Harold Roitenberg

Harold Roitenberg (January 7, 1927 – December 20, 2018) was an American businessman who founded the catalog, Modern Merchandising Inc., a merchandiser and showroom catalog.

Early life and education

Roitenberg was born to a Jewish family, the son of Sarah and Norman Roitenberg.[1] Roitenberg graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota.[2]

Career

After school, Roitenberg worked in the advertising department of Northwestern Auto Parts in Minneapolis and then went to work for his father-in-law who owned Minnesota Wholesalers which sold horse supplies.[2] During his tenure, he expanded the company into a catalog showroom business that also sold small appliances, housewares, electronics, and jewelry.[2]

Upon his father-in-law's death, Roitenberg ventured out on his own founding Creative Merchandising & Publishing[2] in 1960.[3] The company focused on producing catalogs for small businesses who wanted to develop a catalog presence but did not have the expertise, resources, and buying power to secure lower prices from manufacturers.[2] Roitenberg's company allowed them to purchase collectively and secure lower prices.[2] In 1961, he changed the name to Modern Merchandising Inc.[3] In 1982, Modern Merchandising, then the 3rd largest catalog retailer, was acquired by Best Products in a stock transaction worth $109 million.[4] The merger was accretive as Best Products' showrooms were mainly on the East Coast, Texas, and California while Modern Merchandising was mostly in the Midwest and the Northwest.[4]

Personal life

Roitenberg died on December 20, 2018, at the age of 91. He had five children: Steven Roitenberg, David Roitenberg, Sam Roitenberg, Jane Roitenberg Nolen, and Ursula Roitenber Galanos.[1] All his sons predeceased him.[1] Roitenberg was a victim of Bernard Madoff.[5]