A business biography by Bruce A. Geiger The great depression of 1929, World War 2 in 1939 and the Korean Police Action in 1949 were unforgettable events in the young life of Bruce Geiger. Growing up in New Jersey 20 miles or so from Manhattan and the Empire State building. He and his brother labored through the next 38 years building the fathers farm road stand into a multimillion dollar business. This book explores a wide range of subjects of interest to all small businessmen. The ups and downs of the formation of the business and the ups and downs of the demise of the business provide an insight into the problems of business survival during changing conditions. They had a retail and wholesale apple cider manufacturing business, a bakery specializing in apple pies, a farm in the Hudson Valley, a two hundred seat restaurant with liquor bar and catering, a produce department, a homemade ice cream department and a cheese and fresh fish department. They opened a second store and found that their management was inadequate to make it work. They had two disastrous fires and managed to continue after a period of rebuilding. This book is a business biography and is mostly about business. The book describes the first twenty years of growing up in a rural area in the suburbs during the 1920's and 1930's to give the reader an idea of the environment. The book includes comments by the author on a variety of subjects of interest to small businessmen. The author provides some insight into government learned during his nine years as an elected councilman and four years as mayor of Mountainside, N.J. The book contains dozens of pictures with comments that illustrate various aspects of the autobiography.
Self-employed cider maker, truck driver, electrician, plumber, radar mechanic, baker of pies, cleaner of fish and toilets, brick mason, painter, apple farmer, husband, father, councilman, fireman, mayor, businessman, pilot, tourist, huckster, chef, bartender and retired creator of 86 Years of Unpremeditated Journey.
