MIAMI (BRAIN) — Ben Joannou Jr., the co-CEO of distributor J&B Importers, died early Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 60.
Joannou, known in the industry as Ben Jr., led the business for many years in partnership with Mitch Gurdjian. The co-CEOs' fathers, Jack Gurdjian and Ben Joannou Sr., founded the business.
"We've grown up as a family here," Mitch Gurdjian told BRAIN.
Ben Jr. entered the family business after earning an MBA and working as a CPA for Coopers & Lybrand, the predecessor firm to PriceWaterhouseCoopers.. Over the years he and Gurdjian came to work together much as their fathers did.
"It was always a partnership between Jack and Ben, and they proved they could do it for 40 years and be successful, and we thought there was no better path. Ben and I had different opinions on many things, but ultimately we always made the decision that was the best for the company," Gurdjian said.
At J&B, Gurdjian said he relied on Ben Jr.'s optimism.
"He was an extremely inspiring person. He was always positive. On almost everything we ventured into, the sky was the limit on what we could accomplish. He never looked at the negatives or the difficulties when we approached a project."
Both founders remain involved with the company, along with a multigenerational array of family including Ben Jr.'s son Eric and his sisters Crystal, Lisa and Rachel.
Joannou was active in industry organizations and other bicycle groups. He believed that "bicycles will save the world" and was an environmentalist, launching J&B's sustainability programs, including recycling and acquiring carbon offsets. He was in good health and was a regular runner, swimmer and cyclist, friends said, and his death came as a great shock.
John Georger, vice president of sales at Univega USA, is an industry contemporary with Joannou.
"Ben and I sort of grew up together in the bike business," Georger said Thursday. "I have been a customer, then an industry peer and even a competitor. Through all those years and at all those levels he always treated me fairly, honestly and as a friend. He carried on his family tradition of building strong relationships that go beyond business. He will surely be missed but never forgotten."
Adam Micklin, the president of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, said, "We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Ben Jr.'s family as well as the entire J&B family. Ben Jr. was our BPSA contact and J&B a strong supporter of our efforts over many decades. He will be missed at all levels of the industry."
Ben Jr. is survived by his wife, Gloria; sons Eric and Matthew; his father, Ben Sr., and mother, Harriet; and his sisters Lisa, Crystal, Harriet and Rachel.
His funeral will be held in celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish (5690 North Kendall Drive in Coral Gables). In lieu of flowers or gifts, his family encourages you to make a Memorial Gift in his name to The Nature Conservancy, which matched his passion for the conservation of land, water, flora, and fauna.
