sometimes getting burned in
the process.
"I was naive," he says.
Mr. Thatcher now holds
trademark rights to the Teva
name and three separate
patents on the Teva strapping
systems. The 1994 Teva line
will feature four sandal config-
urations in a variety of mate-
rials and styles.
But he is involved in sever-
al lawsuits over alleged in-
fringements on the Teva name
and design as other manufac-
turers try to take advantage of
the sports sandal market, which
has expanded to include casual
wearers as well as outdoor
sports buffs.
"Now we recreationally sue
people," he jokes.
Mr. Thatcher licenses the
Teva name and design, and he
has contracted with California-

based Deckers Corp. to manu-
facture and sell the sandals.
They are available locally at
sporting goods stores and retail
for $50-$100.

Mr. Thatcher
licenses the Teva
name and design.

Mr. Thatcher works with a
staff of a dozen or so in an old
stone house in Flagstaff which
he has restored. His sister, a for-
mer banker, and her two young
children, and his father, a
lawyer, relocated to Flagstaff
and work with Mr. Thatcher.
He's a member of Congrega-
tion Heichal Baoranim in
Flagstaff, a sometime partici-
pant in religious services and a

self-described student of Jew-
ish history and culture.
Never married, Mr. Thatch-
er just purchased a second
home in Carpinteria, Calif.,
near Santa Barbara, to be clos-
er to the manufacturing opera-
tion. He commutes by plane
between the two locations.
He has plenty of time to pur-
sue his current passions, ca-
noeing and kayaking. A knee
injury has limited his hiking, he
says regretfully. He spends two
weeks rafting in the Canyon
each year and makes frequent
trips to Israel to visit friends
and hike. Mr. Thatcher holds
dual citizenship. "Now, I have
more time to do what I want to
do," he says.
This story was reprinted with
permission from the Greater
Phoenix Jewish News ❑

=DETROIT
=BUSINESS

Glamour Still Alive
At Haberman Furs

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

D

on't tell Hilton Haber-
man the fur business is
dead.
The owner of Harry
Haberman and Son Manufac-
turing Furriers in Detroit,
located near the Fox Theatre,
Hilton Haberman and his
son, Larry Haberman, have
seen many changes in the in-
dustry. But they insist fur still
sells.
"The anti-fur movement re-
ally hasn't affected us much. If
you are going to listen, you
should know that the fur peo-
ple are great conservationists.
Nearly every part of the animal
is used," Hilton Haberman said.
"'The only time there has been
a shortage of fur was when the
poachers were indiscriminate-
ly killing seals."
The business started by
Toronto immigrant Harry
Haberman in 1951 has never
left Detroit and retains a loyal
downtown clientele.
"You would be surprised how
many people are thankful we
are here. We didn't run to the
suburbs," Hilton Haberman
said. "It's a financial benefit, too.
Rent is less here. And we can
pass those savings on to our cus-
tomers."
Perched on the 10th floor of
the Palms Building, Haberman
Furs is a small, comfortable
shop focusing mainly on sales
as opposed to the manufactur-
ing business it once was.
It's a small operation con-

sisting of the Haberman fa-
ther-and-son team and a
seamstress. Most work is
done by appointment.
In the last five or six
years, leather coats and
jackets have filtered into
the racks. Larry Haber-
man said the decision to
carry leather was a re ,La rr Y Haber man: Third generation of th
e
sponse to customers rather Duness.
si
than a move away from the fur
business.
Hilton Haberman never
Harry Haberman entered
planned on following in his fa-
the fur business in Detroit in
ther's footsteps. He was study-
1927 after moving to Detroit
ing accounting but took over the
from Toronto. He was born in
business as the senior Haber-
New York City. He was a mu-
man grew ill.
sician by night and an appren-
Although Hilton Haberman
tice by day — working for
sticks mainly to selling now, he
Wellman Fur Company. Dur-
remembers fondly his earlier re-
ing the Great Depression, he ac-
sponsibilities.
cepted a job with the Frank and
"It's interesting creating
something out of nothing, some-
thing you can wear," Mr. Haber-
man said.
About 10 years ago, Larry
Haberman joined the family
business full time. He recalls
his first business task as a child,
measuring mink skins for bed-
spreads.
Hilton Haberman
"We'd make anything out of
fur you can think of," Larry
Ceders department store run-
Haberman said. "You can have
ning the fur service department.
a lot of fun in this business with
Frank and Ceders closed in
a little creativity."
1951. Harry Haberinan opened
For beaver, they look to
his own business.
Canada. For mink, they buy
Haberman and Son focused
American.
on service while maintaining
"American mink, it's still the
some manufacturing and service
staple of the industry," Larry
work for stores like Crowley's.
Haberman said. ❑

-

"The anti-fur
movement really
hasn't affected us
much."

ISRAEL DIGEST

Specially compiled by The Jerusalem Post

—$1 EQUALS 2.859 NIS (shekels) - Close Price 10/15/93 —

Company To Build China Plant

Dead Sea Industries will es-
tablish a potash plant in Chi-
na, under an agreement
signed by Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin during his vis-
it there last week.
The $470 million plant, to
be built in the Shanghai
province on China's border
with Tibet, will be jointly
owned by the Chinese gov-
ernment (66.6 percent) and

the Dead Sea Industries and
Eisenberg group (33.3 per-
cent).
About 50 Dead Sea Indus-
tries workers will be stationed
in China during the planning
and building phase of the
plant. About 500 Beersheba-
based engineers and techni-
cians will also work on the
project.

Need For Workers Drops 15 Percent

Hopes for Israel's economic re-
covery were dealt a blow by
statistics released late last
week indicating the request
for workers in the local mar-
ket dropped about 15 percent
in the third quarter of the
year.
The drop came after such
requests had already fallen 13
percent over the first quarter
of 1993. Meanwhile, demand

for Israeli workers abroad was
up about 25 percent in the
third quarter.
The figures were prepared .1
by the Manpower personnel
agency.
Company general-manag-
er Yoav Michaeli said the fig-
ures seem to contradict
expectations in economic cir-
cles of renewed economic
growth.

Tender Offer For China-Israel

China will allow Israeli firms
to participate in its interna-
tional tenders, according to
Manufacturers Association
President Dan Propper.
Mr. Propper, who was vis-
iting China with Prime Min-
ister Yitzhak
Rabin's
entourage, had meetings with
a number of Chinese officials
to discuss trade and industri-
al cooperation between the

two nations.
Mr. Propper, who is also
CEO of Osem, met as well
with a vice president of Chi-
na's national food company.
He said the Chinese are espe-
cially interested in Israeli ir-
rigation, agricultural tech-.
nology and tools, infi-astruc-
Lure and communications in-
dustries.

Firm Signs Deal With Hugo Boss

Gibor Sabrina Textile Indus-
tries announced it has signed
a license agreement with
Hugo Boss, a German-based
fashion company, to produce
- and market its underwear for
men in Israel and Europe.
The agreement gives Gibor
Sabrina the exclusive right to
use the Boss trade name and
other commercial names for
underwear sales.
Hugo Boss is among the
largest textile companies in
Europe. The company's an-
nual sales are close to $617

million. Marketing is sched-
uled to commence in the 1994
winter season. Gibor Sabrina
will invest $200,000 in the es-
tablishment of a production
line for Hugo Boss products.
Manufacturing will be con-
centrated at the firm's central
plant in Netanya.
Hugo Boss is the fourth in-
ternational brand name the
firm uses. The company also I
has licensing agreements for
the Palorna Picasso, Cacherel 1
and Cerruti trade names.

Tadiran Signs $27 Million Deal

Tadiran Battery Division has
announced it has signed a
three-year agreement worth
a approximately $27 million
with Ericsson EGE Mobile
Communications USA.

Tadiran will supply
rechargeable "AA" lithium
metal batteries for use in pow-
ering cellular telephones to the
U.S. manufacturer of mobile
communications equipment.

CO

Trade Deficit Declines

The trade deficit dropped to
$448 million last month, near-
ly 50 percent lower than in
August, the Central Bureau
of Statistics reported.
Imports dropped 10 per-

cent, while exports jumped 25
percent. Exports grew to .4
$1.115 billion, following $897
million in August — one of the j
lowest marks this year.

C:)

39

