By Nick H 
Harold Matzner is the owner of the popular Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs and the CEO of a New York/New Jersey-based advertising and marketing firm. Mr. Matzner is credited with revitalising the Palm Springs International Film Festival and pioneering the successful business concept of targeted “shared mail.” Harold Matzner awarded for a few major things as well.
Harold Matzner wasn’t really an orphan, however as a child, he could undoubtedly claim to the title of living a hardscrabble existence. Born in 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, to a poor family, Harold tried to help his parents by doing anything he could, from selling dog food door-to-door to delivering daily newspapers. His early ambition was to become a sportswriter, and after high school he worked as an apprentice at the old New York World Telegram before realising his dyslexia would prevent him from becoming the next Damon Runyon.
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“I simply did not want to be ordinary in my career,” he explains. He got a job in advertising as a natural-born salesman, Matzner came up with the notion of sending free weekly advertising publications to every home in a given region. When the concept proved successful, he became the owner and major seller of the paper, which grew into CBA Industries, Inc. Matzner grew his newspaper’s weekly circulation to 250,000 by combining multiple mastheads to form a free newspaper group with distribution in three New Jersey counties. His publications were extremely popular, and they gave rise to the notions of shared mail and private saturation distribution. This accomplishment enabled him to enter other markets, the first of which being 8 million residences in California with pooled mail and private saturation distribution. CBA eventually become the country’s most successful private delivery provider.
Matzner, who has been married twice, has been with Shellie Reade for 17 years. Devin, the family’s son, lives in Seattle, and Laura, the family’s daughter, lives in Coronado, California. Matzner was honoured with the Horatio Alger Award in Washington, D.C. In the heart of downtown Palm Springs, his Golden Palm star is positioned at the foot of his friend Sonny Bono’s statue.
Also at the annual City of Palm Springs Police and Fire Appreciation Luncheon on May 2, Harold Matzner will receive the 2nd annual Richard M. Milanovich Community Leadership Award.