sch . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁for ▁his ▁family ' s ▁sc rap ▁metal ▁business ▁starting ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 , ▁while ▁att ending ▁Dre x el ▁University ▁full - time , ▁before ▁taking ▁over ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁ ▁Within ▁six ▁years , ▁he ▁grew ▁the ▁business ▁into ▁a ▁mult im ill ion - d ollar ▁enter prise , ▁eventually ▁s elling ▁it ▁for ▁a ▁profit ▁of ▁$ 5 0 ▁million ▁at ▁age ▁ 2 3 . ▁▁ ▁He ▁next ▁founded ▁Th erm al ▁Red u ction ▁Corporation , ▁a ▁metal ▁product ▁manufact uring ▁business . ▁Over ▁ten ▁years ▁he ▁built ▁up ▁the ▁company ▁through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mer gers ▁and ▁ac quis itions , ▁eventually ▁s elling ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Sh elle y ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁J enk int own - based ▁American ▁Fin an cial ▁Resource ▁Group , ▁which ▁originally ▁acquired ▁operating ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁printing , ▁label , ▁and ▁financial ▁services ▁sector . ▁Within ▁two ▁years , ▁the ▁company ▁divers ified ▁into ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁commercial ▁real ▁estate ▁properties . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Sch or sch ▁learned ▁of ▁a ▁mer ger ▁between ▁Core St ates ▁Fin an cial ▁Corporation , ▁a ▁bank ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁did ▁business , ▁and ▁First ▁Union ▁Corporation . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁pending ▁mer ger , ▁ 1 0 6 ▁of ▁Core