FRANK FLETCHER'S Bio

Contagious Smile
As he flies across the country, Fletcher's attire is more likely to be a black Tommy Hilfiger pullover shirt, black slacks and black leather boots rather than the customary business suit with white shirt and tie. His aversion to suits carries over to his employees, from plant workers to executives. He so dislikes having his picture taken he wouldn't schedule a time for a photographer to take a picture to accompany this article. His favorite pastime is following his stable of thoroughbred race horses. Even while talking about an employee who stole almost $200,000 from him, Fletcher has a contagious smile. Ask him a question, and he'll likely answer with a story. If there is such a thing as a born salesman, Fletcher is one.

Frank was adopted by Frank and Aline Fletcher as a 2 week old baby in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1944. He was raised on a farm in Tamo, Arkansas population five. Frank went to grade school in Grady, Arkansas where he made All State basketball team in 8th and 9th grades. Because he was 6’4” at 14 years old he was recruited to Pine Bluff to play for the Zebra 5A team. In Pine Bluff Frank met his future wife Judy Hamm who was the Captain of the Cheerleaders.

After High School Frank went to the University of Arkansas and lived in the Kappa Sigma house in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Judy went to Henderson and got a degree to become a teacher. Frank found out she was engaged to another guy at Henderson and made a mad dash to reprofess his undying love so she would give the ring back. This forced Frank into a commitment himself to marry Judy. The problem was Frank had another girlfriend in Fayetteville named Judy also. Very unfortunate Frank forgot to break off his Fayetteville romance quick enough and both Judy’s placed their engagement picture in the same Sunday paper. Wow what a mess Frank was in now. After suffering stinging words from both camps Frank married Judy Hamm and they have two children, Chris and Jerilynn. These days Chris and his wife Lisa have three grand boys, Jacob, Sam and Adam.

After college Frank joined the Army and went to Fort Polk as a 140lb. fighting machine and got his behind kicked many times in basic training.

After the Army with Frank’s BSBA degree he worked in a Shakey’s Pizza place at night for $1.60 an hour because the family had No Television. His daytime job was a gopher in a bank trust department. Judy was a 21 year old twelfth grade school teacher at North Little Rock High School.

Then Frank’s luck starts to change. He went to work in 1967 for DuPont Paint Company and met Sam Walton at Wal-Mart’s second store in Harrison, Arkansas. One of his first sales was trying to sell Mr. Walton 300 gallons of Lucite paint. Mr. Walton inquired “How much is that?”. Frank said about $1,500 to which Mr. Walton said “Oh No Too Much” Frank goes out and phoned DuPont and told them his customer couldn’t afford $1,500. They gave Frank authorization to give Wal-Mart 120 days dating. Frank goes back to see Mr. Walton to explain he doesn’t have to pay for 4 months. Mr. Walton says “okay but who is going to put it on the counter when it comes in?” Frank agrees to all the labor and the Fletcher/Walton Story Starts there. About 2 years later Mr. Walton calls Frank into his office and says he wants Frank to resign from DuPont and go to Chicago to look for merchandise for Wal-Mart and Frank becomes a manufacturer’s representative. Frank does great and reps many factories that successfully sells Wal-Mart. Eight years later Mr. Walton called Frank back into his office and says “Sorry Frank but I am calling our factories tomorrow and telling them Wal-Mart needs the reps commissions to lower cost and no longer needs your service”. Frank says surely not me as I have been here since the beginning and have been at all Grand Openings and really worked hard selling Wal-Mart new products and new marketing ideas. Sam tells Frank that all reps are being terminated and all factories will be House Accounts. Frank says “Where do you want me to commit suicide”. Mr. Walton says that’s not funny but he tells Frank to go back to Little Rock and rent a garage and manufacture something and if it sells Mr. Walton will buy and put in Wal-Mart. Frank goes back in tears but does decide to start his own business and names it Cheyenne/Silverwood Industries. With modest garage space he starts making lamps, mirrors, and framed art. Thanks to Wal-Mart and many others such as Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sams, Costco etc. Frank’s little garage startup grows to the Largest Lamp Company in the United States. He expands his manufacturing into Taiwan then Mainland China building new factories and grows this business to 100 million until deciding to sell his company December 31, 2010.

In the meantime he has Started Lots Of Other Enterprises. His business card now reads like a small novel. He starts Fletcher Furs, Benihana’s Japanese Steakhouse, Riverfront Steakhouse, Fletcher Realty Company, Wyndham Riverfront Hotel and thirteen car dealerships including Dodge, Chrysler Jeep in five cities. Honda in two cities, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Ford, Kia, Nissan and Toyota.

Fletcher Companies ranks 12th Largest in the State of Arkansas with 740 million plus in sales with 700 employees. Frank answers the often answered question “Why So Much Diversity? Mr. Walton taught me to never have all your marbles in one bag.

Other comments from Key Fletcher Associates:
He's surrounded with people, he says, who are smarter than he is and experts in their fields. He reels off some of the names: Tom Roy, his holding company's chief financial officer; Chris Fletcher, President of Fletcher Auto Group; Brent Lobanoff, Executive Vice President of Fletcher Auto Group; Becki Lewis, General manager of the Wyndham Riverfront; Reese Strickland, Controller of Fletcher Auto Group; Kathy Moore, Fletcher Racing Manager; Brenda Ransom, Personal Assistant and Bill Choate, Advertising Director. Roy, who worked for a Big Eight accounting firm before joining Fletcher, says Fletcher gives his managers carte blanche on making most decisions. "His philosophy is to treat everyone like they are your friend," Roy says. "Everything we do is an extension of Frank Fletcher. He's a man of his word. We don't cheat anyone. That honest approach is one of the reasons we're so successful." Fletcher's hiring practices are unusual. Everyone who is a manager for him has most of their income tied to a percentage of the bottom line with the base salary being the smallest part of their total package.

Fletcher admits that he is pretty hands on with the day to day operation of all off his companies. He draws no salary from any of them, he says, but is paid solely on how much his percentage of each company makes in net income. Just like he was for his first 30 professional years, he's still a born salesman. He just happens to represent the companies that he now owns. "Today I still do some of what I did in 1965," Fletcher says. "I am still a salesman. If you ask me any question about manufacturing etc. I really don’t have the answers. I still know that sales are the key to success. I still enjoy working 12- 14 hours a day and doing a lot of what I did when I started. I believe that you have to be lucky and work harder than your competition to make things happen." He also says his motto is always the “Real Boss” is the customer.

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