17 minute read
Movers And Shakers Face-To-Face. By Rick Bennett and Rick Barton.
PORTLANDIANA
BY JOHN DURWARD
RTHUR BENOIT proved to be one of the most enterprising young men of his generation, who were part of the substantial emigration from Canada to southern Maine and Massachusetts in the late 19th century. The movement was stimulated by growing industrial activities in Portland, Biddeford, Boston, Lawrence, and Fall River. Quebecois were deeply concerned; they feared consequent weakening 0f their French heritage and a failure to maintain their culture in a foreign en vironment - an issue termed "survi vance." But Franco-Americans proved adept at holding to their principles, religious and social, while blending into their adopted surroundings. With pride, industry, and resource fulness, they made signi ficant contributions.
Arthur was one of the six survi ving children 0f Charles and Emelie Clement Benoit, who moved their family to Biddeford from St. Dominique, P. Q., in 1877. Benoit Sr. was a blacksmith, as was his first son, Albert. According to the custom 0f the day, male children were expected to contribute to the family welfare. Arthur went to work in a textile mill at age 11.
Much 0f the work force in the mills was made up of boys aged 10 to 16, and working hours were 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Until those set hours were established, the custom had been for those to be the hours during winter months only. Beginning in March, the day ended when the sun went down, and the change was heralded with a so-called Continued
executive offices. A H. wrote to Henri in january, 1916: "1 wish I had the time and money. I would have fast horses, good autos, and have a good time. I would gi ve you a good time also. However, I am satisfied to ha ve good health and good boys and watch them do well." Implicit in this generous sentiment is the message to keep the business in high gear. A further statement does more than suggest: "We must get along during the months 0f january, February, March without a net loss." Portland's winter months might very well ha ve been slower than other seasons; but echoes of war were becoming louder, and businesses might feel pinched. In june, 1917 the first American troops were in Europe. A year later there were a million American troops there, including several Benoits. Henri was a lieutenant in the in fantry and a top recruiter, for the Millikin Regiment - Maine's own. Eugene was a lieutenant in artillery. A third brother, Robert, was in radio operations in the Navy. All were in active service overseas. Henri resumed management 0f the Portland store after the war and, in 1919, married Katherine Walsh, niece of the Bishop of Portland, who performed the ceremony. Ways of success had become familiar to Henri. At Malden High School he had been an all-state football player. At Briggs and Stratton College in Boston he starred in basketball, baseball, wrestling. His natural skills, hard work, and dedication became directed to his management responsibilities, and the store prospered. It was cited that there were "two Portland monuments" -Benoit's being one 0f them. Since the earl y da ys in Saco, A H. Benoit had opened stores in Westbrook, Bangor, Malden, Biddeford, Lewiston, Lawrence, Brunswick, New Bedford, Framingham, Portland; but he was not loath to discontinue a marginal operation. Too, he had always been active in civic and religious causes and ever ready to contribute time and effort to worth y acti vities. He served as a director of the FelswayCo-operative Bank 0f Boston and was a member of the Malden Rotary Club, the Knights 0f Columbus, and the Elks. In 1922, realizing that his health was less than it had been and wishing to devote more time to traveling with his wi fe and tending his rose garden, he turned active control of the compan yo ver to his three oldest sons. In a letter to Henri in 1924 he stated that he'd been doing too much traveling too fast -Palestine, jerusalem, Egypt, Italy-an Italy "that was very prosperous under Mussolini, though the cost 0f Iiving had increased five times because 0f high taxes." A H. died in December of that year, properly eulogized as "an exceptional man and a kindl y friend."
The Boston banks, however, began calling in loans because 0f their uncertainty of the firm's future. But Henri and his brothers and other managerial personnel proved more than equal to the con frontation. They re-established credit, arranged a new mortgage, moved their business from Boston banks to Portland banks, settled all claims upon the Founder's estate, sold some stores and kept onl y those with con firmed operating efficiency, and merged all stores into the A H. Benoit Company.
With Henri at the helm, the Portland store became one 0f the largest men's apparel stores in New England, smart and metropolitan, offering goods only of high quality chosen from suppliers' representati ves in competition, selecting leading styles from leading merchants and recei ving discounts for large orders paid for in cash. Benoit's believed that by accepting only a small pro fit, the store could gi ve customers better clothes for less money - an effective advertising theme'as well as a dependable merchandising practice.
Benoit's prospered through the 1920s, but a major crisis for the nation followed the market crash of 1929.The consequent depression hit bottom in 1932; recovery was small, pain ful, and slow for seven mo!e years. But while many businesses on Congress Street and throughout the nation were forced to close their doors, Benoit's squeaked through •the bad days, even though sales shrank 40 percent. The banks were proven justified in keeping faith in the firm. Stores continuing in operation were limited to Maine. Henri went to Cali fornia to stud y the man y new techniques being used in the fashionable, successful stores there. Efficiency increased as managers economized, and the ratio 0f pro fit to dollar sales increased to three times what it had been preceding the depression.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, elected president in 1932,instituted man y radical changes in the economy by way of fighting our way out of the depression. One 0f the steps taken was named the National Recovery Administration - the famed NRA Henri was appointed by FDR as a member 0f the State Board 0f the NRA to serve under the aegis 0f Chie f Administrator Hugh S. johnson. Also in 1933 he was commissioned a colonel on Gov. Braun's staff along with Rudy Vallee and Gene Tunney. His lists0f awards testi fy to his national and local civic-mindedness.
He served as chairman of the Portland Community Chest and had been one of its founders. He was chairman 0f the First Birthday Ball for President Roosevelt (now the March of Dimes Campaign), chair-
man 0f the Port and Chapter 0f the u.s.a.,and a member of the wartime Office 0fPrice Administration. Since those alphabet soup days of FOR, NRA,OPA,usa, WPA,CCC,andothers, the stock pot has never stopped simmering.
War days of the early 1940s caused scarcities in many areas of living: food, cigarettes, gasoline, clothing, and others. Store she! ves were lightly stocked in those days when the fashionable clothing was colored olive drab and went by the name of Government Issue. Henri's oldest son, Arthur, went to war, as did his cousin Andre and another Benoit employee, James B. Longley, later governor of Maine. .
Benoit's forged its way through those challenging days, and the store served the country by having a booth where War Bonds and Savings Stamps sold at Benoits raised over $1 million for the war effort in the days when a dollar was a significant amount 0f money.
The contributions of Henri Benoit were recognized, and the recognition deserved: from President Roosevelt, Attorney General Francis Biddle, Secretary 0f the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., President Truman, Governor Muskie -and from many' other sources. He was a director 0f the Federal Home Loan Bank 0fBoston and served a term as chairman. He was for 20 years an ad vocate for a coliseum for Portland and chairman of its citizens committee. He was the organizer and first president of Downtown Park and Shop, Inc., providing free parking for patrons of downtown stores.
Succeeding Henri, who died in 1976 at age 84, was his oldest son, Arthur Henri Benoit II. FollOWinghis graduation from Bowdoin, his marriage to Judith Payson Snow in 1944, and service in the Navy as an officer in a bomb disposal unit in the Pacific Theater, he became first vice president of Benoit's in 1946 and president in 1966. The third head 0f A H. Benoit Company, Arthur practiced the philosophy of his father and grand father both in merchandising and in civic affairs.
Arthur was a director of the Maine Savings Bank, the Maine Bonding Compan y, and the Federal Savings and Loan Association, a corporator of Maine Medical Center, and a generous supporter of St. Joseph's College. He was an aide to Gov.
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Monday through Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Furniture * Fabrics * Windaw Treatment * Wallpapers *Accessories Muskie and a trustee 0f the UniversityofMaine - cited by the chancellor as one 0f the greatest friends the uni versity ever had. He was also instrumental in developing the University 0f Southern Maine. A devout churchman, he was chairman 0f the
Catholic Charities Campaign. In 1973 he and his father were co-recipients of the Kiwanis Club's Award for distinguished service to the City0fPortland and were cited for having "watched and urged the pace ofPortland for 50 years; their work has made Portland a better place."
Louis J. Benoit, Arthur's brod~er, became president of the firm in 1975, and today he, as his three predecessors did, faces an era calling for change and development. A H. founded and expanded; Henri cultivated and re fined; Arthur led through the changing societies 0f the 1960s and early 1970s. Wars, depression, recessions were weathered. NQw
Louis is leading the Portland store to a new location, one where the dispIa y area will be expanded and concentrated in ways which will com• plement e fficientl y the new setting.
Allother operations will be centered in a separate location. The store in the Maine Mall will be tripled in space to meet the demands 0f the times and the market, and the stores in Brunswick, Auburn, and Bangor will be well served by the distribution re-organization.
A H. the founder was a descendant 0f the coureurs des bois, the hardy stock that, hunting and trapping, ran the wilderness 0f 18thcentury Canada. His father was not only a blacksmith (read "ironworker," not merely "horse-shoer") and, in his later years, a farmer, but also one of the early miners of the 19th century. His mother's people numbered scholars and holders 0f important positions in the Canadian government. Interestingly, A H. was a member and trustee of The Ancient
Order 0f Foresters - a link to his heritage. "Family" has always been a key word among Benoits. A H. had brothers Charles and Clement to help; Henri had Eugene, Robert, and
Oscar; the next generation had
Arthur and Louis. But " family" also included employees.
Paul Hanly, for example, was an officer of the firm with A H. Today,
Paul Hanly, Jr. serves the company.
He is "fami!y" too - as are others.
Benoit men were and are well educated. They have been athletic, some 0f them celebrities in football, wrestling, and swimming (Henri and Eugene once swam from Peaks Island to Cushing Island in 19 minutes). Arthur was on the football and swimming teams at Bowdoin and was an expert skier. Many Benoits ha ve been expert skiers. They are doers as well as appreciators and include artists, writers, musicians, singers.
Benoit women have been equally prominent in their accomplishments. Sharon Benoit, for instance, is a city councilor in South Portland and a former state representati ve.. Benoit women have also been athletically active. Tennis, golf, skiing, aerobics, jogging, and running are some of their interests - with Joan Benoit Samuelson shining as a worldfamous 01ympicchampion. Drama, music, and art have been on-going concerns since their days at Waynflete School-education springboard for Benoit women.
In-laws have added to the list of notables. Dr. Daniel Hanley, husband of Marie Benoit, was an outstanding scholar-athlete at Bowdoin, a nation- • ally recognized authority on athletic injuries and an executi ve director 0f the Maine Medical Association. Dr. John Gibbons, husband of Katherine Benoit, was chief of the department 0fRadiology and Nuclear Medicine at Maine Medical' Center. Arthur's wi fe, Judith Payson Snow Benoit, wrote the words to the highl y popular "State 0f Maine Song" ("Grand state of Maine, proudly we sing ..."), composed by her father. 'The following generation numbers distinguished career men and women in many areas: education (2), private business (3), insurance (2), law (2), banking (5), medicine (4), hospital administration, clothing manufacturing, art, pohtics. Several of the same generation are currently in college.
A H., a man of strong faith and high character, held that the more one put into a project, the more he and others would benefit. Family traits obtain. His progeny have followed suit. Events are met with courage and determination; it has never been unusual for a Benoit to excel.
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South Portland, and refurbished a much-needed children's waiting room in the Cumberland County Courthouse.
This spring Coastal Savings Bank (Coastal Bancorp of Maine) merged with the Suffield Financial Corporation of Connecticut, creating combined assets of $550 million. Coastal is scheduled to move into their new' 12,500-square-footOperations Center at the Westbrook Industrial Park this autumn .
In 1986, prior to the merger, Coastal Bancorp posted a 30-percent increase in net income - up to $1.9 million - over 1985.Assets grew five percent, from $189.1million to $197.9 million, and earnings per share rose from $1.29 in 1985 to $1.45 in 1986.
With their record earnings and new merger with Suffield, Coastal intends. to continue its successes while keeploans in the state. Their consumer lending rose 119percent in 1986over 1985, totalling $176.9 million. During 1986,Peoples Heritage implemented "Cashline," the first bank telephone call-in loan program in Maine.
KeyBank of Maine (KeyCorp) uses the polar bear as its corporate symbol, mirroring the company's reputation of resilien<y and adaptability in the North. Following a "snowbelt strategy," KeyCorp has concentrated its resources in the cities and smaller communities of the northern tier, thus avoiding overcrowded mark~tplaces and a single-industry loan exposure. KeyCorp serves markets in 11 states coast-to-coast through more than 440 offices, and Key Bank of Maine's inclusion in the organization places it within the company's total assets of .$9.1 billion, as reported in 1986.
Proliferation Of Mortgage COfilpaJ;1ies
In 1984 there were fewer than a dozen mortgage companies doing business in the Portland region, according to Harry Giddinge of the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection. Today there are over 20. The drop in interest rates was the major factor heralding the growth of mortgage companies in Maine, says Mark Walker, Assistant Director of the Maine Bankers Association. "Last year was the busiest year on record in Maine," he comments, "both in number of mortgages written and the total amount loaned."
ing close to their Maine customers by . providing local decision-making in customer- related matters.
Plans are afoot for Peoples Heritage Bank to merge with United Savers Bancorp of New Hampshire. By August of this year People's total assets reached $1.5 billion, and they reported a 51.8-percent second quarter earnings increase over the same quarter in 1986.When combined with United Savers, the new company will become the largest banking institution headquartered in northern New England, with combined assets of $2.5 billion.
Peoples Heritage continues to be one of the leading originators of single-family residential mortgage
Key Bank of Maine made news this year by losing a landmark multimillion dollar lawsuit to Maine racetrack owner and entrepreneur Joseph Ricci over allegations the bank cut off his credit due to unfounded rumors that Mr. Ricci maintained ties with La Cosa Nostra.
This sampling of banks and some of their activities in Maine demonstrates the diversity of programs offered, keyed to the demands of the marketplace and the accelerating velocity of changes in our lifestyles. There's more information available at individual institutions, so select your bank based on your personal needs ... and don't forget to collect $200as you pass GO!.
