1. Published by US Cotton, LLC in June of 2006
say we attempt to ‘live the moment’. I would you were to ask Anthony Thomas this
At U.S. Cotton our Executive also add that we both enjoy sporting events question he would probably tell you that my
Management Committee consists of particularly baseball. primary role was to tell him that he is
professional managers who are also spending too much money.
interesting individuals with diverse Q: What do you enjoy most about
backgrounds. In our previous five issues baseball? Q: Have you always worked in your
we have highlighted all but one of these current discipline?
individuals in our “Up Close & Personal” A: I enjoy everything about baseball except of
series. In this issue of the Connection we course the ‘off-the-field’ antics of the A: I started my professional career with
talked to our last, but certainly not least, participants. I enjoy the atmosphere at the Coopers & Lybrand (now Price Waterhouse
Executive Committee member Richard ballpark, the skill of the players, the strategy Coopers), a large public accounting firm and
Guerrerio, our Sr. Vice President and in a good game, the pace of most games, the progressed through a traditional path of
Chief Financial Officer. inter-play amongst the fans and the fact that advancement to the positions of Controller
the baseball season is spread out over three- and then CFO. While I have always thought
quarters of the year so that all of the highs ‘bottom-line’ first my career path did take
Q: You don’t seem to be a New Mexican and lows are not concentrated in just a few me to an industrial inspection company
native; where are your roots? weeks. where I was the CEO for five years and then
to a scale manufacturer where I was the
A: I am originally from New York City but Q. Do you have a favorite team? COO for four years. Both of these positions
have lived across the country over the past were very challenging and while it did take
years. We first moved from NY to Tampa, A: Please… I was not just born and raised in me some time to change my business
FL in 1980 and from there went to New York but in the Bronx – the home of the perspective we were successful in the end.
Savannah, GA, Denver, CO, Morristown, NJ, 26 time world champion NY Yankees. To I am a big advocate of ‘roll playing.’ A
Phoenix, AZ and with U.S. Cotton we lived in root for any other club would be a sin. successful company does not need two
Santa Fe, NM. CEOs even if two people are capable of
Q. What does a CFO do? being a CEO. A successful company needs
Q: What area have you enjoyed the most? qualified managers filling the roles and
A: Good question. I have functioned as a playing the parts that their positions are
A: As you can imagine every area is CFO for five different companies over a span designed for.
different and every area has its own specific of twenty-five years and while the basic
charm. We have enjoyed experiencing each Q: What are some of the more
of the places we have lived, however, when challenging aspects of your current
we lived in Colorado we fell in love with the responsibilities at U.S. Cotton?
Southwest and its open spaces. We are
currently enjoying a full time residency status A: Funding. The path of success for most
in Arizona where it is not hot until the American manufacturers in today’s global
temperature exceeds 110º. economy is through innovation, automation
and strategic partnership. To do this, in a
Q. Can you tell us a little about your low margin business, the successful
family? company must have access to available
funding. Over the past five years U.S.
A: My local clan consists of me and my wife Cotton has invested heavily in new
Angela of 32-years. We met in high school equipment and this investment has put
(different high schools) and were married some strain on our bank account. While we
shortly after I graduated from Fordham are far better off today than we have been in
University. To this we would add our moms, the past, a positive cash flow is something
my two brothers, three sisters-in-law, and a we all need to be conscious of.
group of nephews and nieces scattered
around the country, some to whom we are Q: Where do you see U.S. Cotton in the
pretty close. next five years?
Q: What activities do you enjoy when A: I see U.S. Cotton with a sound infra-
Richard, Angela & Nellie
you’re not working? structure and a stable workforce continuing
functions that I have performed have not its leadership role in its marketplace. I
A: We enjoy traveling, outdoor activities and changed (the safeguarding of the company’s believe that we will see the investments
socializing with friends and family. Living assets, the accurate record keeping of the being made today providing the returns they
company’s books of account and the timely were intended to and creating value and
apart from loved ones has given us a deeper
reporting of financial results) how I accomplished continuity for all involved.
appreciation for the times that we do get to
these tasks, the additional roles I have taken
spend with them. We certainly do not take
on and my relationship with my co-workers
this time for granted and I guess you could
have been quite different at each company. If