Akron Chapter IMA Event

Tangier Restaurant

March 17, 2010

CMA/CFM NIGHT

Technical Session

WILLIAM A. FINK

Owner/CEO, AWP, Inc. dba Area Wide Protective 

“Anatomy of an Entrepreneur” 

William A. Fink is a native of Cincinnati OH.  While still a middle school student, his family moved to Pittsburgh PA, where he graduated with high honors from North Allegheny High School in 1969.  Bill attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick ME, where he was a James Bowdoin Scholar.  He graduated from Miami University, Oxford OH, in 1972 with a BA in American History and Political Science.  Graduate studies followed at the University of Akron and North Carolina State University. 

Fink entered the radio broadcasting industry in 1973, serving as news director at WNYN in Canton OH and WGNL in Greenville NC.  He was the recipient of an Associated Press award for breaking news coverage for a story he uncovered during the Watergate scandal in 1974.  In 1983, Bill had the honor of broadcasting a major league baseball game for the Pittsburgh Pirates on KDKA in Pittsburgh PA. 

In 1975, Fink entered government service as a public information officer with the US Dept. of Labor.  He finished his government career in 1980 in Boston MA as Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator.   

In 1980, Fink returned to the Akron area to join the McCormick Insurance Agency, which he purchased in 1983.  During the five year period prior to the sale of the agency in 1988, Fink grew annual revenues by over 900% and net income by more than 500%.

After several years of independent consulting work, Fink purchased Mid American Security Service, Inc. of Akron OH in 1993 – which became the forerunner of Area Wide Protective. 

Today, Area Wide Protective is the largest traffic control/flagging service in the Eastern US, with more than $34 million in annual revenues and 675 employees working in 13 states. 

Bill and his wife Beth reside in Medina OH.  Together, they have 4 grown sons, 2 of whom are active in the company.