Raymond W. Bergholz picked a topic out of a hat and built a company out of it.

Bergholz, who died Friday at the age of 89, was a member of a Toastmasters International-style group. For one speech, he selected as a subject “Parking: America’s No.1 problem.”

“He couldn’t find anything on it,” said his son Richard. “This was 1956. He kind of just starting calling up people.”

Meanwhile, Bergholz had lost his job as a national sales manager for an electronics company and started selling wheel stops that increased the usable space of private parking lots.

He was soon in business for himself, selling traffic signs, electric traffic signals and parking management equipment.

“I think that he recognized in the mid-’50s that the car was going nowhere but up, and it made sense to hang himself to that wagon,” said John Kugel.

Kugel is the president and co-owner with Richard Bergholz of TAPCO — Traffic & Parking Control Co. Inc. The private company, which has annual sales of more than $25 million and employs 120 people, is moving from Elm Grove to a larger facility in Brown Deer.

Raymond Bergholz started TAPCO in the basement of his home in Wauwatosa. The original name was Parking Control Maintenance Co.

An early break occurred when he became the local distributor for Eagle traffic signals, a major provider of stop-and-go lights.

Bergholz also recognized that with cars beginning to flood the roads, “the signing market was going to explode,” Kugel said. By the early 1970s, Congress had mandated the use of reflective signs for increased visibility, which further boosted sales.

Bergholz was a student of management principles, which he doled out liberally in the form of aphorisms.

“ ‘Your customer will ‘bring you tomorrow’s next big idea,’ ” Kugel recalled.

Bergholz’ home — a duplex and the only home he ever lived in — was another example.

“The fastest way to financial freedom is an owner-occupied duplex,” recalled grandson Andrew Bergholz, TAPCO’s executive vice president of sales.

And he recalled others:

• Enjoy the chase as much as the reward.
• Put yourself in a position where opportunity can find you.
• If you can help your fellow man while making a buck, that is about as good as it gets.

Richard said his father thought it was easier to start a business when he did.

“There was a huge air of optimism after World War II, a feeling that anything was possible,” Richard said. “He thought his success was based on optimism, getting some breaks and recognizing opportunities.”

Bergholz was born in Milwaukee in 1919, graduated from Washington High School and served in the Army in Europe during World War II.

He died one day after his 89th birthday.

In addition to Richard and Andrew, he is survived by his wife of 63 years, June; another son, Randall, of Mount Pleasant; five other grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Visitation is from 4 to 6:45 p.m. today at Krause Funeral Home, 9000 W. Capitol Drive. The funeral service is at 7 p.m. Burial is at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Wisconsin Memorial Park.