PPB January 2019

It would seem like Pecher is scrambling to find time, but in fact, it’s just the opposite. When asked about how he attends to both his company and the associations he’s involved with, he says, “I never found it a burden. It took time, but it was part of the job.” Pecher learned early on from his father Robert John Pecher, the former CEO of Skinner & Kennedy Co., who was a sergeant in the Marine Corps, that there was only one way of conducting business. “You just need to remain calm, identify issues and work with the people that you have to come up with solutions,” he says. This entails allowing employees to make decisions independently instead of making decisions for them. “If you have people that are given the tools they need, they usually make good decisions. Not always, but usually.” A. Phillip Carney, MAS, the former vice president of sales for Fenton, Missouri- based supplier Quickpoint, and a former PPAI board member that was elected a PPAI Fellow in 2016, nominated Pecher for PPAI’s HOF. Carney summarized Pecher’s unwavering commitment to the industry: “Nationally, Chuck is everywhere. While he was on the PPAI Board of Directors, he worked on countless taskforce groups and was the board liaison to different committees. When he finished his board service, he continued to support PPAI and PPEF through exhibiting, donations and mentoring. Chuck did not hesitate to say ‘yes’ when he was asked to do board service again when a board member became ill and could not complete his term.” Pecher’s father and uncle, J. Howard Pecher, who bought Skinner & Kennedy Co. from the Skinner family in the 1950s, also taught Pecher the importance of extracurricular involvement. “They always encouraged me to get involved with something other than my business,” he says. “If you’re a supplier and you get involved with association activities, you’re out there with your customers doing association business. Through the years, it’s made the industry better, and Left: Pecher, third row, fourth from left, pictured with his Little League football team in 1964. Right: Pecher’s senior football photo from Hanover College in 1972. Pecher and other members of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) leave for an annual business retreat in Chicago in 1998. FEATURE | Celebrating The Exceptional 30 | JANUARY 2019 |