In the summer of 1981, Alan Lazowski was working on a plan to make some money before his senior year at the University of Connecticut. With a small loan from his grandfather, he began parking cars at a restaurant in downtown Hartford, CT. By summer’s end, he was managing five parking locations and 30 employees.
Today with his original partners and lifelong friends, Jeff Karp and Michael Harth, Al is the driving personality behind the incredible company culture that continues to make LAZ Parking the fastest-growing parking company in the United States.
The LAZ Way
Leading a company with thousands of employees, Al’s primary objective is to retain the unique training, values and culture that have been established at LAZ Parking over the decades. Al’s “people first” mentality is pervasive at all levels of the company, so much so that LAZ Parking’s Mission Statement, which forms part of The LAZ Way, begins with, “Create opportunities for our employees.”
To Al, LAZ Parking’s success starts with its frontline staff, such as parking attendants, who interact with the public all day.
“When they are representing our company, if they are happy and have a smile on their faces, a lot of wonderful things can happen,” Al says. He understands that well-treated, happy employees make for satisfied parkers at the thousands of LAZ locations around the country.
Giving Back To The Community
With a devotion to family and as the son of Holocaust survivors, Al Laz strongly believes that he has “an obligation to give back.” A popular and well-respected philanthropist, Al has given time and money to various charitable efforts, and in 2009, he started the LAZ Parking Charitable Foundation.
Al continues to drive LAZ Parking forward by splitting his time between the home office and working at locations around the country.
His proudest accomplishment is helping people grow and succeed by guiding LAZ to be one of the largest parking companies in the United States. His advice to employees? “Never Ever Give Up!”