George Zimmer - I Guarantee It: The Untold Story Behind the Founder of Mens Wearhouse

Youre going to like the way this reads.

I Guarantee It

The Untold Story Behind the Founder of Mens Wearhouse

George Zimmer

Over the decades, Ive had to deal with George Zimmer on his sartorial expertise. Ive always been a fan of his, and this book explains why.

Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco

George Zimmer is one of the finest political historians that I know. He is a courageous stalwart of progressive ideals and democracy. This book is a great read.

Jim Gonzalez, former San Francisco supervisor

Since my first encounter with George Zimmer in a private, closed-door meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev at the State of the World Forum back in 1999, I have valued George as a special counsel and my personal ethical guide for all my work in the disparate fields. He is a genuine American treasure and a revolutionary visionary, with a famous voice that can now be turned to saving us from ourselvesif we are ready to listen again. I guarantee it!

Daniel Sheehan, general counsel to the United States Jesuit Orders National Office of Social Ministry in Washington, DC, and founder of the Christic Institute and the Romero Institute

From the moment I met George Zimmer I knew we were in the presence of a very great man. George came to speak to the children of Northern Light School as one of our Impossible Is Nothing speakers. He shared with them his secret to persevering throughout his many years of overcoming tremendous obstacles, making history, and leaving his profound mark on others and the business world as founder and head of one of the most prominent and successful companies throughout this country. As he spoke, I listened with great admiration to his profound words characterized by compassion, wisdom, dedication, commitment, and unconditional love.

Michelle Lewis, founder and executive director of Northern Light School

I left a career at the Mens Wearhouse to go back to work for George Zimmer. He is a great bossand his book is pretty good too.

Jason Jackson, president of Generation Tux

I Guarantee It shows the rewards of determination, hard work, believe in yourself, and vision.

Joel Parrot, president and CEO of the Oakland Zoo

George Zimmer is one of my dearest friends who long ago made a commitment to support the things that mattered most to the city of Oakland. His incredible commitment to the Oakland Zoo, and to the children of Northern Light School, has given me such hope for the future of this beautiful city.

Cornell C. Maier, World War II veteran, retired chairman and CEO of Kaiser Aluminum

George Zimmer has always been the first to step up to the plate. He has always been my ace, my number one closer for getting the job done. George is my number one MVP in my Hall of Fame. I guarantee that!

Vida Blue, retired Major League Baseball player and recipient of the Cy Young Award, 1971

An unconventional, charismatic, enormously successful business leader, George Zimmer shows how to help people become better than they ever thought they could and how business can transform society for good.

Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanfords Graduate School of Business and author of The Human Equation

1750 S.W. Skyline Blvd., Suite 20

Portland, Oregon 97221-2543

503-531-8700 / 503-531-8773 fax

www.beyondword.com

First Beyond Words hardcover edition September 2021

Copyright 2021 George Zimmer

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

BEYOND WORDS PUBLISHING is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Inc., and the Beyond Words logo is a registered trademark of Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Beyond Words Special Sales at 503-531-8700 or .

Managing Editor: Lindsay S. Easterbrooks-Brown

Copyeditor: Ashley Van Winkle

Proofreader: Madison Schultz

Design: Devon Smith

Composition: William H. Brunson Typography Services

Jacket design by Underground Jam and Devon Smith

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Zimmer, George CEO, author.

Title: I guarantee it : the untold story behind the founder of mens wearhouse / George Zimmer.

Description: Portland, Oregon : Beyond Words, [2021]

Identifiers: LCCN 2021020362 (print) | LCCN 2021020363 (ebook) | ISBN 9781582708416 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781582708430 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Zimmer, George CEO. | Mens clothing industry. | Mens Wearhouse (Firm)Biography.

Classification: LCC HD9940.A2 Z56 2021 (print) | LCC HD9940.A2 (ebook) | DDC 687.0811dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020362

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020363

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The Balance Words and Music by Graeme Edge and Ray Thomas, Copyright 1970 Gymhouse Ltd. and Memforest Ltd. Copyright Renewed

All Rights Administered by Sony Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN, 37219. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC

Question Words and Music by Justin Hayward, Copyright 1970 (Renewed) Tyler Music Ltd., London, England TROEssex Music International, Inc., New York, controls all publication rights for the U.S.A. and Canada. International Copyright Secured. Made in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved Including Public Performance for Profit. Used by Permission

I n the days and months after I got fired from the company that I started, all I could think and feel was why?

Emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically, Id been shattered.

Id been married and divorced twice. I had four kids, including one who died. Id had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, known as a Triple A, and, more recently, emergency open heart surgery. What was I doing wrong? Turns out, not all that much.

Forty years earlier, I had launched the Mens Wearhouse with the faith of an idealist who believed that if you treated everybody with fairness, dignity, trust, and respect, then everybody would prosper. From the very beginning in our fun, frantic early years when it wasnt at all certain that we would survive, I held firmly to the belief that our future depended on the relationships we built with our employees, customers, suppliers, and neighbors. I held to that belief to the very enda belief that allowed me to see what would become our success.

With a little help from my family and a beloved frat brother from college, I built the Mens Wearhouse from the ground up. We began our operation in a single store in a far-flung Houston strip mall, where we kept our receipts in a cigar box and didnt take checks or credit cards. By the time my hand-chosen chief executive officer and board of directors stabbed me in the back in the middle of 2013, the Mens Wearhouse had grown from that single location to more than 1,100 stores in the United States and Canada. We were doing $2.5 billion a year in sales. We were worth a conservative $1.4 billion.