A Dream, Realized

Things were rough for Freddy Char in 2005. Six years earlier, he had emigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. and, since he had experience as a ceramist, he began working in a large laboratory in Illinois. But within a few years, Char was convinced he could make a better living outside the laboratory industry. He moved to Iowa for a new career in the mortgage business...only to find it wasn't as lucrative as he had hoped. To make matters worse, he was in debt, his credit cards were maxxed out and he was afraid he was going to lose his house.

His luck changed when a friend in the dental field put him in touch with a dental practice looking for a new C&B laboratory. On a wing and a prayer, Char fabricated a few crowns for the dentists, Dr. Bob Margeas and Dr. Paul Polydoran. "They were impressed with my work and began sending cases to me regularly," says Char. "They also introduced me to other dentists through their education center and then the work really began rolling in."

In...