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He was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. She was an east coast girl herself, born in Sharon, Connecticut and raised in New York. The two met in the spring of 1979, and have been inseparable ever since, building a lifetime of success at home and in their business.
“It was a work romance,” states Ken. “I was just beginning as a Director of Food Service with ARAMark at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville. Betty-Lou was in her last week of work with ARAMark, and was also a lifeguard for the summer at an area community center…I made a point to spend a great deal of time at that pool that summer, and we began dating soon after we met.”
Both would agree it was indeed love at first sight. “Once we started dating it was hard to be away from each other,” states Betty-Lou. By summer’s end, Betty-Lou left for Pennsylvania to pursue travel agency training. The couple continued their long distance relationship and wed just a year later on June 28, 1980, in a Presbyterian Church where the bride grew up. Ken and Betty-Lou started a family within the first year with the birth of their son, Justin, and Eric the following year.
Betty-Lou continued working as a travel agent along with working part time at ARAmark with her husband. She eventually quit working at the travel agency to pursue working full time at ARAmark, and the couple have remained working side by side ever since.
“There has only been one time in my career that I have worked apart from Ken and it was torture,” states Betty-Lou. “We have been married almost 33 years, worked together 34 years and only been apart in our careers for three months.”
After ARAmark, Ken entered the Fulfillment Industry and Betty-Lou joined. “I was recruited to come out to be President of a larger fulfillment entity in Los Angeles that has now, after a few owners ended, up as an EBAY entity,” states Ken. “Betty-Lou was also recruited to join me in that company, and again headed up Client Services and Project Management. We then made the switch to joining Jay Catlin, founder of AMS Fulfillment, and for the last nine years, we have had an extraordinary experience with Jay developing AMS Fulfillment and developing an amazing group of associates.” Ken is currently the CEO of AMS and Betty-Lou serves as the company’s Executive Vice President of Client Services.
“We love working together,” states Ken. “I can’t go more than a few hours without taking a trip into Bet’s office to say hello and catch up on her day. Employees tell me I’m a basket case on days she is not at work. It’s true.”
“While it was a wonderful start with amazing sparks when we first met, there is nothing that compares to our relationship today, and the passion we share for each other, and for our pursuits together in business and with family and friends.”
Happy 33rd anniversary Ken and Betty-Lou!
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