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Perry Mandera remembers exactly what mayonnaise sandwiches taste like. Not by choice, but necessity. As a kid growing up in a broken home, lunch was often just mayonnaise spread between two slices of bread, washed down with water. “The bread sticks stuck to the roof of your mouth,” Perry recalls, the memory still vivid decades later. These early experiences shaped the successful businessman’s approach to philanthropy. Now as the CEO of a successful transportation company with nearly 500 employees and approaching its 40th anniversary, Perry hasn’t forgotten where he came from — or the people still struggling today.
Supporting families in need
Perry’s charitable initiatives aren’t flashy or designed for publicity. They’re personal, often anonymous, and rooted in genuine empathy. “About twenty years ago, I started sending a letter out to all of our employees,” Perry explains. This annual tradition asks staff and business contacts to identify families facing financial hardship. “If you know someone that’s in financial need and could use some financial help, what I’d like them to do is submit an email to us.”
What happens next is remarkable. Perry personally reads every submission. “There’s some real sensitive things that come through that just will touch and break your heart,” he says. The program provides financial assistance to people Perry will likely never meet — and that’s exactly how he wants it. “Ninety-nine percent of the money that goes out is going to people that I’ll never meet, I’ll never talk to, I’ll never know,” he shares. “I’m just doing a kind good deed by trying to help people move forward.”
This spirit of giving found formal expression through Custom Cares Charities, a non-profit organization that Perry played a key role in establishing. Through this initiative, he donates tens of thousands of dollars each holiday season to help families in need experience a meaningful celebration.
Disaster relief champion
Mandera takes great pride in The Custom Companies, Inc.’s efforts to provide relief to disaster victims across the nation. When natural disasters strike, Perry and his company spring into action, leveraging their transportation expertise to deliver critical aid. In 2013, the company donated transportation and supplies to support families affected by the devastating tornado in Washington, IL. Following Hurricane Katrina’s catastrophic impact, The Custom Companies, Inc. transported over 40 truckloads of purchased and donated food and supplies—at no cost—to Louisiana and Mississippi to aid victims.
The company’s humanitarian efforts continued in 2017, when Mandera arranged transportation for 12 truckloads of donated and purchased supplies via ocean and air freight to assist victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX. During the water contamination crisis in Flint, MI, he coordinated the delivery of several truckloads of bottled water on behalf of Bishop Trotter from Chicago to Flint. Committed to ongoing disaster relief efforts, Mandera continues to provide free transportation and supplies to those in need, ensuring help reaches communities during their most vulnerable moments.
Daily acts of gratitude
Perry’s giving extends beyond organized programs into daily life. “If you and I went out to lunch right now, or dinner, and there’s someone from the US military, I don’t care if it’s one person or a hundred of them, I’m buying their meal,” Perry insists. This personal policy extends to police officers, firefighters and first responders too — a way of thanking those who serve. These aren’t calculated business moves or tax strategies. They’re reflexive expressions of gratitude from someone who genuinely appreciates others’ contributions. “I just think I want to be appreciative of those that help us, that help society,” he explains simply.
Encouraging others’ success
Unlike many successful people who guard their achievements, Perry finds genuine joy in others’ accomplishments. “I’m not a jealous person. I don’t get jealous of anyone else’s success,” Perry says with conviction. “As long as you’re doing it the right way, not illegally. I’ve got a lot of respect and admiration for it.” This attitude extends to his children and employees alike. “I tell my kids, never be jealous of someone else’s success. Never count anyone else’s money,” he shares. “If they’ve done it, you can do it too. Just do it honestly.”
Perry’s transportation company has become a training ground for both his biological children and his extended “work family.” For his sons entering the business, there’s no silver spoon or corner office waiting. “They are just going to be one of the guys—learning the business,” Perry explains about his son’s upcoming role. “And then he’ll have to prove that he could actually handle it and do it.” This tough-love approach to mentorship reflects Perry’s belief that true success comes from earning your way, not having it handed to you. It’s the same philosophy he applies to his broader workforce.
For Perry, philanthropy isn’t about tax benefits or public recognition. It’s about remembering where he came from and paying forward the opportunities he received. “I remember what it was like to not have anything,” he says simply. “I made a promise to myself that if I become financially successful in life, I am going to try to do my best to pay it forward and to help other people that had similar challenges.”
In a world obsessed with accumulation, Perry Mandera offers a refreshingly different perspective – that success means little unless it’s shared with those that truly need it. From mayonnaise sandwiches to managing a transportation empire, his journey has come full circle through giving that transforms lives beyond his own.
Connect with Perry Mandera on LinkedIn to learn more about his mission of giving back and making a difference.
