Admarketing President to Help Run C&R; Clothiers

In a move with little precedent, Jack Roth, president of the successful Los Angeles ad agency Admarketing, has taken on the additional duties of co-chairman and co-chief executive of one of his agency’s largest clients, C&R; Clothiers.

Roth will share the chairman’s title with Paul S. Reisbord, who founded C&R; 20 years ago.

C&R; is by far the largest off-price men’s clothing chain in California. An estimated 20% of all men’s tailored clothing sold in the Los Angeles market is from C&R.;

Roth, whose agency created the familiar “What a Difference a Day Makes” campaign, is also C&R;’s second-largest shareholder with a 20% stake.

Roth, 55, will oversee the firm’s strategic marketing as well as national expansion plans. He also will continue as chief executive of Admarketing.

Roth says he will not receive any compensation--including salary or additional stock--for his new duties at C&R.; Nor does he plan to have an office at the Culver City-based retailer.

“When you own a significant part of a company, and you feel you can help make the company be more successful, that is much more than they could ever offer to pay me,” Roth said. His primary mission will be to outline a national expansion plan for the firm, which has 71 outlets in California and Nevada.

Roth will also oversee new product strategy.

“As the largest shareholder, I’m delighted with this,” said Reisbord, 48, who owns slightly more than 50% of C&R;’s stock. Asked if he planned to retire any time soon, Reisbord said, “I can assure you, I’m not on the way out.”

But the past two years have been very difficult for C&R.; After enjoying double-digit growth for years, that growth came to a halt in 1990, when the company lost money for the first time. Barring a terrific holiday season, it may lose money again in 1991, Reisbord said.