Leonard Marsh (businessman) facts for kids

Leonard Marsh (born January 5, 1933, died May 21, 2013) was an American businessman. He helped start the famous Snapple Beverage Corporation in 1972. Snapple is known for its tasty drinks. Marsh began the company, first called Unadulterated Food Products, with his brother-in-law, Hyman Golden, and his friend, Arnold Greenberg.

Early Life and First Jobs

Leonard Marsh was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 5, 1933. His parents were immigrants from Russia. His father worked as a cobbler, fixing shoes. Leonard grew up in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn. He went to Samuel J. Tilden High School in East Flatbush. After high school, he started working. He sold eggs and chickens. He also ran a window washing business with his brother-in-law, Hyman Golden.

Starting a Drink Company

In 1972, Marsh, Hyman Golden, and Arnold Greenberg teamed up. They started a company called Unadulterated Food Products. This company later became known as Snapple in the 1980s. Their first idea was to sell fruit juices to health food stores. They wanted to make drinks with natural ingredients. Their company was one of the first to do this.

At first, they weren't sure if the business would work. So, Marsh and Golden kept their window washing business. Greenberg also stayed at his health food store in Manhattan. Marsh didn't know much about making drinks. He once said he knew "as much about juice as about making an atom bomb."

The Snapple Name and Growth

The company changed its name to Snapple in the 1980s. The name came from one of their early apple juice products. Leonard Marsh was the president and CEO of Snapple for a long time. He built a big network of bottlers across all fifty U.S. states.

Marsh was known for being kind to his employees. He was even called "Mr. Nice Guy" by a business magazine. Snapple offered flexible work schedules. This helped workers take care of their children or older family members. When Snapple moved its main office to New York City in 1990, Marsh and his partners bought a bus. This bus helped employees who didn't have cars get to the new office.

Snapple's sales grew a lot in the 1980s. They also added new drinks, like bottled iced tea, starting in 1987.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1992, an investment company bought Snapple for $140 million. Marsh stayed on as the CEO. By 1994, Snapple's yearly sales reached $674 million. Later that year, a bigger company bought Snapple for $1.7 billion. Marsh continued to work at Snapple for several years after this.

Leonard Marsh passed away at his home on May 21, 2013. He was 80 years old. He was married to Marian Ebner for 57 years. He had three children and eight grandchildren. Marsh was the last of Snapple's three founders to pass away. Hyman Golden died in 2008, and Arnold Greenberg died in 2012.