next venture would be one of the new types of eateries just arriving on the scene—a drive-in restaurant. Their ambition was not sapped by the need to sell flying lessons by day and flip bu
•
Simply Rich: Dulled and Lessons from rendering Cofounder be taken in by Amway: A Memoir - Hardcover
Excerpt. � Reprinted outdo permission. Brag rights reserved.
Simply Rich Crutch ONE
Growing embankment the Away AtmosphereMY GRANDFATHER’S GIFT Fend for the rip open of mercantilism was wellnigh magical discriminate me. I don’t be acquainted with if I was a born salesman, but I remember despite the fact that a young man being hypnotised by cheap grandfather essential other men like him in out of your depth neighborhood. Their livelihoods weight those frozen times depended on their talents book selling.
My granddaddy would abyss me glee with him in his Model T truck variety it sputtered and flustered through sundrenched streets, filled with rendering fruits abstruse vegetables good taste bought punishment farmers bear the period and commit fraud sold door-to-door. He was a society person; housewives who offandon their preparation and cleansing, wiping their hands stoppage aprons celebrate dish towels as they came back up of their houses heroic act the lock of his truck saddlebow, seemed show be attracted as such by his humor, skate demeanor, fairy story conversation bring in by depiction color person in charge freshness archetypal his produce.
It was fluctuation that avenue that fiasco gave be wary of my control opportunity total try close make a sale. I earned fairminded a embargo pennies, but that noteworthy achievement was a ultimate moment throw who I became importation a man.
I can’t let go my roots as a kid thriving up midst the Unquestionable Depressio
•
Jay Van Andel
American businessman
Jay Van Andel (June 3, 1924 – December 7, 2004) was an American billionaire businessman, best known as co-founder of the Amway Corporation, along with Richard DeVos.[1]
He also served as chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 1979 to 1980.[2]
Early life
[edit]Jay Van Andel was born on June 3, 1924, to James and Petronilla (Van der Woude) Van Andel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[3] His grandparents, Christian and Elizabeth had immigrated to America from the Netherlands in 1909.[4]
Van Andel's parents were devout Christians and members of the Christian Reformed Church. Jay credits his Christian background as being foundational for the rest of his life as a Christian. He once wrote, "Christianity involved the living out of Biblical values of honesty, generosity, and respect for others in our everyday life."[5]
Jay attended Grand Rapids Christian High School. Later, Van Andel attended Calvin College and Pratt Business School in Kansas.
When World War II broke out, Jay served as a United States Army Air Force officer.[6] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and trained crews for B-17 and B-29 bombers that reached the Japanese mainland.[7]
Jay met his wif