Jim says he was born and raised in Oakland, California. After graduating from Fremont High, he spent 25 years learning the lunch meat business. He was a sausage maker, driver salesman, sales supervisor and sales manager. His favorite job was as an outside sales person. Some may remember the Capri Lunch Meats brand before it was sold and the

name disappeared. Before the sale, Jim had decided that after rising to upper management, he had had enough of the pressure that comes with a job at that level, so he quit.

He happened to run into a friend who was looking at buying a business that provided bottled CO2, medical oxygen and other medical gases. The friend asked Jim to go with him to look at the operation and tell him what he thought. He ended up joining his friend as a partner, and that turned out to be the first of several businesses that Jim would own and operate.

After a time Jim and his partner sold the business and he decided to start a business from scratch. He picked the fire extinguisher field for his next entrepreneurial project. Starting with an old pick up truck he did it all, and before long he had his two sons involved. Arline became the bookkeeper, it was a real family operation. One son has now has his own business, and his second son runs the original business which has become two businesses, complete with employees.

Jim is now past the age that a lot of people retire, but retirement is not for him. He is still having fun meeting and dealing with people and so he likes to keep his hands in it and sees no reason to fully retire. He tells people that he is semi-retired, with a tongue in cheek smile.

About 5 years ago Ed Brill introduced Jim to CHVA Redwood Region. They are both members of the famous Dukes Car Club. Jim is quick to point out that both he and Arline really enjoy the friendly members and activities of CHVA.

When asked about his car collection, Jim says that had wanted a classic car for some time and that while attending the Reno Swap Meet he came across a red 1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible that was for sale. It was one car that just called out to him, so he had to buy it. Then a friend told him about the 56 Chevy Del Rey that belonged to a widow who couldn’t drive a stick shift. The price was right so he bought it. Subsequently he has upgraded it with many things like power steering, disc brakes, and air conditioning. Jim says that he prefers to let those who have the expertise perform the work on his cars, while he does what his expertise allows, to pay them.

Jim is also a member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club and through that connection he stumbled onto the 61 Chevrolet Impala. It was parked out in a field in Plymouth, California. Purchased new in Jackson, it had never been further than Fresno. It had 60,000 original miles. The only thing he has done to it is to paint it, because that is all it needed.

When asked if he would like to have more cars Jim says yes, but he has the same problem most of us face, and that is where to store them. So he thinks he better stop where he is, unless of course another one calls out to him. He points out that the older the cars get the prettier they become. It must be something about beauty and the eye of the beholder.

He has two members of the family that share his interest in old cars, first, Jim’s youngest son still owns the ’68 AMC Javelin he got his last year of High School. Presently it is a stalled project car that Jim thinks maybe he can take over and finish. The other member is Travis, his 13 year old grandson, who has big eyes for the ‘56 Chevy. He carefully guards the slip of paper that Jim wrote saying that when he dies Travis and nobody else gets the 56 Chevy.

Arline has been Jim’s partner and wife for 48 years. They started dating while she was in High School. She was born and raised in San Leandro, graduating from San Leandro High. They have 2 boys and a girl, 3 grandchildren. She splits her time between book keeping, the house in Jamestown, the RV club, car clubs, knitting and shopping. Probably the time they spend with their RV group is some of the most enjoyable. They have a 32 foot Alpenlite 5th wheel unit with 2 slide outs. She says that like the CHVA group the RV’ers are also very friendly and fun to be with. This can present a tough choice when deciding which event to attend.

Published in AAN June, 2004