The middle child of seven from the Midwest, Jerry Zich began working with his father selling and installing carpets. It was a good living, and Jerry loved to go with his father on jobs in the summers and learn how to lay carpet. 

When his father couldn't work due to heart problems, the carpet company allowed Jerry, 16 at the time, to go out on jobs and earn his father’s salary to support the family. He dropped out of high school and worked, attending high school at night. By the time he graduated, Jerry was making a lot of money and didn’t see the need to go to college. His father took another job, but Jerry stayed for a few years, then took other jobs as opportunities arose.

One opportunity was as a salesman for a retail furniture company, which he excelled at. One of his customers stole him away to work in industrial sales. That company went under, so Jerry and another salesman partnered up and started their own similar company. Between them, they only had $500, but they had many previous customers and contacts and were successful right away.

Later on, at a hardware show, Jerry was approached by a major battery company that needed 50,000 display cases for their retail sales. Jerry assured him they could do that. He and his partner figured out how to design, build, and ship them. The satisfied customer quickly ordered more. That was the huge break that then led to similar projects for major companies like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, Kohl’s, and JC Penney.

In the next 35 years, the company grew to 1200 employees and $100 million in sales with their own 800,000 square-foot manufacturing facility. Eventually, they sold to a private equity company and Jerry retired. A neighbor introduced him and his wife, Alice, to the area, and they bought several condos and finally a house in Burnt Pine.  

Jerry and Alice love the area and the people here, and have become involved with several charities, especially the Emerald Coast Theater Company where they are major benefactors. They also are investors in a new restaurant, Fishon Seafood House in Destin. Jerry is an avid golfer and plays at Burnt Pine Country Club.