Allen Fischbein, CEO of American Fittings Corp. and Edgewater Manufacturing in Westwood, N.J., saw a need going unmet, and took matters into his own hands, literally. In December, Allen and members of his management team — his son, Dan Fischbein, V.P. of manufacturing, and daughter, Rachell Fischbein, operations manager — purchased and delivered a truckload of food to the Hillsdale Food Bank for distribution to the Food Bank's clients. The Fischbeins purchased 12 pallets of food and supplies at Costco's wholesale division — paper goods, rice, cooking oil, peanut butter, juice, and cereal.
Initially the Hillsdale Food Bank told the Fischbeins they could not accommodate such a large donation because it didn't have room or labor to unload a truck. They advised it should be taken to the Hackensack Food Bank. The Fischbeins didn't accept this answer. They wanted to contribute to the community where they've done business since 1946. They recruited a dozen American Fittings employees, who gathered in frigid weather to form an assembly line to unload the truck, move all items down two flights of stairs, and stock the shelves with the goods.
Fischbein said his companies have enjoyed success this year and simply wanted to help local families not so fortunate in this economy. The third-generation family businesses employ about 70 people, producing electrical fittings in U.S. production facilities.