Mel Pervais facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mel Pervais
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| Born | 1940 (age 84–85) Fort William Reserve, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Engineer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Cataract Inc., Rhodium 2001 |
Melvin "Mel" Pervais, born in 1940, is a Canadian-American businessman, entrepreneur, and engineer. He is also a proud member of the Ojibwa Nation. Mel is known for starting successful companies like Cataract Inc. and Rhodium 2001.
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Early Life and Schooling
Mel Pervais grew up on the Fort William Reserve near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He was the oldest of eight children. At age five, he started school in a small, one-room schoolhouse on the reserve. This school had all eight grades together.
When he was twelve, Mel was sent to a boarding school for Indigenous boys. It was called the Garnier Residential School and was about 500 miles (800 km) away in Spanish, Ontario. He finished school there when he was sixteen.
Mel Pervais' Career Journey
Starting Out in Business
At sixteen, Mel Pervais began working as a night watchman for the Jones Construction Company. Just two months later, he started an apprenticeship. This was to become an instrument technician with Noranda Mines in Cutler, Ontario.
For the next seventeen years, he worked in the power generation industry. In 1973, he joined Johnson Controls. There, he managed a new department focused on calibration engineering. Mel changed the department's focus to nuclear power. This helped sales grow from $100,000 to $5 million in just three years.
Building Cataract Inc.
In 1976, Mel Pervais left Johnson Controls. He used his skills and $10,000 to start a new company. It was called Amalgamated Services and was based in Philadelphia. The company offered engineering services to nuclear power plants.
In 1979, his company joined with Cataract Engineering and Construction. Mel became the president of the new company, Cataract Inc. Mel was always proud of his Indigenous background. Cataract's logo had an Indigenous design, and the company tried to hire Indigenous employees.
Cataract also had a special way of paying its workers. They used a unique bonus and salary system. This helped attract talented people from other companies. Sometimes, field technicians earned as much as $90,000 a year.
By the early 1990s, Cataract Inc. faced financial problems. The company eventually stopped operations on June 1, 1993. At its peak, Cataract had 500 engineers and technicians. It reported annual sales of $50 million. After this, Mel Pervais retired at age 45. He moved to the Chief Joseph Ranch in Montana. He focused on raising horses and cattle there. In 1984, the Los Angeles Times reported that Mel Pervais was one of the wealthiest Native Americans in the United States.
Founding Rhodium 2001
In 1991, Mel Pervais came out of retirement. He started a new company called Rhodium 2001. This company focused on recycling materials from old car parts called catalytic converters. Mel invested over $2 million of his own money into this new business. It started in a renovated barn on his ranch.
Mel and his partner, Don Golbeck, bought a special license. This allowed them to use a process developed by C.A. Dickey. This process could refine valuable metals from car catalytic converters. They could get materials like fine sand for roads. They also retrieved platinum, palladium, and rhodium. These were then sold to other refiners.
Rhodium 2001's process was special because it was good for the environment. It didn't need a smelter, which can cause air pollution. It also didn't release harmful emissions into the air. The exact process was a closely guarded secret. Mel Pervais said, "If you're an environmentalist, it's probably the greatest invention. I don't need a polluting process. I'd stay retired if that was the case."
Community Service and Awards
Mel Pervais's grandfather was a tribal chief. Mel has said his father encouraged him to explore the non-Native American world early on. He believes this was a very important step for him.
Mel Pervais supports self-sufficiency in Indigenous communities. He has spoken to students and other groups. He encourages Indigenous people to rely less on government help. Instead, he believes they should support themselves through business.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited Mel Pervais to join a special group. This group worked to support community projects. These included homes for the elderly and day care centers.
Mel Pervais has received special honors. He earned honorary Doctorates of Engineering. One was from Montana State University in 1995. The other was from Lakehead University in 1996. He has also been involved with organizations that help Indigenous businesses and youth. He is on the council of trustees for United National Indian Tribal Youth Inc. (UNITY). This group helps Native American youth develop leadership skills.
The Chief Joseph Ranch
In 1987, Mel Pervais bought the Chief Joseph Ranch. This ranch was about 1,400-acre (5.7 km2). It included a large lodge built in 1917. This lodge was once a summer home for the family of William S. Ford.
When Mel bought the ranch, it was not in good condition. The barns were falling apart, and there were no fences. Mel worked for ten years to improve the property. He also carefully renovated the lodge to look like it did when the Ford family owned it. At that time, he had a pet bobcat named Toma. Toma was named after one of Chief Joseph's wives.
Mel Pervais sold the ranch in 2004. Today, it is a guest ranch. It is also a famous filming location for the TV series Yellowstone.
Personal Life
Melvin Pervais married his first love, Patricia, shortly after finishing school. They had six children together. They later separated and divorced but remained close friends until Patricia passed away in 2017.
In 1985, Pervais married Lynda Hart Bailey. She was the former wife of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. For their wedding, Peter MacDonald, a former Navajo Tribal Chairman, offered twelve wild horses as a traditional gift. A Navajo medicine man also took part. A second ceremony followed the next day. This ceremony honored Pervais's Ojibwa heritage. Mel Pervais is the father of seven children.
