Fifty-Five Years Later

Fifty-five years later

By: Eugene Buday, President

What does it feel like to be a certified member of the Society of Flavor Chemists for 50 years? No one asked, but I am going to tell you anyway!

I started my flavor career in September of 1955 at Felton Chemical Company. I had two wonderful mentors: Arthur Curran and his sidekick, Ruth Standish. I became a member of the Society of Flavor Chemists on April 6, 1959 and have been active ever since. I left Felton Chemical Company in September 1959 to join Polak Frutal Works (PFW) in Middletown, NY, where I stayed for 16 years. It was at PFW that I really got into flavor development under the tutelage of Ernest Polak, who was a wonderful person and flavorist.

At PFW I became a Senior Flavorist, and was given the responsibility to help train the next crop of flavorists. This was exciting, though frustrating at times, to see the creative sparks come alive over the years. After leaving PFW, we traveled through several flavor houses and finally settled in Georgia. While working my way through these companies it finally dawned on me…Why am I working for someone else? I can do the same thing by myself, and if things don’t work out, I could always get a job with the “big boys”.

This was 25 years ago, and we are still working on our own. I think the main reason for my longevity as a flavorist is that for the past 25 years I did not have to put up with the corporate politics and B.S. I am my own boss and right or wrong, we do it my way.

My daughter Corinne Baskin, son Steven Buday, and wife Anne have been tremendous contributors to our success over the years. We have been fortunate to gather a group of loyal, creative and trustworthy colleagues, who are fun to work with and who all get along. There have been exceptions over the years, but nothing we could not survive.

Now, having your own business means you are your own boss, except for your customers, who are also your boss. It is much easier to keep your customers happy than some power-hungry political phony who is your superior in industry. This is the main reason I have survived for 50 years, working with no pressure and good people. We continue to build our ego, which is extremely important.

Statistics show that the success rate for samples submitted and those that result in sales is only 5%. That means that 95% of the time you are down in the dumps, frustrated and feel rejected. However, when the 5% comes in, you bounce back, the ego grows and you are on top of the world.We all work for the 5% return, whether it is 5 pounds or 5000 pounds – success is in the sale.

Another boost for the ego is the training of young people. At GSB, we have helped develop two certified flavorists in the past two years. We are working on another two employees who should be ready for apprentice membership into the Society of Flavor Chemists in three to five years. This is the satisfaction one gets in your senior years - helping others and making money for your company. Remember, without the money, there is no one.

It is also an ego builder for all of us at GSB when we beat out one of the “big boys” for a piece of new business. Remember, we are all creative people who need their rewards now, while alive, not like the Great artists of our times who died before reaping their just rewards. If one stops working at say 65, and retires, you miss out on so many productive years. If you still enjoy and are physically and mentally capable of working, you should. You cannot just leave the industry with such a wealth of knowledge gained over the years - you have to share it with others. This is a wonderful way to keep your ego alive and your legacy. I feel one’s ego or self-esteem is extremely important to one’s well-being. You must satisfy your ego but NEVER NEVER become a Prima Donna, as some have in a related industry. When this happens, you lose all respect and credibility from your peers.

You can retire and become a robot, or continue to work till you drop, which is what I intend to do!

Eugene Buday