Greenblatt's Charisma, Sincerity are Missed
January 17, 2003
South Africa - I only met Frank Greenblatt for 10 minutes at the Living Space Textile Exhibition in March, but I will never forget him: Chatting to him at the Svenmill stand, his down-to-earth sense of humor and hearty laugh when he introduced himself as the company's ''general dogsbody'' made an indelible impression on me.
His close-knit family was devastated when the owner and chief shareholder of Svenmill, the large Cape Town-based upholstery mill, unexpectedly died of a heart attack at his home August 24. Francine, his wife, has described him as a true friend and an inspiration and visionary father to his three children, Brent, 29, Adam, 28 and Danielle, 25.
She recalled his wisdom, humility, integrity and anonymous charitable activities that made him popular with everyone he met.
''Larger than life and a great storyteller, he was a true gentleman, a trustworthy friend and even-handed and fair in all his dealings,'' she said. His perfectionist streak and pragmatic approach to problems enabled him to run Svenmill successfully for 26 years, growing its exports into 22 countries.
His staff, who describe him as a ''wonderful boss'' say they still expect him to return from one of his many overseas trips and ''cry for him every day'' when they look at his picture on the office wall. The secret to Greenblatt's success was that he loved people, irrespective of social status. ''He was genuinely concerned about his employees, and always said that whether he dealt with royalty or floor sweepers, he could learn from them all every day,'' one of his staff said. A man of many tastes, Greenblatt also loved travel, different cultures, fine food and wine, cars, sport, art and music, especially jazz.
Humble but flamboyant, he formed personal relationships with each person he met by always being fully focused on and interested in whoever he was talking to.
His wife and family, who are also major shareholders, are throwing themselves into learning as much about the business as possible. Greenblatt's personal touch will be sorely missed, but he was no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the business and the people he has groomed over the years are well equipped to ensure that it's ''business as usual.''
Management has confirmed that new weaving equipment has been installed to increase capacity and that all orders will be filled and continuity ensured. F&FI
His close-knit family was devastated when the owner and chief shareholder of Svenmill, the large Cape Town-based upholstery mill, unexpectedly died of a heart attack at his home August 24. Francine, his wife, has described him as a true friend and an inspiration and visionary father to his three children, Brent, 29, Adam, 28 and Danielle, 25.
She recalled his wisdom, humility, integrity and anonymous charitable activities that made him popular with everyone he met.
''Larger than life and a great storyteller, he was a true gentleman, a trustworthy friend and even-handed and fair in all his dealings,'' she said. His perfectionist streak and pragmatic approach to problems enabled him to run Svenmill successfully for 26 years, growing its exports into 22 countries.
His staff, who describe him as a ''wonderful boss'' say they still expect him to return from one of his many overseas trips and ''cry for him every day'' when they look at his picture on the office wall. The secret to Greenblatt's success was that he loved people, irrespective of social status. ''He was genuinely concerned about his employees, and always said that whether he dealt with royalty or floor sweepers, he could learn from them all every day,'' one of his staff said. A man of many tastes, Greenblatt also loved travel, different cultures, fine food and wine, cars, sport, art and music, especially jazz.
Humble but flamboyant, he formed personal relationships with each person he met by always being fully focused on and interested in whoever he was talking to.
His wife and family, who are also major shareholders, are throwing themselves into learning as much about the business as possible. Greenblatt's personal touch will be sorely missed, but he was no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the business and the people he has groomed over the years are well equipped to ensure that it's ''business as usual.''
Management has confirmed that new weaving equipment has been installed to increase capacity and that all orders will be filled and continuity ensured. F&FI
