When Max Polin started Huges Enterprises in 1950, his goal was to provide convenience and competitive pricing as a wholesale distributor of supplies to the packaging industry. In over half a century, those goals have remained the same, even if the tools and strategies Hughes Enterprises uses to reach those goals have changed with the times.


Today, Hughes Enterprises serves its industry across the country, with a special focus on Delaware, New Jersey, and South Eastern Pennsylvania, from their home base in Trenton, New Jersey, under the leadership of Max´s nephews Neal Magaziner and Stephen Polin. Max, although now retired, still comes into the office to pass along his time-tested advice.

"What he´s forgotten about business is probably more that we´ll ever learn!" jokes Neal, who took some time to talk to Family Business Strategies about the company.

Like any family business, Huges Enterprises faces a number of challenges, such as compressed profit margins and weathering a difficult economy in a time of rising costs. Does he see an end to these turbulent times?

"I do see the industry picking up. Had you called me three months ago, I would have said no, but in the last couple of months I´ve seen it finally start to pick up again, which is encouraging."

Being a family business certainly adds another dimension to the current economic trends, Neal says, "in the sense that we don´t have a bottomless wallet!" But he is quick to acknowledge that these same challenges are faced by all businesses, public and private.

"That´s why the squeeze is on. So many of the Fortune 500 companies that we deal with that do have unlimited resources are facing the same issues we´re facing.

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