‘Painting’ a history of a century-old family business | News, Sports, Jobs

Standing in entrance of Madias Brothers’ first location at 1035 Fourth Ave. in Weirton are, from left, Gus Madias, Nicholas A. Madias and Marcos A. Madias. — Contributed

Karen Madias represents fourth-generation involvement within the household enterprise Madias Brothers Inc. that has its roots in Weirton relationship again to 1922.

And she or he is one among solely two direct descendants linked to the now Detroit, Mich.-based portray and adorning enterprise formally celebrating its centennial yr this weekend with a full slate of festivities.

However maybe her most necessary and fulfilling “job” this yr has been serving to the enterprise mark “100 Years of Excellence” by means of the function she embraces as household historian.

In March, Karen reached out to the Herald-Star and The Weirton Day by day Occasions, sending a duplicate of the 100-year anniversary brochure celebrating and recognizing the story of the Madias household who settled in Weirton in 1919 and established the Madias Portray Co. three years later at 1035 Fourth Ave., Weirton. Fourth Avenue can be simply south of County Street.

She pitched the story concept as a constructive one having native beginnings, a enterprise that had painted Weirton Metal Co. in 1922 and the unique All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton, the cornerstone of which was positioned in 1916 and the place the primary service was held on March 25, 1918.

Karen Madias represents fourth-generation involvement within the household enterprise Madias Brothers Inc. in Detroit, Mich., that had its roots in Weirton. The portray and adorning enterprise is celebrating its a centesimal anniversary this yr with weekend observances together with a dinner Sunday. Karen is the household historian and daughter of Nick and Virginia Madias. Her father grew up in Weirton on Avenue A. In honor of the centennial milestone, Karen ready a particular historical past booklet that features outdated images. — Contributed

The enterprise is within the midst of a three-day celebration.

Friday was an open home with excursions and picture alternatives at Madias Brothers Inc. headquarters at 12850 Evergreen Street in Detroit.

Saturday is a dinner celebration, and Sunday units apart time for a memorial service for Madias relations on the conclusion of Divine Liturgy at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Westland, Mich.

Again within the spring, Karen questioned if any of this was story-worthy for the native newspapers.

A SPECIAL PROJECT

TAKING A BREAK — 4 painters on scaffolding take a break from their labor on this picture taken on the unique All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton, which was being painted by Madias Brothers Portray contractors, in keeping with Karen Madias. — Contributed

The commemorative booklet titled “Our Story — 100 Years of Excellence” was Karen’s concept — a challenge that concerned a bit of greater than three months to compile.

“I needed to inform the story of our ancestors and their onerous work and dedication to make a profitable portray enterprise,” Karen defined in follow-up contact communication.

“They deserved the distinction and recognition for his or her imaginative and prescient,” she famous of an effort that included interviewing family and drawing on her previous household historical past work.

Annette Madias, Karen’s cousin, assisted with the format and design.

There have been 400 booklets printed, some mailed to out-of-town household and enterprise clients and associates with many extra e-mailed. Booklets got to present workers, too, and “all who’ve been touched by Madias in some capability.”

She ready an addendum as effectively, a compilation of images previous and current, reminiscences, tales and paperwork from what she describes as being a extra private perspective. It was to be distributed to dinner friends.

“As a younger woman I used to be intrigued by the wealthy heritage of our household and started correspondence with a relative who lived in London and in addition had a house in Greece,” she mentioned of how her curiosity in household historical past originated. “He wrote me volumes of letters detailing our family tree. I nonetheless have his letters. That’s the way it first started. Through the years, this advanced into my being often called the household historian,” defined Karen, who was born in 1954, the daughter of Nick and Virginia Madias. Her father was born in Steubenville and grew up in Weirton on Avenue A. He was an altar boy at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church.

“My dad and mom tremendously inspired me and helped fill in lots of blanks,” Karen mentioned of her efforts buoyed “principally by phrase of mouth — the oral custom — of tales, which I wrote down and have saved in my archives.”

“In 1982 we held an enormous reunion, and in 2015 we had a smaller reunion. In between, the household would maintain a ‘household dinner’ not less than yearly. We now have continued our closeness though many have moved out of city,” she mentioned of such gatherings that may be the backdrop for tales of the previous to floor and be shared.

THE SEED WAS PLANTED

The quilt picture of Karen’s booklet reveals the enterprise’ first location at 1035 Fourth Ave. in Weirton.

Standing in entrance of it are Gus Madias, her uncle; her great-grandfather, Nicholas A. Madias; and her grandfather, Marcos A. Madias.

The lady within the doorway, solely barely seen, although, is their sister, Angero.

“Some relations lived at the back of that retailer and within the basement,” Karen defined. “A kitchen was within the basement, and Uncle Gus would make the Loukoumathes, a small fried doughnut delicacy, each day in that kitchen. Angero would promote these to clients strolling by the shop.” It might represent their confectionary retailer on the town with ice cream additionally bought along with soda and sweet, the Loukoumathes and paint provides.

“The seed was planted within the yr 1922 by three brothers, Marcos, Gust and Michael, together with their father, Nicholas, within the hills of the small, metal city of Weirton, W.Va.,” Karen’s written historical past of the portray enterprise begins.

However the story, she factors out, goes again to the island of Chios, Greece, and the tiny seaside village of Kardamila. Life was tough in Greece then, she wrote, so in 1915 the three brothers traveled by ship to the US seeking the American dream, residing with family in New York and dealing small paint jobs.

Marcos, the oldest brother, enlisted within the U.S. Infantry on Dec. 23, 1917. It was the beginning of World Battle I. “In April of 1918, Marcos was deployed to lively obligation in France the place he confronted fight on the Marne and was wounded. Marcos acquired an honorable discharge and returned to the US in 1919 an American citizen,” Karen wrote. He was awarded the Purple Coronary heart.

The brothers would go away New York, heading to Weirton by railcar to work within the metal mills. Their earnings would allow them to ship for his or her dad and mom and different relations. Their father, Nicholas, would arrive from Greece in 1920. Their mom, Maritsa, and youthful kids got here 4 years later.

“However life working in a metal mill was not their imaginative and prescient,” Karen wrote. “After two years working within the mills, the Weirton Metal Co. started taking bids for the entire portray of the manufacturing unit. The brothers bid the challenge and had been awarded the job. The work took two years to finish, and it firmly established the Madias household within the paint contracting enterprise. Madias Portray Co. was born.”

Phrase traveled shortly about their robust work ethic and honesty, growing their work load. “The brothers labored onerous through the Melancholy yr,” Karen famous. Their father died in 1937 and was buried in Paris Cemetery.

The choice to maneuver from Weirton to Detroit got here through the early Forties as a result of there was a lot work there. “The Madias brothers purchased a rickety outdated bus, stuffed it with all their provides and belongings” and drove to Detroit.

Their first main challenge was to color three Detroit public colleges.

“The transfer from Weirton to Detroit was based mostly on Uncle Alex — an unique brother, however youthful — bidding the Federal Constructing in Detroit in 1946,” Karen defined in an e-mail. “Madias was awarded the contract at a worth of $37,000. This prompted the transfer to Detroit,” she added, noting that ultimately, the entire household relocated to Detroit, which is 270 miles from Weirton.

MOTORING ALONG IN DETROIT

In 1946, the brothers purchased property at 14710 Plymouth Street in Detroit. “From this constructing they bought paint and {hardware} provides and residential merchandise comparable to dishes, lamps, linens and furnishings. They even bought Christmas timber and decorations,” Karen wrote of the constructing that may change into often called “The Retailer.”

The corporate bid and was awarded many contracts with the federal authorities. Giant tasks included Wurtsmith Air Drive Base, work within the Higher Peninsula of Michigan, the continuing portray of many Detroit Public Faculties “and, after all, the automotive trade was booming.”

“The Retailer” transitioned into “The Workplace,” in keeping with Karen, who famous enterprise relationships grew all through the Nineteen Fifties “and a few proceed to this present day, which may be very attention-grabbing and distinctive. One instance of this valued relationship consists of the outdated Basic Motors Constructing which was situated on W. Gran Boulevard in Detroit and is now headquartered on the Detroit Renaissance Middle,” Karen famous.

Madias Brothers had a small workplace situated within the outdated GM Constructing basement. “It was from this small workplace that Madias Brothers supplied each day tenant work for Basic Motors. Madias Brothers continues to this present day, servicing Basic Motors at their headquarters within the Ren Cen,” wrote Karen.

Feb. 20, 1962, marked the date of incorporation for the Madias Brothers in Michigan. The corporate expanded to incorporate an industrial waste removing firm and a janitorial companies firm. Trucking companies had been supplied to the Ford Wixom plant amongst others, and janitorial companies to firms comparable to Michigan Bell and the Ford Mazda Plant in Flat Rock, Mich.

Progress prompted the necessity for larger amenities and introduced the 1972 buy of a bigger constructing. After the transfer to Evergreen Street, the Madias Youngster Growth Middle took over that house for a few years.

A few of the tasks awarded throughout this time included Detroit Ren Cen, Cobo Middle, Ford Auditorium, Tiger Stadium, Ford Discipline, Comerica Park, the Dearborn Inn, Henry Ford Hospital and the MGM On line casino in Detroit, in keeping with Karen’s historical past.

“Whereas the janitorial companies pale, the trucking work expanded from industrial waste removing to incorporate a recycling facility on the property, delivery cardboard and plastics throughout the Midwest, Canada and abroad. Right this moment it is called Grove Recycling Providers Inc. and is a subsidiary of MBI,” Karen wrote.

IN THE BUSINESS

As a teen, Karen labored throughout summer season holidays on the workplaces on Plymouth Street. “ln 1982, I started working full time on the firm. I used to be an administrative assistant, working for the portray division. Since 2014, I started to work for Grove Recycling Providers, the recycling/industrial waste division of Madias Brothers, lnc. I’m at present accounts payable supervisor, and deal with the scheduling of our inbound and outbound commodities. I additionally operate as an administrative assistant for Grove,” defined Karen, who reminisced about how she solely spoke Greek as a toddler “since my great-grandmother (Maritsa) and grandparents (Marcos and Kyriakoula) lived in our home, and that was mainly the language spoken.

“My kindergarten trainer despatched a notice dwelling asking my dad and mom to please begin utilizing English at dwelling. My childhood was all about household and the enterprise and the church. My father, Col. Nick, labored onerous to make the portray enterprise a continued success. I recall that he by no means introduced dwelling any work points — that was all left on the workplace.”

The addendum consists of early reflections from her father, whose firm management ran from 1972 to 1992.

When the household left Weirton for Detroit, he was 12 and in junior highschool, captain of the basketball workforce. “That they had a sport that day after faculty, so Nick was dressed for the basketball sport in his uniform. His household drove to the varsity, and Nick was instructed to get within the automobile as a result of they had been shifting. There have been no goodbyes. No discussions. They only left and headed for Detroit,” the story learn.

Simply as Karen had labored throughout summer season holidays rising up, her daughter, Jennifer, adopted go well with.

From 1947 to the late Nineteen Fifties, all family had been paid the identical weekly quantity, in keeping with Karen, a apply that modified round 1960 when a salaried construction was established.

“My private tackle the success is that with onerous work, sincere enterprise relationships, innovation and high quality work, the enterprise survived and grew to attain 100 years,” Karen mentioned of the corporate’s longevity and success.

“I pray we are going to obtain one other 100 years. Could we all the time stay humble and grateful to our ancestors. They might be very proud and joyful.”

(Kiaski may be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)

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