Word: katze
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...believe in numbers. As a democracy, the U.S. chooses its leaders statistically, so to speak, by the simple process of counting votes. Numbers measure the economy, record social progress, identify people on credit card rolls and bank accounts. "In a numerically conscious society," says Rand Corp. Researcher Amrom H. Katz, "progress is measured by numbers, not by quality...
Then came World War II-and with it a boom in letter writing, mostly between forlorn servicemen and their wives and girls. Katz came up with Rite-Kit, an inexpensive stationery box that doubled as a writing surface. He formed his own company, and by war's end it was grossing $1,500,000 a year...
...Katz knew that this could not last forever. "Rite-Kit was a war baby," he recalls. "People basically don't like to write letters, and I realized that when the war was over Rite-Kit would die." So how about Christmas? It should survive eternally. Katz therefore took his earnings from Rite-Kit, set up Paper-craft. He was willing to innovate; among other things, he helped pioneer the change from flat-folded Christmas wrappings to those sold by the roll. His stock in trade is the traditional design -Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, Donner, Blitzen, etc. This...
Getting Itchy. Katz has his eye on a bigger package. In 1960, he paid $1,700,000 for the 91-year-old Massachusetts firm of LePage's, which makes glue and adhesive tape. He has since streamlined the operation, cutting out unprofitable lines, and LePage's is now in the black. Last year Papercraft entered a new field-that of vinyl tablecloths and place mats that look like lace-by buying out the Eastern Industrial Plastics Corp., since renamed American Universal Plastics...
...past 90 days, Katz has looked over 30 companies with an eye toward acquisition. "We're getting itchy," he says. "We are strong enough now to take on some pretty good-sized companies." But his ambitions go far beyond that. "Some day," he says, "I would like to take over a really giant company. I think about it a lot. While I'm shaving or driving to work...