=DETROIT
=BUSINESS

ISRAEL E>kGriEsir
Specially compiled by The Jerusalem Post

- $1 EQUALS 2.82 NIS (shekels) - Close Price 7115/93 —

Plan Includes 15% Wage Cut

Health Kick Doesn't
Hurt Feldbro Meats

Israel Aircraft Industries
officials are to ask the gov-
ernment to permit a 10
percent to 15 percent cut
in workers' salaries as part
of its updated recovery
plan.
In addition to a reduc-
tion it its workforce by
1,500 employees, other
aspects of the new recovery
plan include asking the

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

F

or some, meat
might not seem a
glamorous busi-
ness. But for
Alan Feldman, owner
of Feldbro Meats in
Farmington Hills,
nothing could be fur-
ther from the truth.
"Everyone shops
here," he said.
That everyone
includes newcomers
to the northwest
suburbs, original
customers from the
7 Mile Road and
Evergreen store,
their children and
grandchildren.
Alan Feldman
took ownership of .,.
the business from F'
his father, Harold
Feldman, about five years
ago. Harold Feldman really
hasn't slowed down much
though. He continues to
work between 30 and 45
hours each week.
"I'm probably the hardest-
working retired person in
the world," Harold said.
A love for the business,
telling jokes and shmoozing
with the customers keeps
Harold around. But to hear
him tell it, there was no
other business for Harold.
Harold's father came to
the United States from
Hungary as a sausage
maker. In high school,
Harold worked for Morris
Market in Detroit.
"I think that's where the
knowledge came from," Alan
said.
Following World War II,
in 1952, Harold opened his
first store in Detroit —
2,800 square feet full of
beef, veal, lamb, pork and
chicken.
In the late 1960s, Harold
opened a second location in
the Continental Market in
Birmingham. Feldbro Meats
joined the original Olga's
Kitchen, Elson Bakery and
a small shop selling kitchen
accessories in the
Woodward location. They
opened shop in Madison
Heights and Dearborn
Heights followed, but the
Detroit store remained the
star.

government for $150 mil-
lion to increase IAI's equi-
ty base, $100 million to
compensate fired workers,
$70 million for new civilian
projects and $35 million
the company said the gov-
ernment has not forwarded
from the earlier December
1992 recovery plan, IAI
sources confirmed.

Electric Co. Looks At Power Stations

The
Israel
Electric
Corporation has contacted
natural gas suppliers with
the aim of building power
generating stations that
run, on the fuel.
Israel Electric Corp.
managing director Moshe
Katz said that if it is found
that the gas-powered sta-
tions improve the corpora-
tion's generating efficien-

cy, a number of integrated
stations would be built
that could run on various
types of fuel.
An American company
has proposed building a 75
megawatt power plant in
the Negev using the fuel,
while a Russian company
is about to present a pro-
posal to build a 150-
megawatt plant.

Strike Hurting Imports

Alan and Harold Feldman
keep business In the family.

A lack of help, not cus-
tomers, led to the closing of
all but the original store.
In 1975, Harold made his
pioneering move to West
Bloomfield. Originally locat-
ed where Buddy's Bar-B-
Que now is, Feldbro Meats
moved to the newer side of
West Bloomfield Plaza as
soon as it was finished —
tripling its size.

Accommodating to
new tastes.

"West Bloomfield was
nothing then. It was a risk.
We had our name and my
father," Alan said.
"Customers from the old
store started moving out
this way. They knew our
name and our quality."
About four years ago,
Feldbro Meats moved to its
current location on
Middlebelt Road between
Fourteen Mile Road and
Northwestern Highway.
When the lease was up in
West Bloomfield, Feldbro
Meats accepted an offer to
join the popular Strawberry
Hill Market rather than
remodel.
"Alan thinks modern,"
Harold said. "The progress
this store has made in the
last 10 years is primarily

due to Alan, to his aggres-
siveness."
Literally knocking on
wood, Alan said there have
been no bad times for busi-
ness. However, he has made
changes to accommodate
changing tastes and time
schedules.
Prepared, stuffed chick-
ens, ready in 15 minutes in
the oven, fill the freezer
case. A large glass case dis-
playing fresh fish, delivered
daily, was installed a few
months ago. Feldbro Meats
also carries a complete line
of organic, Amish chicken.
One aspect of the busi-
ness hasn't altered — Alan
and Harold's emphasis on
quality in product and ser-
vice.
"We've got great meat. We
buy the best; we handle it
well and display it in an
attractive way," Harold
said. "I think our prices are
quite reasonable for the
quality. You can't sell a
Cadillac for a Volkswagen
price."
In regard to customers, he
added, "You have to be a
caring kind of person. You
have to want to remember
them, want to remember
their names. Having the
owner around, remembering
names and faces — it's like
catching something. The
help picks up on it, too." ❑

The Israel Export Institute
set up a special lieadquar-
has reported that the gov-
ters to deal with the prob-
ernment workers' strike is
lems facing importers and
hurting the import/export
industry. According to the
institute's figures, ' only
a ka
some 10 percent of imports the
0 ercent,,of exports
since ''
ave n pr,10poOd,

ca

The ins

s a

mein

GOv't Can Spend

The Israel Tasury's deci-
sion to set next year's
deficit at three percent of
the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) will allow
the government to spend
about $284 million over
the regular budget expen-
ditures, Treasury Budget
Director David Brodet
said
"We are interested in a
set of priorities [additional
investments and tax cuts]
that will maximize growth,
maximize employment and
also maximize immigra-
tion," Mr. Brodet told a

press briefing.
Although the estimates
behind the Bud
that set the def.
at 2.2 percent 6
not changed si‘
the Treasury, neverthe
less, agreed to raise it to 3
percent of GDP to stimu-
late the economy.
He warned, however,
that 3 percent was a ceil-
ing beyond whih the econ-
omy would face the clan-
gers of higher inflation,
interest rates and
exchange rates.

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