Lenore Schwartz
Louis R. Miller Business
Leadership Award
Staten Island Advance - Monday, May 15, 2006
After Sept. 11, Ms. Schwartz' company, like many
other businesses throughout Staten Island and the rest of the city
suffered devastating economic setbacks trying to stay afloat.
"We have a lot of customers we are in business with in downtown
Manhattan and all the business just stopped," said the Brooklyn
Heights resident, "and even though we were on Staten Island, it
affected our customer base."
While some businesses caved in, however, Ms. Schwartz fought back.
She got some help from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
at the College of Staten Island (CSI) and got a small, low-interest
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan for $80,000, which
allowed her to cover her bills on time and keep paying her salaried
employees.
Today, Ms. Schwartz's company is on the rebound and is close to
reapproaching its former $20 million a year in revenue. It is this
kind of tenacity that Ms. Schwartz brings to her position as
president of Total Electrical Distributors Inc.
Located at 388 South Ave., the medium-sized Mariners Harbor-based
company is a top-notch distributor of electrical supplies to
contractors and businesses large and small. Her clients span all of
New York City, as well as Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey.
She is certified to handle large and small companies, including the
Metropolitan Transit Authority; the Port Authority of New York, New
Jersey; the School Construction Authority and others.
Being one of the first women to enter into the electrical supply
business in 1980's, Ms. Schwartz, 49, said her advancement was not
just based on skill and customer savvy, but also on perseverance.
She was also helped by the fact that her company is a woman-owned
business, which helped her win government contracts and build an
industry-wide reputation.
"We are women-owned and it makes us stand out as we pride ourselves
on our customer service and going the extra mile for our customers,"
said Ms. Schwartz. "We have knowledgeable people at the counter who
help the customers even if they don't completely understand what
they have to buy."
Total Electrical was born of a family business -- Flatbush Lighting
-- which was founded in Brooklyn in 1922 by her grandfather,
Benjamin. Her father, Harold, took over in 1950. Ms. Schwartz
stepped in to help her father run the business in 1982.
Her sister, Wendie Schwartz, joined her in 1987. In 1989, the two
started Total Electrical, folding in the family business in 1995.
Her sister left the business in 2002.
NEW PARTNER
Diane Searles joined her that same year as partner and current vice
president. The two women just clicked.
"She was good in sales and product knowledge and I am good in
administration and purchasing and running the office and other
things, so we complement each other well," she said.
Total Electrical moved to its current location in Mariners Harbor in
1990.
Ms. Schwartz grew up in Rockville Center, L.I.
Her mother, Joan, was a homemaker, who occasionally worked in the
family showroom. She also has a second sister, Julie Schwartz.
Ms. Schwartz graduated from American University with a bachelor's
degree in elementary education.
She is now married to Noah Schechtel, an industrial designer.
The two met -- interesting enough -- during a speed dating event in
November 2000. "I knew I liked him, but I met three other guys that
I liked and at the end of the night we had to make a decision who we
would talk to and I decided to speak to him."
Married for four years, the couple made a mutual decision not to
have any children. But they do have two cats: Tux, a mixed breed,
and Melody, a Maincoon.
By Kiawana Rich
Reprinted here with permission
from the
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