James J. Macco

1931 - 2020

James J. Macco

Green Bay - James Macco earned his eternal rest with our lord May 4, 2020. Jim was born at his parent's home in Sugar Bush Wisconsin on October 23, 1931, to the late John and Marie (Fabry) Macco. Jim attended Luxemburg high School and graduated senior class president in 1949. At the age of 18 he enlisted in the United States Navy and served 4 years aboard the USS Quapaw in the South Pacific during the Korean Conflict. After his discharge, Jim enrolled in Badger Business College. He graduated with a degree in bookkeeping and went to work at Thew Supply in Green Bay. In June of 1957 Jim married the woman of his dreams, Joan Jandrain.

Jim knew he wanted to be his own boss. In 1958 he opened a Gambles hardware store in De Pere, WI. He grew the hardware store to include TV and Appliances as well as Floor Covering. Floor Covering seemed to be a growing business so in 1976 Jim sold the hardware store and opened Jim Macco and Sons Carpet Warehouse with his two eldest sons.

He grew the carpet business adding several locations in Wisconsin and several more children, then changing the name of the company to Macco's Floor Covering Centers Inc. The firm now employees over 250 full time plus hundreds of subcontractors in 6 locations in Wisconsin, one location in Florida, a commercial division servicing the Midwest and even a transportation company to manage their truck fleet. Jim never really retired until health issues forced him to slow down about six months ago.

From very humble beginnings to one of the largest flooring contractors in the nation, Jim held fast to one basic principle. "Give the customer what they want, if you do, eventually you will get want you want."

Jim was a very forward thinker. His company was one the first retailers in Green Bay to be computerized and one of the first to actually link more than one computer together in different cites. The internet did not exist, so he bought dedicated telephone lines from Green Bay to Sheboygan and Marinette to link his stores together. Software also did not exist, so he hired a full-time programmer and wrote his own software for his stores.

In the first 5 years of business he ran a company where all his staff was under 25. How he got his crew to work as hard as he did, we will never know. I guess it was by example. If the store was open 60 hours a week, he was there for every hour. One steadfast rule his wife Joan had was every one must have their feet under the table for supper at 6 pm. Many nights he would drive home for supper only to drive back to work when he finished eating.

His reputation was that of a hard nose negotiator and many vendors in the flooring industry would avoid him if they could. One such vendor was a distributor in Milwaukee, and he is quite sure he was thrown out on Jim's office more than anyone. The man is of similar age and demeanor and after years of bumping heads the two became best of friends. He claims Jim tried to come across as a tough businessman but deep down inside he knew a different man, one who was loving and caring and was always his first call when he needed a donation for a charity or favor. "Sorry Jim, you didn't fool me".

He was a very tough boss and at times a tougher dad. He could bring you to your knees with what came to be called, THE DL. (The disgusted look) no words need be spoken, just the look- that's all it took.

He was fair but very firm, you could make a mistake once, but you best not make it again.

After remodeling the Green Bay store, he never got around to installing the doorknob on his office door. To keep the door open he had a door stop set at the bottom, it was a mallard duck. With his door open, meetings were civil and polite. If a more "firmer "hand was needed he would always do that behind the closed door. So, if he called you up to his office and met you with the duck in his hand, you knew the door was going to be closed and the meeting was not going to be pleasant. He never raised his hand but certainly raised his voice.

He did however give each person that worked with him a very special gift, something that we could never thank him enough for. He would not always be nice in his training or teaching and there were times you would leave his office with your head hung low, but that was the end of it. You would NEVER hear of that issue again. The next day there was no grudge, no residual anger or resentment. It was as if it never occurred, never to be brought up again. No matter how angry he got, and believe me we gave him cause, after getting "the Duck" as it was called it, it was forgiven, a lesson most that were trained by him try to practice each day. Jim was old school all the way but also kind and loving and those who knew him or worked with him are better people from the experience.

Jim is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan, his six children: John and Sue Macco, Jeff and Lisa Macco, Mike and Anne Macco, Jean and Scott Baier, Mark Macco and Sam Hall and Jim and Lisa Macco, 11 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; and Jim's two sisters, Mary Lou Todd and Joan Karnop.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marie Macco, his brother Don Macco his sister Dorothy Cappell, and brother's in-law, Tony Cappell, Warren Todd and Victor Karnop.

A private memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at the Proko-Wall Funeral Home with Pastoral Minister Sheila DeLuca officiating. There will be a public visitation and Memorial Mass held at a later date to be announced. To send an online condolence to the Macco family please go to www.prokowall.com. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the James J. Macco Memorial Scholarship fund for the Trades, this career choice was very close to Jim, and this fund provides scholarships for men and women seeking a career in the construction industry.