Larry Clore

When I arrived back in Peoria in 1997, one of the people I met during
my interviews with a company called Multi-Ad (eventually MultiAd) was
the CEO of the employee owned company. His name was Larry Clore.

During a very tense time at the company in the 80's ( believe me, there was more than one) he
was part of the team that took the company from being privately held into
being employee owned.  It probably saved the business and kept the jobs
in the local economy.

Larry came from the old school of management and ran a professional
and tight ship.  Over the next decade I would learn a great deal from him.
Larry asked tough questions, and generally avoided chit-chat.  Those of
us who worked directly under him learned that a subtle chuckle and
3 knocks on the desk  with his fist as he said "Alright then.." meant the meeting was
over. I would later learn that his often used "That's not me, that's how the Board of Directors
want it." was true, but the reality was that the Board primarily deferred all
issues to him. There were sometimes more than one meaning to his words.


He was certainly not perfect, and there were times we disagreed and even
times where my respect for him faltered.  He held most of his cards close to the
vest, and as I moved up the ladder in the company, I wasn't always happy to
find out what those cards looked like. 

Here's what I can say:  He genuinely wanted to see the company succeed.  He
was a formidable negotiator and knew when to walk away from a deal, even
if it seemed like a good one.  He was often far more understanding in personal
matters than many might believe, and I have never been quite as unsure how
to respond as for the very very rare instance I saw him cry.  He was a professional
in the best sense of the word.

Several years ago he endured his first round of Cancer and attacked it like
a business problem.  He did what he might have called his "due diligence" and
began a comprehensive and rigorous treatment plan.  He continued to work
as much as possible and his presence was felt even though he was out for
several weeks.

Leading the sale of MultiAd to a private equity firm was a tough decision, although
he felt it was important.  It became clear within a very short time that his style
of leadership was very different than the new owners.  He would step down
not long after.

I will always remember that Larry believed in my ability and eventually
hired me to run the IT division when he could have gone many other directions.
He taught me that sometimes a soft voice in a loud argument gets better results.
He showed me that respect is only earned, no matter hard somebody demands it,
and he proved that all of the parts of the company were better together than apart
and at our very best when we worked together.
 
I called him last fall and we talked about my new business and I told him that
he had been part of the reason I believed I could make it on my own.  I had learned
much about business sitting directly across the hall from him. For several
minutes we talked about life after MultiAd and whether or not the sale should
have happened.  We discussed some of the good times we'd both had and wondered
what might have happened with some different choices....but eventually I could hear
him give a slight chuckle and he said, "Alrighty then...pardner" and I knew that the
call was over.

Larry passed away last night, but is not forgotten.  I recently returned to MultiAd
to visit some old friends, and after several years his presence can still be felt in
the very fabric of the building.  Rest in Peace, Mr. Clore.