It’s hard not to have an opinion or image of Harvey Mackay, even if you don’t know him.
As head of the stadium task force in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, his efforts were central to getting the Metrodome built. In 1984, his well-publicized purchase of thousands of Twins tickets kept then-owner Calvin Griffith from selling his team to out-of-towners. Mackay has also been a behind-the-scenes guy on numerous business and sports deals, and has served on various charity boards. Then, of course, there’s How to Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, his 1988 smorgasbord of sales savvy, business yarns, and motivational uplift that became a national bestseller and made his name as an author and in-demand speaker worldwide. To many, he appears driven, image conscious, and capable of motivating, negotiating with, and selling to just about anybody.
But face to face, Mackay can defy expectations. Sure, he offers up some of the same anecdotes and adages that he liberally sprinkles in his books and speeches. And he’s not shy about discussing his many (admittedly remarkable) accomplishments—number-one tennis ranking among state seniors, learning Mandarin Chinese. But eh also conveys an easy charm that comes off as completely genuine. And while he’s not overly interested in looking back and taking stock, at age 69 there is a thoughtful air about him that might surprise those who don’t know him personally—and perhaps some who do.
Mackay grew up in St. Paul and went to the University of Minnesota, where he played on the golf team and began a long association with the U, particularly its sports programs, that continues to this day. After college, he was hired by St. Paul envelope maker Quality Park Products, holding jobs in shipping and sales. But he was an entrepreneur at heart and in late 1969, he bought a troubled envelope manufacturer called Paypar and struck out on his own. After some early struggles, he turned the tiny firm into Mackay Envelope Corporation, now a $100 million business.
To do it, Mackay tapped not only his own prodigious energy and sales savvy but also lessons learned from mentors. One of the first was his father-in-law, Rudolph Miller, a successful Winona businessman who “taught me that every business has an ‘old grizzly,’ ” Mackay says. “That’s the person 65 or 70 years of age who’s still a hungry fighter.” Mackay sought out and learned from those wily veterans.
But the mentor who has most influenced him—and continues to influence him—is his late father. The long-time chief of the Associated Press bureau in St. Paul, Jack Mackay imparted to his son a love of pithy adages, a delight in being in the middle of the action, and an aptitude for networking. “My father taught me that every person you meet, assuming you want to keep in touch with them, should go into a Rolodex,” his son recalls. “Put a little bit about them on the back of the card, and then—here’s the real key—find a creative way to stay in touch.” These days, Mackay’s connections stretch far and wide: CEOs, media stars, sports figures, and team owners.
Given his connections and energy, it’s somewhat surprising that Mackay Envelope isn’t as huge as, say, it’s $2 billion competitor, Colorado-based Mail-Well. He has given this notion some thought.
“We could have easily been $1 billion company,” he says. “All I had to do was take all the hours of volunteering, all the hours on the books and the column, all the speeches all over the world, and just focus on Mackay Envelope—going into the paper business, the printing business, the box business, whatever.”
Now, after more than 45 years in business, Mackay has become something of an old grizzly himself. He’s still busy, working on his sixth book, doing speaking engagements, though at a somewhat less breakneck pace than he used to. And while he sold Mackay Envelope in September 2000 to a group led by company president Scott Mitchell, he’s still the firm’s chairman and active in bringing in business.
He also still builds his Rolodex. But he finds that many of the local names aren’t as familiar as they used to be. Unlike the Daytons, Pillsburys, and MacMillans, recent big-company leaders have come mostly from out of town. Mackay recalls some years back having to gather a group of local leaders for a visiting sports-team owner. He got the call on a Friday night; by Monday, he’s assembled eight CEOs, bankers, and company presidents. “If I got the call this Friday, it would maybe be two out of eight,” Mackay says.
The local sports scene Mackay has helped build is, once again, in turmoil. The Twins might disappear altogether, and both the Twins and the Vikings are clamoring for new stadiums. Even Mackay’s beloved U golf team may be folded, and he’s currently raising money to save it.
Meanwhile, recession, 9/11, the anthrax scare, and the liquidation of Fingerhut—long Mackay Envelope’s biggest account—are all hurting the company’s bottom line.
Still, Mackay says the firm hasn’t laid off any of its 500 employees. And in any case, it’s not in his nature to be gloomy. “You pay the cards you’re given,” he says.
Timeline
1932 – Born in St. Paul
1954 – Graduates from the University of Minnesota. Joins Quality Park Products.
1986 – Earns degree from Stanford Business School Advanced Management Program.
1977-1981 – Chairs the state’s Stadium Task Force, whose work results in the building of the Metrodome.
1984 – Directs purchase of thousands of Minnesota Twins tickets, helping save the franchise.
1985 – Mackay Envelope introduces the Photopak for holding processed photo prints; becomes an industry leader in photo envelopes.
1988 – Publishes Swim With the Sharks Without Getting Eaten Alive, which lands on the New York Times bestseller list.
2000 – Sells Mackay Envelope Corporation, now an $80 million company, to a management group; remains as chairman.
