Steve Rosengarten, longtime vice president of sales at Bodek and Rhodes (which merged with PPAI 100’s No. 2 supplier alphabroder in 2015), passed away on August 31 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 72 years old.
“Steve was the ultimate salesman and was the best at relationships,” says Marc Held, senior vice president of sales and customer service at alphabroder. “He was a super guy who was a pioneer in this business.”
‘Networking Legend’
While working as a college tennis coach, Rosengarten met Art Rhodes, CEO of Bodek and Rhodes, who introduced the former to not only the promotional products industry, but also his soon-to-be wife Nadine – Rhodes’ sister-in-law.
Rosengarten was a “networking legend,” who over 30-plus years helped build Bodek and Rhodes from a small soft goods supplier into an apparel giant, according to PPAI Hall of Famer Mary Ellen Sokalski, MAS.
“Steve had the amazing knack of noticing little details about you and remembering them year after year,” Sokalski, who worked with Rosengarten for 16 years, told PPAI Media. “He made everyone, whether a big or small volume customer, vendor or competitor, and especially me as a coworker, feel like the most important person in the room. He was always there with a kind word and support, even on the toughest days.”
In the ‘90s, Rosengarten hired Held and became something of a father figure to him. As the duo crisscrossed the country, Held says he learned about relationships, hard work and the importance of sticking to your word.
“He was always on the phone and returned every call,” Held says. “He taught me to treat everybody equally. He’d always ask about you and smile. It wasn’t B.S. It was genuine.”
Always lending a helping hand, Rosengarten would often give industry newcomers their first line of credit, Held says. He’d also spend dinners going around the table asking about people and remembering their answers the next time he’d see them. And if you saw a line of folks wrapped around a trade show booth, chances are that crowd came to meet Rosengarten.
“Everybody has a Steve story,” Held says. “They’re good stories, they’re G-rated. He was animated on the golf course, and you never had a dull dinner with him.”
‘Be Inquisitive’
Although Rosengarten finished his remarkable run at Bodek and Rhodes nearly a decade ago, Held says that he still gets asked about his mentor once a week.
“He was a super passionate good guy,” Held says. “He taught me to stay humble, be confident and be inquisitive. Ask people questions and get to know them.”
Rosengarten is survived by his wife Nadine; sons Todd (Erin) and David (Sarah); sisters Jane and Phyliss; and grandchildren Coco, Minou, Noah and Blair.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Steve Rosengarten Alzheimer’s Fund at the Penn Memory Center.
