Caroline LaRocco, Co-Owner and President of Classic and Chic Gift Boutique

What a whirlwind of a life I have had so far! Originally from upstate New York, and now residing in Pittsburgh, PA, I grew up in a household with an always joking, outspoken Italian mother and a silent yet protective father. These two instilled in their children the importance of morality, developing their talents, and education. My mother, although not able to finish high school, made sure I went to the finest girl's school, Our Lady of Mercy High, where I found that I had an aptitude for business. In fact, I even bought a used Shorthand Manual and taught myself the "lost art" of shorthand. What a good move on my part, since I use it almost daily.

I graduated with honors at age 17; and three days afterward was hired at Eastman Kodak Company. There I trained for several years in various divisions, really savoring this learning experience and the corporate world. I became like a "sponge", soaking up every morsel of knowledge made available to me. And the more knowledge I acquired, the more powerful and confident I felt. After several years, I was given the title of "Substitute Secretary", and was regularly sent to fill in for many of the higher management's secretaries and administrative assistants. Talk about the absolute most valuable training tool ... this is where I learned a different business technique from each of these highly talented women. I spent 21 years at Kodak, and believe now that destiny was giving me the tools needed for when I would become involved in my own businesses.

During all these years, I was also juggling the responsibility of a husband and two children, Deborah Ann and Michael. History repeated itself, and both of my children turned out to be a good mix between their father's sound judgment and my flair for business. And it seems my Mother's adamant stand on education drove me enable my daughter and my son to also do well in the business world. I took on a second job during my son Michael's college years at Penn State University, and he went on to earn a Masters Degree. While still at school, he started a company and made me an offer to go into business with him. That was 23 years ago, and now the company, American Made, LLC, is a $25 million corporation known worldwide. My current position there is Chief Operating Officer of their industrial liner division, American Made Liner Systems. When I began in 1983, I was dead broke ... and several years ago, I reached the millionaire status. Guess it is never too late to gain success and wealth.

My daughter Deborah Ann and I also started another business. She showed a flair for design and creative works of art, as well as the ability to organize and manage large projects of an industrial nature. So we formed Classic & Chic Gift Boutique ... bringing new and enticing innovative products to the consumer industry. She does most of the designing of the ideas we both have for new products; and my part is mostly providing the financial requirements. Deborah also can boast of her two handsome and talented sons, and a little grandson who adores her.

Some of what keeps me motivated and helps me handle all three businesses? Finding the humor in so many situations, shopping, traveling to exotic places, sharing the many special events with my family, attending the performing arts, visiting museums ... and probably the most rewarding is my philanthropic ventures.
 

Deborah Remillard

The idea for Classic and Chic came about partly from using my creativity as a coping mechanism in dealing with an increasing disability. By using my creative instincts to make fun things for others, such as custom made gift baskets, it put the disability in the back of my mind, not always in the forefront.

Then came leDeb which actually started out as a joke with my mother, Caroline. She would use a towel as a bib at my home when I was entertaining or even when we would go out to dinner. I would beg her to stop because it looked so ridiculous until one day, tired of my teasing, she said, "then design a bib for me." At first I laughed it off yet the thought always lingered in the back of my mind until I got married four years ago.

We exchanged vows in Las Vegas and hosted our wedding dinner at an exquisite restaurant by the name of leCircque located at the Bellagio Hotel. This is where I noticed many of the women in the restaurant, despite the lovely outfits they obviously spent a great deal of time putting together, were doing the same thing as my Mom! They were disguising these lovely outfits by hiding them behind napkins. While I most certainly understood why they would do that, at the same time it was beyond my comprehension because the whole reason for dressing up was to look and feel lovely. Using a napkin certainly was not an accessory any of us would choose if not out of necessity to protect our beautiful garments. So, that’s when it happened, I decided to do just what my mom asked me to do years earlier.....design a bib.....hence the birth of leDeb.

Though disabled now with multiple sclerosis, when I worked, I began my career as a corporate executive assistant, eventually ending up in human services at a not for profit agency. There I was in charge of building maintenance for several properties and managed multiple capital projects. It was my job to see to it that all of the buildings were up to code and operational as well as creating a pleasant environment for the children who lived in them and/or attended counseling at the facility. Some of these things included the simplest of tasks, such as ensuring the sidewalks and roadways were safe, all school buildings and living quarters were clean, neat and free from anything that could pose a potential danger to the children. As time went on, my responsibilities expanded to managing special projects, from designing therapeutic play rooms, coordinating paint colors, picking out lockers and selecting new lunchroom furniture and all the way to garden designs, etc. I loved it! This was by far the most fulfilling job of my entire career. I took great pride in my work and discovered a profound satisfaction in seeing how happy what I had created made the children. This was more compensation than I could've hoped for in any paycheck.

You may find it interesting that I have had no formal training, but seem to have been blessed with a keen eye for color and concept. I've never considered myself to be an artist, rather more a design technician. I know what I like and it seems that others usually agree. I attribute my natural gift of creativity, along with life experiences and a network of good friends and family to lead me to the idea and eventual design of my new, fun, exciting and practical patent pending product, leDeb.

I look forward to many more years of conceptualizing and designing new and fun items that will continue to make Classic and Chic Gift Boutique a place you will love to browse. I welcome you to become part of our growing family of satisfied customers.

If you have would like to ask me a question or email me, please feel free to do so at dremill1@rochester.rr.com. Thank you and have a lovely day filled with laughter and kindness.

Deborah