SETBACKS AND ADVANCES

"Failure isn't so bad if it doesn't attack the heart. Success is all right if it doesn't go to the head."-Grantland Rice.

"While Jerry was away from the business end of the print shop, things got out of hand and his stepfather had to declare bankruptcy. He signed the papers with his pen in his mouth since he could not use his hands. They had a big auction and all the equipment and the new building were sold. What a heartbreak for him! However, he didn't sit back and do nothing. He decided to go back into the printing business once he had his operations and was able to move around reasonably. He heard about a print shop for sale that belonged to an old friend who was going out of business. He often mentioned that he would find out who his friends were when he was asking for some help to get started. Having just getting out of the hospital, he didn't have much to start with. He managed to borrow enough money to get started again. He was able to buy the shop and lease the equipment with the option to buy. When he got started, he kept going not only with a print shop but joined with some friends and started an ad agency. That didn't last too long as they lost two big accounts. He had two employees when he hound a new location for his print shop."

Once he heard that a building was for sale on Julian St., he decided that it was for him. He was able to acquire the place and soon filled it with printing equipment. It was so full, you could hardly walk. He was getting well known in the printing business. As time went on, he bought more land at the same location. Soon, he had a big metal building built to hold more presses and folders, and it was soon filled. Then he needed a machine that would but books, programs and magazines together, so another metal building was constructed. He also used the space to store paper as he would buy the paper in big amounts on skids to save money. At one time, he added a mailing machine to mail the monthly publications. He made the front building into the art and camera departments. Jerry was a great businessman, and at one time, he had over 50 employees. 
He had customers from all over the Bay area with all kinds of printing needs. He became the publisher of several trade magazines during this time; the biggest one being ' Good Packaging magazine'. It was one of the first packaging magazines on the West coast to inform people how products were packaged. With his interest in packaging, he helped start the school of packaging at SJSU. At one time, he bought a house down the street on Julian St where he moved the  magazine department. It was assembled there and printed at the shop." 

Audrey Clark concludes her recollections of he beloved friend, Jerry Erich: " He bought a cabin in Boulder Creek, CA. where he could relax on the weekends. Driving by a print shop in Felton one day, he stopped to chat. He found out it was about to close due to lack of funds. After thinking it over for a week or so, he stopped by again and bought the place. The employees were quite pleased to have a new owner. It didn't take long until he had the place making money with his 'know how' in running a business His good credit withthe paper and ink companies also helped."