Eugene & Mary Frey House (Edina, Minnesota)

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Gene Frey’s own life experiences have played a major role in guiding his personal philanthropy. He worked in the paper-products industry for more than four decades, starting fresh out of college as a management trainee, and working his way up the ranks through sales to sales manager, vice president of sales, vice president and general manager. Through the management buyout of three recycled-paperboard mills and six folding-carton plants, he became a principal founder, president and CEO of Waldorf Corporation. He gained full ownership of the company in 1994 and at that time, Gene and Mary founded the Waldorf Foundation. Gene merged the company into a larger entity in 1997. That same year, he founded Wabash Management, Inc. to oversee the family’s and the Frey Foundation’s financial and investment activities.