Supplemental Interviews
Three interviews from our project are shared separately because they do not have an accompanying transcript--each for a different reason.
Milt and Ronnie Sheftel were the first subjects interviewed and the interviewing process was somewhat informal. As a result there are too many side conversations happening to create an accurate transcript.
Ruth Meislin and Janet Loengard opted not to share their interviews publicly. Instead, they request that anyone interested in viewing their interview reach out to the Special Collections and Archives Librarian at Trexler Library for permission to access.
Finally, Mike Miller’s interview is placed here because although we conducted this interview as part of the project, his interview had little overlap with the local textile and needle trade businesses.
Milt and Ronnie Sheftel
Milt and Ronnie Sheftel talk about Milt’s deep roots in Allentown. His mother was born in Allentown (part of the Malenovsky family). Milt’s father and uncle started the textile scrap business. Typically, textile scrap dealers sell to brokers who then sell to users of the reclaimed fabrics. Sheftel and Sons increased their profit margins substantially by bypassing the brokers and selling directly to end users, such as paper mills. Crane papers became their largest and most profitable account.
Ruth Meislin and Janet Loengard
Ruth Meislin and Janet Loengard talk about being members of the Senderowitz family. The Senderowitz family has a long, distinguished history in Allentown. Janet’s father (Morris) was the founder of Royal Manufacturing Company. The company produced men’s t-shirts and underwear, a stable commodity that could be mass produced easily.
Please contact Trexler Library's Special Collections and Archives for access to this interview.
Mike Miller
Mike Miller talks about growing up in Margate, NJ, and then meeting his wife, Linda, while he was at Penn State studying accounting. They settled in Allentown, in part because Linda grew up in Allentown. Mike became a partner in a local accounting firm in 1969. The firm initially had about 10-15 large textile businesses as clients. That diminished as the textile industry in Allentown diminished. Interestingly, the firm also had a McDonald’s franchise as a client at the time. That specialty increased substantially over the years and McDonald's franchises now account for about half of the accounting firm’s revenue. Mike and Linda are very active in the Allentown Jewish community and the broader community.