MARKETPLACE, VOL. XII, NO. 16
EDITORIAL
PAGE 2, AUGUST 30, 1973
Top Man on the
Bill Gersh
Who's the top man on the totem pole? The manufacturer? The
distributor? Neither. The top man on the totel:l pole of this
industry, today, is the operator.
Long after the manufacturer has halted production on a mach-
ine. Long after the distributor has stopped selling it . The
operator is still featuring it in locations.
Still enjoying fine cash flow income . Still taking in money.
Still toting up profit . Sometimes continuing the operation of
the machine for many years.
It's not at all surprising to travelers in this industrJ to
come upon oachines 20 years old and older, still in active
operation, still making money .
1'he operator continues to profit from equiµnent long after the
manufacturers and distributors have enjoyed their one-time profit
share.
Of course operating isn't easy . Nor is it for anyone and every-
one. There's a knack to it which not all can achieve . Actually,
it's a hard work business and only for those who are "operators"
in every sense of the word.
But if they really are "operators", then operating comes natur-
ally to thee. Because, in their own way, they're showmen, salesmen,
mechanics, bankers , economists, politicians, psychologists, discov-
erers, ventu~ers, specialists, and much more .
Most of all, because of consistent cash flow they are, today,
tops on the industry's totem pole . Unequalled by any other level
is the income of just one public conglomerate operator reaching
very, very close to a billion dollars a year .
- .