Imagine Gary Braunstein as Pied Piper of Locke. During his 47-year tenure at Acme Smoked Fish, a company in Brooklyn, New York, which supplies the country with its eponymous product, Braunstein had almost every job there was.
He sliced more than his piece of salmon. He loaded the trucks. And in his public-speaking role, he helped hold Fish Friday, a weekly event where the company sells its products directly to consumers at big discounts. In fact, he became especially famous for Gary’s Special - a dish he made just for Fish Friday, such as smoked salmon in a sweet Thai chili sauce.
You can still order Gary’s Special these days, but you probably won’t see Braunstein in action. He withdrew from Acme in May, concluding his nearly half-century-long drive with a solemn edition of Fish Friday. Many of the regular customers bought Gary T-shirts with special themes made for the occasion.
That day, MarketWatch caught up with 69-year-old Braunstein, a member of the family that owns Acme, to hear what finally led to his departure. But just as importantly, we wanted to know what made him work in the same place for so long. Of course, family loyalty played a role in Braunstein’s case, but in an era when the average length of service is 5.4 years, the story of the fishmonger as a “lifelong” company, as he described himself, offers a lesson in perseverance - against retirement lessons , if you want.
Here are six things we learned from Braunstein about what it takes to stay in one company for many years.
You have to love the mission
Yes, Brownstein loves his bow. And his herring. And almost all the products that Acme offers. He talks about eating fish all the time - and he liked to find new ways to use it in recipes, as evidenced by his Gary special. It may be obvious, but if Braunstein hadn’t had that connection to what Acme is, he said it might not have been so easy to enjoy the ride.
Be where you can change things
Braunstein may have worked for the same company for 47 years, but he never held the same position for too long, which is confirmed by his duties, which really ranged from running the cutting department to the work of Fish Friday. “I loved the fact that he never stagnated,” he said. He even retained a sense of humor about what may have been his hardest job: working in a herring room, stacking barrels after a barrel of fish.
Plus, every day, Braunstein could do a lot of things. And what was his title? “There was no title. “We just did what we were supposed to do,” he said.
Gary Braunstein (right) chats with regular Acme Fish Friday customers during his last day at work.
Charles Passy
It helps to work for the winner
Braunstein noted that many of Acme’s competitors have lost their jobs in the last few decades. Meanwhile, Acme has continued to grow: he said revenue has risen in all but one of his 47 years at the company. Of course, Acme benefited from losing competition, but the company also increased its business because of the way it innovated.
Braunstein was an integral part of that innovation: he helped Acme launch items ranging from white fish salad to smoked salmon inspired by Hawaiian poked. He also played an important role in helping Acme come up with different ways to package its products, which in turn played a big role in spreading its footprint in the company’s stores. The point, Braunstein said, is that having a successful business provides an opportunity for employees to advance.
It also helps you do a job that keeps you physically active
Much of Braunstein’s work involved standing. He did more than his job of lifting and moving things - or bending down to fix the freezer. He said that childbirth sometimes took tools on his body, but in general, the physical aspect of the job gave him a certain advantage. “You feel good,” he said.
It’s all about the people - and the benefits
Speaking about dozens of his colleagues at the Acme headquarters in Brooklyn, Braunstein said that friendship has always been on the agenda: “They love me, I love them. And camaraderie counts when you are organized in the long run, Braunstein said.
But don’t forget the benefits. Braunstein certainly isn’t. He remembered once enjoying free books - a Jewish specialty made from baked dough stuffed with potatoes or other ingredients - from a bookmaker whose facility was close to Acme (Acme would supply the company’s products). Similarly, a nearby bakery often supplied the Acmea team with free rye bread. When Braunstein recounts these little extras that came with life in Acme, he makes it clear that they also contributed to his happiness in the company.
Know when it’s really time to retire
For Braunstein, the decision to retire was largely related to his wife’s death last year. Apart from the obvious suffering he caused, he said that it changed a lot of his routine and forced him to take on household chores that he did not have before. “It was hard for me to do that” while I was going to work, he said. Finally, he only knew instinctively that he needed to retire. “I woke up (one day) and I thought, ‘It’s time.’
Braunstein, a resident of New Jersey, said that his retirement will give him more time to play golf, his favorite pastime. His immediate plan is to “take a year off and figure it out,” he said of his new life. He also does not rule out an occasional return visit to Akme, especially on Fish Friday. “They want me to keep coming back,” he said.