Gerald "Jerry" Chamales is an American entrepreneur, film producer and philanthropist. Chamales was the founder of Rhinotek Computer Products, a revolutionary printer cartridge manufacturer and retailer. In 2001, he was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for business service. Chamales has since forged a successful career in the film industry as a producer of The Irishman, which went on to garner 10 nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards. He also produced the acclaimed animated short If Anything Happens I Love You, which was named Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
In addition to his work in the tech industry and in film, Chamales is a noted philanthropist, with decades of experience helping those recovering from alcoholism and substance addiction. He has also been an active proponent of wildlife conservation in Kenya, particularly efforts to protect the black rhino.
Early life
Chamales was born into a Greek family, and spent his early life in a foster home, before moving back in with his single mother. His father was Tom T. Chamales, a World War II veteran and celebrated author who wrote Never So Few in 1957, based on his real life experiences serving in wartime Burma. This was later adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra and providing Steve McQueen with one of his earliest roles. Chamales began taking drugs and drinking as a teenager, which led to a period of addiction, failed treatment and homelessness. Chamales ultimately decided to turn his life around and turned to sobriety and his innovative idea for a fledgling tech company.
Business career
In 1980, Chamales founded what is now known as Rhinotek Computer Products, a revolutionary printer cartridge company. Chamales founded the company in his Venice, California studio apartment, with only $7000 in his pocket, and paid himself only $200 per month in salary for the first 5 years. He even started the business on a card table, where he made his initial sales. In 1985, he moved the business venture into an office in Santa Monica, California and expanded again 2 years later by hiring 15 new employees. By taking business classes at UCLA and closely studying the industry, Chamales was able to turn the company to a rapidly growing business, and eventually built a manufacturing plant in Carson, California that included major production capabilities and two floors of call centers.
By 1998, Chamales had built what was then known as Omni Computer Products into a major force in the printer business, with 250 employees and $25.5 million in sales. That number would rise to $45 million by 2002. Omni was known for a cutting edge manufacturing approach and significant discount compared to their competitors. Omni's relatively small size and innovative strategy allowed it to undercut a printer cartridge market that had long been dominated by near-monopolies like Hewlett-Packard. When asked about this, Chamales stated that while there is nothing wrong with making a profit, "there is something wrong if you can sell something for $300 that costs you $30 to make and you are trying to drive out someone who's willing to sell it for $100." The company was also a major proponent of cartridge recycling, a precursor to later key conservation efforts by Chamales.
Chamales also became widely acclaimed for his progressive management style and willingness to help his employees, which included loans for personal troubles and a robust mentorship program. His management style has been covered in The Wall Street Journal, who observed that Chamales had "learned to tap into employees' passions and strengths, and get the best out of them." He has spoken openly about the early days of his career when his management style was "dictatorial", and strives to build encouraging, positive environments at his companies with a focus on helping those who need it. To that end, Chamales also created a revolutionary hiring policy, particularly in his call centers, which gave second chances to employees recovering from substance addiction and ultimately proved successful for both the employees and the sales culture at Omni. The approach of Chamales, offering work and career advancement as both a respite and therapy to those in need, has been widely acclaimed and contributed to numerous awards for Chamales and Rhinotek. Chamales sold Rhinotek to a private equity firm in 2006. He has since founded Equity Value Group, a company specializing in investments and philanthropic causes.