Lou Natale: Distributing Compassion

Mercer Business, Mar 01, 2006 by Roberts, Russell

When Louis Natale, Jr. notified that he was being named the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce's Man of the Year, he wondered why.

"Maybe it's because I've been around a long time," laughed the president of Ritchie & Page Distributing Company in Trenton.

But that self-effacing comment doesn't do justice to a life of over 40 years of selflessly serving the greater Trenton community, and helping everyone from kids to the recently widowed spouses of service personnel by being an active and prominent member of numerous civic organizations.

"I just try to help out when I can," said Natale. "I've been very blessed, and try to share those blessings with others."

That's why Lou Natale is the Man of the Year.

Deliver Me

1963 was a pivotal year for many people. It was the year of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, the year of the Profumo affair that rocked the British government, and the year that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was also the year that Lou Natale left the clothing business in his native Baltimore and came to Trenton to become vicepresident of Ritchie & Page Distributing Company.

Today Natale is the President of Ritchie & Page, which has exclusive rights to distribute Anheuser-Busch products in its territory. The company serves all of Mercer and Burlington counties, as well as part of Hunterdon. The products the company distributes include Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Heineken, and some specialty beers like Magic Hat and Victory.

Born in Baltimore, Natale graduated from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and then spent several years in the United States Air Force during the height of the cold war. After a few years spent in the clothing business, Natale came to Trenton in 1963 and started Ritchie & Page with his brother-in-law, Tom Ryan. Natale became president of the company in 1985 and in 1998 he purchased the remainder of the company from his brother-in-law's estate. Today he is in business with his son Chris Natale who is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the company.

Natale enjoys a highly respected position in the corporate world of Anheuser-Busch. For three years (1996-1999) he served as a member of the AnheuserBusch Wholesale Advisory Panel, a group of distributors from around the nation who served as a liaison between the company and wholesalers. Natale is also a member of several wholesaler's associations, including the New Jersey Beer Wholesalers Association.

Gotta Serve Somebody

Displaying what would become a lifelong pattern of community service, Natale Joined the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce soon after his arrival. This year marks his 43rd year as a member of the group. He has been on the Board of Directors for about a dozen years.

But the chamber is not the only group to which this salt water fishing enthusiast and father of four so generously donates his time and expertise. He is also on the boards of several other organizations, including Roma Bank, where he gets to talk with good friend Maurice Perilli (last year's "Citizen of the Year"), and the College of New Jersey Foundation.

In addition, Natale serves on the Board of Directors of the 200 Club of Mercer County. Based in Lawrenceville, this group provides immediate financial aid death benefits to the families of firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, and other employees in similar lines of work.

"It's a very worthwhile cause," said Natale. "Often these families are living paycheck to paycheck, and suddenly they're confronted with a tragic loss," he said. He noted that the money helps the family regain their financial footing at a time when things can be overwhelming and the last thing the surviving spouse should have to do is worry about money.

Another board of directors on which Natale serves is that of the Titusville Academy (TTA). Located in Titusville, the academy is a co-educational school founded to serve the needs of students with learning and behavior difficulties who have been removed from their original school. Natale helps the school raise funds so that these students can get the programs and support that they need to help them one day return to their original school.

Natale has a special place in his heart for groups that assist kids. He donates his time to the Boys & Girls Cub of the Delaware Valley and Boy's Town of Italy. In fact, he has worked so tirelessly for both groups that they have each made him their "Man of the Year": Boy's Town in 1993 and the Boys & Girls Cub of the Delaware Valley five years ago.

"Boy's Town is a very worthwhile group," he said. "It was begun by Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing in post-war [World War II] Rome, who wanted to do something for all the homeless children he encountered on the streets of Rome." Since then the charity has spread throughout the world as a self-governing body, democratic communities that offer a chance in life to children of all nationalities, races and creeds.

Other civic organizations that Natale belongs to include the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks #105. He is also a member of the local Italian-American Hall of Fame.