Frank T. Marty Page 580-581 - Frank T. Marty has shown himself possessed of the intrinsic characteristics and the constructive ability that make for success, and his success record has been one of progressive order, with the result that he is now executive head of one of the important wholesale houses of Grand Rapids, as well as a stockholder in other representative industrial and commercial corporations. He gave the major part of his time and attention, however, to his administrative duties as president of the Grand Rapids Wholesale Grocery Company. Mr. Marty was born in the county of Allegan, Michigan, August 22, 1874, and is a son of Frank Marty, one of the substantial farmers of that county. He was reared to the sturdy discipline of the home farm, attended the district schools until he had completed the work of the seventh grade, and his broader education has been that gained under the wisest of all head-masters, experience. He continued his active association with farm work until he was twenty-three years of age, and for two years thereafter he was employed in the shipping department of the factory of the L. Perriga Chemical Company, of Allegan. His ability to take advantage of opportunity was shown when, in 1900, he became associated with William J Koloff in purchasing the Allegan grocery store and business that had been established a few years previously by H.A. Delano and which had became a successful concern. Mr Delano sold the business to turn his attention to banking enterprise, and the purchasers had permitted the business to run down to a low point. Thus when Messrs. Marty and Kiloff assumed control the sales of the establishment for the first day were represented in the stupendous sum of $2.57. A vital and resourceful executive, Mr Marty, was now at the head of the enterprise, however, and what he accomplished in this connection is best indicated in the statement that when he finally sold his interest in the business, in 1919, its annual sales had attained to an aggregate of $100,000. In 1918 Mr Marty became associated with other substantial business men in the organization and incorporation of the Grand Rapids Wholesale Grocery Company, of which he became the general manager, he having retained his interest in the exceptionally prosperous retail grocery business at Allegan until 1920, when he sold the same advantageously and that year having been marked also by his being made president of the Grand Rapids Wholesale Grocery Company, the affairs of which he has since guided with characteristic discrimination and progressivness, his administration having brought great advancement in the scope and importance of the enterprise, and the trade of the company being extended throughout the fine territory normally tributary to Grand Rapids as a distributing center. Mr Marty is a large stockholder in the Wolverine Carbon Company and the Loxrite Corporation, of which latter he is a director. He has passed the various official chairs in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was the leader in bringing about the erection of the fine Odd Fellows Temple at Allegan. His progressiveness as a business man is equally shown in his civic attitude. Mr Marty is a broad-minded, tolerant and genial man who places true values upon men and affairs and who is ever ready to aid the worthy striver for success. He finds his chief recreation in his annual hunting and fishing expeditions, through which he gains revitalized ambitions to be applied to the affairs of business. On December 27, 1899, Mr Marty wedded Miss Anna E Wise, daughter of William Wise, of Allegan, and the three children of this union are: Lawrence E, Norman L, and Genevieve E. Norman L. is a graduate of the University of Michigan and is connected with Grand Rapids branch of Buick Motor Company, in which he holds the position of traveling auditor. The other son, Lawrence E, is associated with his father, and the daughter, Genevieve, holds the position of manager of Mason's Restaurants at Detroit.

Transcriber: Terry Start
Created: 13 December 2002