In this episode, Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton speaks with his old friend Jim Markel, the CEO and co-founder of Red Oxx, the Montana-based manufacturer of military-grade luggage.
Markel, who served as a U.S. military parachute rigger, helped his father (also a veteran) launch Red Oxx in 1986 in his hometown of Billings, Montana. Markel didn’t have a college degree or, at the time, even a high school diploma. But he nonetheless grew the company into the well-known luggage distributor it is today, helping revive Billings economically.
Along his journey, Markel took to heart the idea of "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps" and that no success comes without service, spending parts of each year helping communities abroad. Listen in as Markel shares his travel stories and the importance of community-focused business with Burton.
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