This year, American Securities celebrates our 25th anniversary. While many things have evolved over time, our core values have remained true since the beginning.
Charles Klein, Michael Fisch, and David Horing in 2000. Liza Sanchez, American Securities’ receptionist from 2000-2019, sits in the foreground.
Chuck was an instrumental force in creating our business in the early 1990s. He was a creative thinker and a brilliant investor. Chuck had a remarkable ability to see a complex problem through a unique lens and to develop creative solutions. He was a cherished mentor and dear friend, not only to many of us, but also to a wide network who sought Chuck's advice in business and investing, and so many other areas. Chuck was the standard bearer of the values around which we have tried to build our firm. He personified integrity above all else, acting every day in a spirit of partnership and selflessness. While Chuck had retired over 10 years ago, he remained a mentor, respected partner, and, above all, our dear friend.
During the partnership with American Securities, Ketema was a public mini-conglomerate with 10 autonomous operating divisions operating in the aerospace and process control equipment areas.
During the partnership with American Securities, CTB was a leading manufacturer of feeding, watering, ventilation, and heating equipment for the poultry and swine industries; commercial egg-laying systems; and feed and grain storage bins.
During the partnership with American Securities, Caribbean Restaurants held the exclusive franchise from Burger King Corporation to own and operate Burger King restaurants in Puerto Rico.
We believe in long-term, strategic partnership, built on trust and driven by core values.
Strong alignment between all parties results in better relationships, superior operating execution, and faster value creation. We jointly develop a Shared Vision plan focused on the critical value creation levers for the company. In many cases, Shared Vision becomes engrained in the way the company runs and is retained even after our partnership is complete.
Grace Institute is a leader in workforce development for women. It serves 300 women annually by developing computer and professional skills to prepare them for administrative and customer support positions in the banking, not-for-profit, health care, and hospitality industries.
Through a supermarket-style food pantry, West Side Campaign Against Hunger alleviates hunger and creates a culture that promotes self-reliance and works for change. In 2018, WSCAH distributed nearly 1.5 million pounds of food to 20,000+ New Yorkers.
For the past several years, we have partnered with Refugee Protection International (RPI) and Multi Aid Programs (MAPs) to fund educational programs for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.
Our mission is to generate superior returns by making investments in great businesses and helping existing management better them. We believe that these defining differences help us achieve that goal.
1
Reputation and comportment of our team with all constituents
2
Focus on people with low turnover
3
Differentiated value creation strategy
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Focus on long-term best interests of companies and investors