For 20 years, Michael Feuer shared with Smart Business readers the insights he drew from a remarkable career in business. In this issue, we publish his words for the last time.
Michael passed away at his home in Naples, Florida, on February 18. Best known as the co-founder of OfficeMax, Michael grew the retailer to sales of $5 billion and more than 1,000 stores worldwide before selling the business in 2003 for $1.3 billion. He was an investor, award-winning author, philanthropist, and to me, a friend.
But I’m not the only person he impacted in business. We reached out to some of those who worked closely with Michael. Here are their words:
“Mike was a unique individual, one of the most instinctive and bright businessmen I’ve ever encountered; and I’ve encountered thousands. He was driven to succeed and he always told me that failure is not an option. He could be a tough task master, but he also could be very kind to the people that worked with him, and thoughtful with others.
My condolences to his wife, Ellen, and his children and grandchildren. I thank Mike for all the courtesies and friendship he extended to me over the years. He will be missed.” – Ralph Della Ratta, Partner, Kirtland Capital Partners.
“Michael Feuer was a great man. Sometimes guarded at first, once you had the opportunity to connect, you were in for life. He was creative, driven, caring and always looking for opportunities to share. His tough outer shell at times may not have let everyone know who he was. We all got to experience a piece of him through his insights in the magazine from his life reflections and the many lessons he learned, to our benefit.
To really know Michael was to share his many roles from husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, business partner, co-worker, neighbor, author and philanthropist, among many others. While we had a number of experiences together, I am honored to have been able to be his friend, and hope he was yours, too.” – Greg Skoda, Co-Founder, CBIZ.
“Michael was a passionate and devoted supporter of University Hospitals. Leveraging his entrepreneurial spirit, he pushed us to innovate and improve the lives of our patients, caregivers and community. We will miss him dearly.” – Dr. Daniel Simon, President of Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer, University Hospitals Health System.
“Michael may have earned a reputation as a no-nonsense businessman — one of the reasons we titled our book “The Benevolent Dictator” — but what many didn’t see was the generous, thoughtful person behind the scenes. He was one of those rare individuals people naturally turned to for ideas, guidance or help, and he was always eager to lend a hand. After I shared a personal story about him on social media following his passing, I was struck by the flood of comments from others sharing their own experiences — stories of mentorship, support in launching businesses, meaningful introductions, and so much more. Michael left a lasting impact on more people than we’ll ever truly know. He will be deeply missed.” – Dustin S. Klein, Chief Content Officer, Smart Business.
Through my relationship with Michael, I learned many lessons — not only about business, but also life — that helped shape who I am today. As we publish his final thoughts, I hope the words he’s shared over so many years have made as big of an impact on you as they’ve had on me. I will miss him greatly. ●
Fred Koury is President and CEO of Smart Business Network Inc.
