LI execs share secrets of success
Executives who shared some of their success stories with members of the Hauppauge Industrial Association-Long Island are, from left, Steven Tiffen, of Tiffen Co.; John J. Molloy, of H2M; Paule Pachter, of Long Island Cares, and John Irwin, of Irwin Contracting, Inc. (Nov. 9, 2010) Credit: Sam Levitan
Steven Tiffen, chief executive of Hauppauge-based Tiffen Co., a manufacturer of photography equipment, once had a board of directors he and family members "really liked," he said. The arrangement didn't work out. Now, Tiffen said, the company's five-member board is made up of people "we don't like."
But things are working out much better, Tiffen told a breakfast meeting of the Hauppauge Industrial Association-Long Island Tuesday.
"Our board meetings are uncomfortable," Tiffen admitted, "but more effective. If you fill a room with people who agree with you, you're not going to accomplish much."
Tiffen was one of five chief executives who gave HIA-LI members a rare inside look at how they run their companies and managed to become successful.
What makes for success? David Friedfeld, president of Clear Vision Optical, a Hauppauge wholesale distributor of prescription eyewear, advised: "Find something you love."
John J. Molloy, chief executive of Melville-based engineering firm H2M Group, said he found being involved in the community a great help.
Paule Pachter, executive director of the food agency Long Island Cares, talked of passion. "My job is seven days a week, but I'm happy at what I do."
But John Irwin, president of Irwin Contracting Inc. in Hauppauge, was most philosophical. "You measure success by what you had to give up to achieve it," he said.
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