Started with Winthrop in March of 1973. October 1973: First training class with females in attendance. Art Catalani was President. Blaise McGoey was national sales manager. I worked out of the Houston district initially, then promoted to Hospital Rep in New Orleans in November of 1974. Left in August of 1976 for orthopedic sales in San Antonio. Last time to see one of the old crew was about 15 years ago--had dinner with Harry O. and his wife when I was hiring for Houston expansion territories with a small pharma company. Still in pharma sales. ANY ONE ELSE OUT THERE????
Dinosaurs and survivors
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I started with Breon in 1978 under Rodger Rainey and Art was our pres. We also had good ol' Herb Smith. I was one of the first females also and am still in the business in specialty sales. Left the company in '99.
Walking Eagle
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- Walking Eagle Oct 03, 2006 at 09:23: PM
Walking Eagle
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Did you know a guy named Rich in San Antonio? He left Breon for McNeil in late '78 or early '79. There was Winthrop DM in Seattle who should have still been there--Bill H. Art Catalani: he had been promoted just before I went to 90 Park for training in Oct '73--great guy--was sad when I heard of his death. F%^#ing smokes...
Started as a rep in '70. Went to 90 Park in 73 when Charlie Czermak was still in charge - followed by John Pfeiffer. Catalani took over as VP sales from Harold Torkelson. Left in 76 but have stayed in Pharma my whole career. Still occasionally run into John Ibelli and Tony Iocono.
Walking Eagle
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- Walking Eagle Oct 24, 2006 at 12:20: AM
Walking Eagle
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Were you working at 90 Park or just there for training? There was a girl named Barbara Pelican (looked a bit like B. Streisand) who was one of the NYC reps and I think she ended up at 90 Park for awhile before moving on in search of greener patures.
Wow, this is a blast from the past!
I started with Breon in 1977 when we were half Rx and half OTC. (can you say Diaparene Baby Washcloths?) Breon started a Hospital Sales Force in about '78 or '79(?) with 13 territories, each having about 25-30 hospitals to call on, and a requirement to see 3 per day.
When I worked at 90 Park and Art Catalani would call a meeting, you always knew how long the meeting would last by the number of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes Art would line up on the desk. There was never a cigarette unlit during the entire time he talked. Kind of strange for a company that was the number 1 respiratory product company in the US, at that time.
OK, big question... What happened to the Sterling Drug pension plan. I worked for this company for 10 1/2 years, and was vested in the plan. Now that I am 54 yrs old, and considering future retirement, I have been searching for any info on the plan. Anybody know anything about it???
I'd appreciate any info.
I started with Breon in 1977 when we were half Rx and half OTC. (can you say Diaparene Baby Washcloths?) Breon started a Hospital Sales Force in about '78 or '79(?) with 13 territories, each having about 25-30 hospitals to call on, and a requirement to see 3 per day.
When I worked at 90 Park and Art Catalani would call a meeting, you always knew how long the meeting would last by the number of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes Art would line up on the desk. There was never a cigarette unlit during the entire time he talked. Kind of strange for a company that was the number 1 respiratory product company in the US, at that time.
OK, big question... What happened to the Sterling Drug pension plan. I worked for this company for 10 1/2 years, and was vested in the plan. Now that I am 54 yrs old, and considering future retirement, I have been searching for any info on the plan. Anybody know anything about it???
I'd appreciate any info.
Walking Eagle
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- Walking Eagle Oct 31, 2006 at 04:10: PM
Walking Eagle
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Sanofi bought the pharmaceutical division, Bayer got part of the OTCs, Chattham got the pHisoDerm products, and I have no idea who got Lehn&Fenk(Lysol, etc) or Pittman-Moore that makes printing press ink. I left before the 10 year vesting period that prevailed at the time, so have not kept up with it. You might try Sanofi at 90 park or a stock broker or maybe contact the SEC???
Thanks, I will look at some of those, esp. the SEC. I have done a ton of internet searches unsuccessfully. I left as Kodak was buying (over paying for) everything in 1988, and was assuming they picked up some of the pension responsibility, but have not been able to develop anything from that area. Kinda' like it disappeared... "POOF"!
Wow! To the original poster. 1970 was the year I joined winthrop (right out of college). A nut named Joe Rutledge hired me. Blaise was the Regional Manager (I am not sure he was the National Manager, although I cannot remember). I was Amarillo, texas for one year and then to Tulsa for two, when I joined Boehringer Ingelheim. Now I am one year from retirement. I have fond memories from Winthrop. Andy Stotts in Little Rock, Bob Byrd in Tulsa (my partner for two years), Pete Garino in Houston, and an old gentlelem that trained me in Little Rock (Gaines Norton).
Just thinking about Winthrop (Neosynephrine, Phisohex with hexachloraphene, Talwin, Carpuject, Neg Gram, etc) brings back many memories. I was so young back then, I don't even remember the CEO and Senior Management (I think Czermak sounds familiar). Thanks for posting and taking me down memory lane. HOW THE BUSINESS HAS CHANGED hasn't it.
Just thinking about Winthrop (Neosynephrine, Phisohex with hexachloraphene, Talwin, Carpuject, Neg Gram, etc) brings back many memories. I was so young back then, I don't even remember the CEO and Senior Management (I think Czermak sounds familiar). Thanks for posting and taking me down memory lane. HOW THE BUSINESS HAS CHANGED hasn't it.
Walking Eagle
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- Walking Eagle Dec 14, 2006 at 07:41: PM
Walking Eagle
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Are you still with BI? I have a few buddies with BI in Texas.
Pete Guarino did the hospital part of my training when I was hired --what a rep, what a guy. If everyone in the industry had his intelligence, ethics, and dedication to the job, it would be a very different industry today.
I remember the name Rutledge--was he the Dallas DM? Charlie Czermak was the big boss when I started. Blaise was either National Sales Manager or had half the US. I was hired by Harry Ochsenbein who was the Houston DM. Promoted to Hospital territory in New Orleans and reported to a very strange former Upjohn DM named Glenn -- never wrote anything positive in his trip reports no matter how good the day was. Then reported to a guy in Atlanta named Tommy Beard when they formed Hospital divisions.
Remember???: national meeting to launch Talwin compound, NegGram suspension, Hypaque vs Renografin war, Marcaine (especially for continuous epidural block for delivery), Septodyne (I got the business at Charity Hosp in New Orleans--when the Betadine folks heard, they came in a removed ALL the Betadine dispensers--had the Septodyne dispensers shipped overnight and spent all day in jeans with two hospital maintneance guys installing them), the down side to winning with CarpuJect was having to do the inservice training for ALL shifts of nursing at 7AM, 3PM and 11PM the same day, and, of course, WinGel-the pink antacid.
Yes, I'm still with BI. I will probably be retiring next year (meaning 2008). I remember Harry, now that you named him. I also remember Pete Guarino's phrase during my training "killem with kindness". I have never forgotten that. With all of the changes in the industry, there is still merit for that phrase. Let's see, Sam Chirafis, Joe Costanza, Gary Alford, Nick Kanokis (deceased), etc were some of the long term people out of Houston.
My DM in Dallas (just appointed when I left) was Bud ______. Not a bad guy, but I heard later that was not the case. I was with Earl Beeler (Denver) for a period of time when I was in Amarillo. You may remember Jimmy Northcutt when he was in Lubbock.
I had already left when the launch of Talwin Compound was launched, but I had great success with the CarpuJect System in Tulsa. In fact, one of my crowning accomplishments as a rep was converting 100% of the hospitals to CarpuJect in the first year. I do remember the in-services at each shift at the hospital. If you did not do that, the nurses would not "push through" on the rubber membrain that kept the needle from touching the liquid (therefore not having to have a preservative in the meperidine). You know, looking back, Winthrop had a great line of products. I enjoyed my time there. You remember Harry, Rutledge, and Blaise all came out of New Orleans.
I also remember those battles over Hypaque and RenoGrafin wars. Those were tough. we had a guy with Squibb that had been there 30 years (Al Sayles) whop made it tough on me. I really was able to only get the scraps and the gall bladder business Bilopaque and Telepaque. The more you memtion products and names, the more I remember. Thanks for answering.
My DM in Dallas (just appointed when I left) was Bud ______. Not a bad guy, but I heard later that was not the case. I was with Earl Beeler (Denver) for a period of time when I was in Amarillo. You may remember Jimmy Northcutt when he was in Lubbock.
I had already left when the launch of Talwin Compound was launched, but I had great success with the CarpuJect System in Tulsa. In fact, one of my crowning accomplishments as a rep was converting 100% of the hospitals to CarpuJect in the first year. I do remember the in-services at each shift at the hospital. If you did not do that, the nurses would not "push through" on the rubber membrain that kept the needle from touching the liquid (therefore not having to have a preservative in the meperidine). You know, looking back, Winthrop had a great line of products. I enjoyed my time there. You remember Harry, Rutledge, and Blaise all came out of New Orleans.
I also remember those battles over Hypaque and RenoGrafin wars. Those were tough. we had a guy with Squibb that had been there 30 years (Al Sayles) whop made it tough on me. I really was able to only get the scraps and the gall bladder business Bilopaque and Telepaque. The more you memtion products and names, the more I remember. Thanks for answering.
Walking Eagle
Active Member
- Walking Eagle Dec 16, 2006 at 06:56: PM
Walking Eagle
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Did you know Al Pawelek (long termer from San Antonio), Garland Harrison (old timer from Baton rouge), Bill Hickman (rep in San Antonio, hosp rep in SA, DM in Seattle, I think), Dave Camp who started in Austin in '75, or a young guy named Tommy who started in Dallas in about '73? The names you listed from Houston did not ring a bell. I know there was a guy who retired shortly after I started, a tall German/Polish named Bill(Brodax, Bruxsaw--something like that), a guy who probably had 30 years, and a black guy named Clint Williams who had been a football coach at a high school in NE Houston(one of the first blacks hired in the industry). Clint had a doc on his call list who hated blacks, liked to throw the "N" term straight at them. Harry told him he didn't have to call on the asshole. Clint said he would call on him until he died because her knew it irritated him.... and he did.
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I do remember Garland Harrison. I didn't know him well, but his first name stuck with me. I wish I could go back and know what happen to several "old timers". Jack Cannady in Wichita and Andy ___ in Kansas City must have had 65-70 years between them. Walking eagle, some of these guys (maybe most of them) have to gone by now. I was a kid when I started (right out of college).
I remember that my first National Sales meeting was in Las Vegas. We all sent to the Wayne Newton Show. I thought that was the biggest thing I had ever seen. You have to remember, I grew up in Oklahoma in a small town. So many lights and night life. I thought this was the life.
I remember that my first National Sales meeting was in Las Vegas. We all sent to the Wayne Newton Show. I thought that was the biggest thing I had ever seen. You have to remember, I grew up in Oklahoma in a small town. So many lights and night life. I thought this was the life.
Feel free to send a private message if you want to discuss anything invloving personal names, etc tht shouldn't be posted on the open forum. Do you remember a Paul Pinsinault? The name sounds familiar--think he was at 90 Park in '73--maybe in training. There is a Pinsinoult firm that advertises in Pharmaceutical Rep magazine and can't help but wonder is this could be his son or other relative.--Walking Eagle--using off site computer and not logged in.
Wow! This brings me back to the beginning of my pharma career, started in September 1979. Hired by a great guy named Harlan Farnsworth. It's kinda of funny. I grew up on Winthrop Ave. Covered the Albany NY - North territory. I remember Talwin, neg-gram , Hypaque etc.. Left in ealry 1982 for Biological sales still in the business, am in Specialty Pharmacy sales. The Regional manager was an idiot named Dick Pingstock!!! Anybody know what happened to Ken Parkinson, Don Fleury? I worked with them in the New York state division. Anbody out there remember Judy Gruberg? I took over for her! She swore like a truck driver when I was picking up her car!! What fond first memories of my beginnings in phamraceutical sales!! Would love to hear from others in the northeast!!
Regarding the Winthrope Retirement Plan, (Sterling) the plan is titled the Sanofi-Synthelabo group pension plan EIN # 13-3529324 Plan No. 003.
It is administered by Prudential Financial, Prudential Retirement,
500 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa 52001.
Hope this helps.
An Old Friend
It is administered by Prudential Financial, Prudential Retirement,
500 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa 52001.
Hope this helps.
An Old Friend
Thank you very much. I just ran into another old employee, and she thought that she got paid off when she left the company in about 1986. However, she didn't have the 10 years in to be vested, so I think she actually got her 401-K payout (if that's what it was called back then), I really appreciate your taking the time to post this. Thanks again!
I came from the Breon side...upstate NY in 1972... worked for GC out of Boston.... what a ball... used to meet at Rye Town Hilton.... many fond memories of that place especially after we started hiring the ladies.... Remember John Fazel.... got me tossed from every office that he opened his month in.... Howard Mosesson...had a terrible interview with him and still got job... loved the story on Art C lining up the Pall Malls...hell everyone smoked like a chimney... Herb Smith.... loved his Jack Daniels...Eddie West...Jack Griffin... great guys... I probably trained half the sales force... remember 4 weeks with a district trainer??? Started taking my pension at 55 and by darn it still keeps coming..... until 62 1/2... nice deal...bought quite a few cars for kids; ex-wives; cuurent spouses with it..... Harlan Farnsworth I know that name....sad at the end. How about Jon Czykowski(Sp?)... I could go on and on... but need to get back to monster to look for the final ride...looking at small pharma... best to all
Parkinson retired in 1984...who was the other fellow in that territory??? Jim___ Tall handsome devil that played some minor league baseball???
Rodger "The Blade" Rainey...where the hell is he now??????