Barbara Manzi - Metal Distributor
Manzi Metals, Inc., Brooksville, Florida

Minority Woman Strikes Gold in Metal Industry

Barbara Manzi's ambition was almost crushed when a high school teacher told her, "Learn to cook and sew - you're a poor black child and that's the only job you'll ever have." "I vowed," says Barbara, "to prove her wrong." And she did.

Born and raised in a rural area in Massachusetts, Barbara was the third of 12 children. Her family worked "extremely hard" as fishermen and housekeepers just to eke out living. They were poor, but supportive; Barbara felt appreciated at home and it instilled in her a desire to achieve.  Despite the well-intentioned advice of her teacher-who drove her to and from school every day - Barbara did achieve. She mastered cooking and sewing, but she also earned an associate degree in business marketing and business management.

She headed for the New York area and built a successful career in retail, eventually becoming a department store manager. Along the way, she also married and had children.

In 1982, Barbara left retail. She used her sales experience and her mathematical ability to get a job with an aerospace supplier, Northern Alloys of Amityville, New York. There she learned all she could about the metal distribution industry and, within a few years, was bringing in $3 million worth of business. Her boss recognized what a treasure he had and offered Barbara 51 per cent ownership of the company. "He gave me a lot of confidence," she says. "He was forever nurturing."  "I got in contact with SBA to find out as much information as they would be able to feed me," explains Barbara. She received technical support and training in many areas. "Every time I had a problem - anything from accounting to managing - I turned to the SBA and got assistance immediately."

In 1989, Barbara's husband retired from the police force and the family relocated to Florida. There, having dissolved the old company, Barbara established a new company, merging with another firm in 1993. But, says Barbara, "I preferred to be in full control of a business." She ended the partnership and started Manzi Metals, Inc. in a spare room in 1995. Her goal: to become one of the foremost metals distributors in the United States.

Once again, she succeeded. Today Manzi Metals distributes aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, brass and other alloys to aerospace and commercial industries throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company also supplies raw metals in all shapes and forms. The company is 8(a) and SDB (small disadvantaged business) certified. Customers include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Gulfstream Aerospace, Boeing, and General Motors, as well as shipyards, and federal and local government facilities.

Barbara has received many awards, including Lockheed Martin's Woman-Owned Business of the Year in 1995, the Avon Women of Enterprise Award in June, 2000, and the Business and Professional Women of Achievement Award.

Barbara says she is lucky to have a family that supports her. Her husband works in the warehouse, shipping and receiving, and quality assurance. Her son is vice president of the company, where he is in charge of sales and management training.

People often ask Barbara how they can start their own businesses and achieve success. "I tell them it takes determination plus hard work," she says.

"My dream is to someday omit the word 'small business' from my credentials and become a large corporation providing jobs and opportunities for the Hernando County area. I believe that within a few years this will become reality," says Barbara.

For more information about Manzi Metals, see http://www.manzimetals.com.

To learn more about starting a business, click here.