By Brett Callwood

Name: Harry Torigian, 45.

Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration from the Detroit College of Business, 1995.

Past career: Torigian worked in sales for more than 20 years, most recently for Safety-Kleen Systems in Romulus as a sales specialist.

New career: Torigian bought a franchise territory of Bevinco Corp., a Toronto-based profit management company. Working from his Livonia home, he visits with bar and restaurant owners to audit food and beverage losses. He begins by counting every closed bottle and weighing every open bottle, and then determining where the product is going, by the gram. Losses may be due to theft or over-pouring, or any number of things. Torigian says most bars lose between 5 percent and 20 percent of their stock.

Why he decided to change careers: “I was on layoff. I had the opportunity to be exposed to Bevinco, and I went on audits with the regional manager. I was in my mid-'40s and I had been downsized twice. I decided that it would be better to have my future in my own hands. Plus, I really feel like I can make an impact with this business.”

How he made the transition: “I have a food services background. I'm a certified executive chef. I was in sales for over 20 years, but when I was laid off I wanted to go back to what I know. I got my training done, started bringing clients in and now I'm off and running.”

Obstacles overcome: “Time has been the biggest thing, as I have been working two jobs while making the transition. The good thing is bars and restaurants are generally not 9 to 5 businesses, so I can make my appointments after business hours.”

Advice for others: “Do your due diligence. With Bevinco, I knew it was an established franchise and I knew that there was a real need, an ongoing need. In good or bad times, people will want to maximize revenue. So ask a lot of questions before making the leap.”