Remembering Harry, Jack and Jim

This year, those usually pleasant events – and November itself – were sad for many industry veterans. We lost three men in the past few weeks who were integral parts of this business for decades: Harry Elias, Jack Luskin and Jim Barry.

Elias was the longtime executive vice president of JVC of America who helped establish the brand in the U.S., helping to introduce VHS VCRs, VHS-C camcorders and so many other audio and video products. A retailer from my hometown of Brooklyn, NY, Harry switched over to the supplier side of JVC and took his retailing street smarts with him. Harry emphasized a philosophy to retail customers and anyone who would listen: sell CT products in volume, sell them profitably and don’t over-expand.

He was enshrined into the CT Hall of Fame in 2005, the same year as his good friend Jack Luskin, owner of Baltimore’s legendary Luskin’s electronics/appliance chain. A founding member of the NATM Buying Group and credited with the development of the big box store concept, Jack was an innovative merchant and had a great sense of humor, as illustrated by his chain’s slogan, “The Cheapest Guy in Town.”

In one of his more serious moments, Luskin reacted to a profile TWICE did in 2004 on his fellow Hall of Famer and friend. He said, “Harry Elias has always been a seller who sought to protect his company’s good name and at the same time recognized we were competing in the marketplace. He was always available to react to any problem, and his response was speedy and direct. This was true even if it was not what we wanted to hear.”

Jim Barry, CTA’s longtime media spokesperson, first covered the industry as a journalist and interviewed Jack Wayman, founder of CES, as one of his first interviews. As Barry put it during a 2014 CTA tribute for Wayman, “I got the ‘fever’ of CE, as Jack called it, after my first interview with him when I joined Dealerscope in 1978. After the call I said to myself, ‘Well this is a really exciting and interesting business.’” He and Wayman would later work together for CTA by the early 1990s, touring the country promoting the industry’s products.

Barry covered Wayman, Elias, Luskin and so many other industry luminaries, companies and products over the years with distinction. Jim brought to his media spokesperson role at CTA not only a strong technical knowledge of products that he introduced to consumers nationwide, but a strong knowledge of retailers and suppliers, its many decisions makers, and what makes this industry tick. Barry lent his time, and considerable industry knowledge, to not only me but the media in general, the industry and especially to the CT Hall of Fame, where his expertise was critical in the selection process since its inception. I dare say that Barry should quickly join his friend Wayman, as well as Elias and Luskin, as a member of the Hall of Fame for all he has done for the industry.

There is a common thread between these men, aside from their successful careers and their untimely demise so close to each other. Harry, Jack and Jim all gave it everything they could – whether it was sharing their considerable industry expertise to fellow employees or colleagues, supporting industry charities, giving you a smile or a laugh, or being great friends and family men.

In the frantic pace this industry always seems to be in, especially this time of year, their special attributes and success are things we should always remember.

Steve Smith was the former editor-in-chief of TWICE and a member of the CT Hall of Fame.