Sidney Eskenazi is a man of virtue. As the CEO of a successful real estate development company, Sandor Development Co., founded in 1963, Eskenazi has developed shopping centers for retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohl’s and Kmart. Eskenazi is also educated in law, and is a member of both the Indiana and the Illinois Bar Associations for more than 50 years. Though, what makes Mr. Eskenazi truly remarkable is his inclination to give. Whether it’s the development of a new hospital, giving back to his alma mater, Indiana University, or simply offering a small gift to anyone who crosses his path, Eskenazi embodies the meaning of a true philanthropist. Eskenazi is a seasoned customer of Boca Terry, and we work with him on a regular basis to help him give back to his community.
How has Sandor evolved during the changing economy?
Things are difficult for shopping center development, and the number of big box users has dwindled. In the 1970s and 80s, you could easily find another retailer to fill it. Today, there are only a few tenants available to go into these big boxes. You do your best to fill the smaller spaces. It is definitely not easy, especially when you compare it to 50 years ago. We work at it, though.
I understand you are a very generous philanthropist, with a hospital named in your honor. How has your gift to the hospital benefited the community?
It’s a wonderful thing that they are able to do this for our community. We have a brand new hospital. It replaced 15 separate buildings in a health complex and provides free healthcare to anyone in need. It’s beautiful in there, and they do a fantastic job of helping people. That’s what I was looking for! I thought that it would be a great thing to do. I have been happy about it ever since. When you can provide quality healthcare for anyone, that’s a pretty great thing to do.
What advice do you have for other startup companies?
You have got to watch your pennies. You have to be careful how you spend money in order to make sure you can meet your cost and needs. It’s not easy.
How did you discover Boca Terry, and why does our brand stand out to you?
I discovered Boca Terry while visiting my winter home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL a few years ago. There’s a gift shop in the gated community where I live, and they were selling Boca Terry robes. My wife purchased one of the robes. After using it a few times, I asked Boca Terry if I could buy some robes for my dinner reception.
I bought the robes because I am very involved in the university where I went to school. For the past four years, Indiana University has had a winter meeting in South Florida, and they asked me to host a dinner as a contribution to the university. Every year, I have had 50-100 people over to my house in Florida. I host and pay for everything. Each dinner guest receives a Boca Terry robe. That’s the reason why I use the robes. I think it’s a nice gift to give everyone.
Do you feel that Boca Terry robes emulate the quality you would like to be associated with?
I think Boca Terry has a nice operation. I have been there a few times to pick up some products. I think I ended up buying 150 robes per order. That was a lot of robes for me. I mostly give them away to charity. I will also give them to other people at Indiana University. It really depends on who they are and their mood at the time. When I meet a new person, I will give them a little gift if I have extra robes on hand. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the people I deal with at Boca Terry. It’s hard to say that about most people. The people at Boca Terry are high-grade. Laura Lewis has been very helpful from day one. We get along really well.
