Business I on the cover/entrepreneurships
All In The Family from page A31
school graduate, gave up his law career to
make sure the business stayed in the fam-
ily.
"I changed careers over a weekend:'
recalled Donald, now 62 and Vesco's
president and CEO. "Although I told my
partners I would probably come back, it
became clear to me after a few days on the
job here there was no way I could go back."
Marjory Epstein pointed out that "the
pull of the business was very strong. Don
and I both feel tremendous loyalty to the
company, to his father and to all of the
people who came before us."
Added Lilly Epstein, "It was quite a brave
transition for my father under tragic cir-
cumstances."
Family Circle
Around that time, Marjory, who attended
Wayne State University's law school in
Detroit, wound down her own law practice,
stayed at home with her daughters for a
while, then became vice president of stra-
tegic planning for Vesco. Business acumen
comes naturally in her side of the family.
Her father was Stanley Winkelman, head
of the locally based Winkelman clothing
store chain for many years, and one of
Eugene Epstein
Richard Epstein
her grandfathers was Sidney Wallace, who
founded Arrow Furniture.
Lilly and Lena have followed identi-
cal education paths: Detroit Country Day
School in Beverly Hills, Harvard and MBA
degrees from the University of Michigan
business school, where Lena, an Ann Arbor
resident, is completing her degree require-
ments.
Lilly had worked at Goldman, Sachs &
Co., handling corporate bonds on Wall
Street in a building only a few blocks from
the World Trade Center. She was "very
much involved in the events of 9/11/2001."
After the terrorist attacks on the buildings
— both planes flew right past her window
— a mix-up in communications kept her
and others in her building for hours before
authorities let them out. Meanwhile, her
parents nervously stayed in touch from
home.
"Then we ran through the soot and
dirt like the TV images that everyone is
familiar with now:' said Lilly. "Most of us
just discarded our clothes later, but some
people couldn't get rid of various articles
of clothing; they felt it was all part of his-
tory. I knew several people who died in
the Trade Center buildings. Afterward, I
returned and worked with my colleagues
for six months, then came home.
"The experience greatly impacted me
as a person, and helped to make my life
priorities clearer. I wanted to be near my
family. It has been extremely gratifying to
work closely with those who are so impor-
tant to me."
Lilly moved to Birmingham after joining
Vesco.
Lena started learning the business in the
warehouse, loading trucks and riding with
pulse220 is ecstatic to applaud and celebrate
our community's successful entrepreneurs.
Thank you to the Epstein family and Vesco Oil Co.
for MAKING GREAT THINGS HAPPEN in the Detroit area.
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March 13 • 2008