Newspaper History - Master

May 17th, 2007
Company History
GE T Z
FI R E
Th e
E QU IP M E N T
B eginning
Melvin Getz was born and raised in the Eureka-
vised Melvin there was a company somewhere in Colorado
time he had earned to go out and sell while he held his job
Roanoke, Illinois area where he helped his father on the farm.
that made a device to extinguish a fire automatically. After
open. On Wednesday night of that first week, Melvin went
He married Margaret Wiegand on February 3, 1952. In 1953,
much research, Melvin found the company in Littleton,
down to the barn where the trucks were stored and in-
he was drafted into the Armed Forces. After basic training, he
Colorado, called Red Comet. He called Red Comet to in-
formed Mr. Ginzel to go ahead and fill his position.
was transferred to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he
quire about getting a distributorship in Colorado Springs,
Melvin decided to sell fire extinguishers full time. Mr.
worked in the Admissions Office of a hospital. Melvin and
but they told him they already had two distributors there so
Ginzel tried to talk
Margaret lived off base, and Melvin worked from 7:00 a.m. –
they would put him on the waiting list. Since he lived in
him out of it, but
3:00 p.m., which left a lot of time on his hands. One day he
Eureka, Illinois, he asked if he could get the distributorship
Melvin did not lis-
was reading a Popular Mechanics magazine and happened to
in Eureka or Peoria, and they advised that he could. Within
ten. For the next
notice an article about selling Presto fire extinguishers earn-
two weeks, he received literature and a demo kit from Red
year and a half, he
ing $100 a week. He figured it was worth a shot, so he or-
Comet. While driving back to Illinois for a two week fur-
was calling on farmers and homeowners around Eureka,
dered six fire extinguishers. Within two evenings in their
lough, Margaret read the instructions on how to sell and op-
Roanoke, Morton, Goodfield, and throughout central Illi-
trailer park, he sold all six fire extinguishers. He then ordered
erate the fire extinguishers.
nois. While visiting with some of his friends, someone
twelve more fire extinguishers and sold them the first week
On Melvin’s first day home in July of 1954, he sold
asked Melvin, “Why don’t you start a business in Peoria?”
$864 worth of fire extinguishers to farmers in the Eureka
Melvin told his friends that he was a farm boy and did not
One night when he was calling on a couple that lived in
area. After returning to the base in Colorado Springs, he
like the big city. Again, through the encouragement of oth-
a trailer park; they asked him, “Who is going to operate the
went out one or two nights a week and called on ranchers to
ers, Melvin decided to go ahead and open up a fire equip-
fire extinguisher when no one is around as both me and my
sell Red Comet extinguishers. After Melvin’s two years of
ment business in Peoria.
wife work?” What would protect their trailer? Melvin did
duty, he returned home with his wife to Eureka. Melvin
In the 1950s there was only one company to get a
not have a good answer for them at that time, but the man ad-
drove a semi truck hauling grain and livestock five and a
CO2 fire extinguisher recharged in Central Illinois. They
half days a week and sold Red Comet fire extinguishers to
filled CO2 only on Thursday afternoons. If you brought
farmers and home owners a couple of nights a week. He
your CO2 in to be filled on Friday, you would have to wait
was able to make more money in two nights than he could
a week to go back to pick it up. In addition, every five
driving a truck. After doing this for eight to ten months,
years carbon dioxide cylinders need hydrostatic testing.
Melvin’s father asked, “Why don’t you quit driving that
When that was required, the extinguisher had to be sent to
truck and go full time selling fire extinguishers?” He ad-
Joliet, IL, because there was not a company in Central Illi-
vised his dad that this was a straight commission job and
nois that tested a high-pressure cylinder to 3000 psi.
that he had two children to support. While driving a truck he
Melvin decided that along with opening a business in Peo-
at least had a steady salary of $50 a week. Melvin ques-
ria to sell fire extinguishers, he would bridge this gap in
tioned his abilities, not knowing if he could sell fire extin-
customer service to hydrostatic test and fill CO2 fire extin-
guishers full time. Through much discussion, his dad con-
guishers everyday.
he received them. Then he ordered 24, then 48, and so on.
vinced him that he should at least give it a shot. Melvin informed, Mr. Ginzel, his boss the next Monday morning of
his plans. Mr. Ginzel suggested Melvin use the vacation
Getz Fire Control Equipment began in March of
1957.
Page 2
the company grew it took over the entire building and have
been adding additions ever since. Getz Fire currently occupies over 50,000 square feet.
Five years after being in business, Getz started to
carry fire department supplies such as fire hose, boots,
coats, sirens, lights, etc. Several fire chiefs suggested that
Melvin get into the fire truck business, which he did about a
year later. Melvin stayed in that business only a couple
years as it is very competitive with long hours working at
night calling on volunteer fire departments. After closing
that chapter of the business, the company started a new one
supplying fire alarms and security systems.
The fire alarm division was another service Getz Fire
could offer to provide total fire protection to customers.
During that time, a law was passed requiring all nursing
homes to have a fire alarm. Melvin hired his brother-in-law
When Melvin went out and sold to industrial ac-
there was no mobile service ever in this area, it was a great
counts, Getz Fire possessed a huge advantage against all
advantage to the industry to have the extinguisher work done
competition in Central Illinois, because fire extinguishers
at the plant site. Thirty days after Melvin started the business,
could now be picked up from customer plants, brought into
he hired Ken Culp, who started in the shop, eventually work-
the shop, hydrostatic tested and taken back no later than the
ing his way up to be the vice president of the company. Ken
following day. The business started to grow and after eight
worked for 32 years until he retired and then passed away.
months, Melvin decided to better serve customers by setting
Melvin experienced his lowest point during the first
up a mobile service truck versus bringing extinguishers into
year of business. Melvin had three employees at the time and
the shop. Through much research and testing, Melvin was
due to the tremendous growth & startup costs, he did not
able to develop equipment allowing a majority of the ser-
have enough money for payroll forcing him to borrow money.
vice on fire extinguishers to be completed using these ser-
His first choice was Morton Bank because his uncle was the
vice trucks. This meant that he could go right to the plant
vice president. Unfortunately, he was turned down. He then
and do the recharging of CO2 fire extinguishers at the cus-
approached a friend in Eureka who was very wealthy, but
tomer’s site versus bringing them back to the shop. How-
once again, he was turned away. Never giving up, Melvin
ever, Melvin continued to do hydrostatic testing at the shop
courageously approached Mr. Edwards, the owner of Eureka
because of the large bulky machines and test equipment.
Bank. Mr. Edwards was thoroughly impressed with Melvin’s
Getz Fire went on to include one service truck and
determination and strength of character. Without hesitation,
one employee, Dave Street, who was on the West Peoria
he loaned Melvin the money he needed to pay his employees.
Fire Department. Dave worked for Melvin for several years
Getz Fire started with a small building of approx. 800
until he passed away.
At that time, Melvin hired Gail
sq. feet located at 1300 SW Adams Street, in Peoria. After a
Friend who is still employed today with the company.
year and a half, Getz Fire outgrew that facility and Melvin
Within a couple of years, Getz Fire set up additional mobile
purchased a building at 1615 SW Adams, which is still the
service trucks to go outside the city of Peoria to cover Cen-
main building today. At this time the name of the company
tral Illinois, eventually reaching into the Indiana and Iowa
was changed to Getz Fire Equipment. It was originally 8,000
borders. The first two years they sold very few new fire ex-
sq feet, which had plenty of extra space. Getz rented about
tinguishers as they concentrated their time on service. Since
forty percent of that building out to O’Brien Brother’s, but as
Roy Hangartner to help in this endeavor. Roy was with the
company for thirty-eight years and retired in 2001. Some of
the first fire alarm work was at nursing homes in southern
Illinois and Melvin and Roy would travel for a week at a
time to perform the installations.
In 1962, a few years after the initial start of Getz Fire
Equipment, insurance companies started to enforce the installation of dry chemical systems in restaurants protecting
kitchen equipment. Through the years of servicing fire extinguishers, in restaurants Melvin and his team were able to
take the current customer base and this new requirement to
start a new division for pre-engineered systems. Around
1970, Range Guard developed a wet chemical suppression
system for restaurants that surpassed the performance of the
standard dry chemical system. Today Getz Fire services,
sells, and installs pre-engineered systems for restaurants,
off-road vehicles, paint booths, and other industrial applications.
Page 3
In September of 1992, the division that is now Getz
Industrial began cleaning kitchen exhaust systems. Prior to
that, Getz Fire referred customers to individuals who did
kitchen exhaust cleaning. The problem was finding a responsible company who would do a good job for customers.
To begin this venture, Getz Fire first surveyed a number of
local customers to determine the pricing that was currently
being used and the approximate market size. Alan Bruce
was the first employee to start this new venture. By December, Getz Fire had put a major squeeze on Goldrings, the
largest kitchen exhaust cleaning contractor locally. Shortly
thereafter Getz Fire purchased Goldrings.
The kitchen exhaust cleaning division originated primarily due to customer needs that were not being fulfilled.
Getz Fire also felt that kitchen exhaust cleaning is a form of
fire prevention and it allows Getz Fire to offer more services to the restaurant market.
Near the end of 1993, a first aid manufacturer approached Getz Fire in reference to selling first aid cabinets
with a restocking service. Getz Fire accepted the challenge
and decided to put first aid representatives in the field calling on existing accounts to start the first aid division. The
primary focus of the first aid division was to sell cabinets,
sell the service at a determined frequency, and replenish the
first aid supplies, bandages, and tablets used in the cabinet.
By adding first aid sales and service to the company, Getz
Fire again was able to offer customers a one-stop shop
along with fire protection.
In May of 1997, Melvin received the Pat Fredriksen
Award. It is one of the most coveted awards in the industry
and is only handed out when deemed necessary. It was
awarded to Melvin because of his unselfish dedication and
service to the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors (NAFED). He was on the board of this association
for eighteen years.
In early 1998, the fleet washing division was starting to
Over the years, this has slowly migrated out of the vehicle
take form. An individual who had some fleet washing ac-
market and into specializing in semi-tractor detailing.
counts, primarily Cilco, approached Getz Fire to sell. Getz
Within the past couple of years, Getz Fire has also pur-
Fire purchased these accounts to start the fleet washing divi-
chased a semi-tractor wheel-polishing machine that will
sion because not only was it a great business opportunity, but
take aluminum wheels and polish them to a chrome look. In
it also had a lot of growth potential and the competition was
the detail shop, you may see vehicles from the Riverman
weak. Everyone in the company was also taught well by
bus, to the Caterpillar NASCAR haulers, to the Hillshire
Melvin (Mr. Getz) that clean vehicles were very important!
Farm semi-cooker, to boats, motor homes, and motorcycles.
The first vehicle set-up for fleet washing was a pick-up truck
Throughout these past fifty years, Getz Fire Equip-
with a pull behind trailer. Once fleet washing was established
ment has grown to become a one-stop shop for all your fire
and the business expanded to other truck fleets, Getz Fire re-
protection needs.
ceived inquires from car dealerships to wash their cars using
smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers, to
spot-free water. In 2007, Getz Fire has six 2-man crews
the high-rise or multi-building facilities requiring special-
washing delivery and truck fleets, along with about 4,000
ized fire alarms and engineered fire suppression systems.
dealership cars each week. The reverse osmosis water system
Getz Fire provides a range of products and services includ-
generates 8,000 gallons of spot-free water daily with the larg-
ing portable fire extinguishers, special hazard suppression
est fleet washing truck carrying 2,000 gallons with one cold-
systems, fire alarms, video surveillance, fire training, res-
water pressure unit and one hot-water pressure unit.
taurant fire systems, first aid supplies, restaurant hood and
After a period of washing cars at dealerships, Getz Fire
was approached to get into the vehicle detailing industry.
From the residential owner needing
duct cleaning, and even fleet pressure washing and vehicle
detailing.
Serving the majority of Illinois and parts of Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana, Getz Fire Equipment employs over 100 fire protection specialists with sales reaching $11 million
annually. Getz Fire Equipment has the size and experience for the largest industrial facility, and yet the dedication to customer service one would expect from a family company.
Melvin Getz is now retired, but his son Rod Getz purchased the business in 2000. Rod carries on Melvin’s commitment to serving the needs of customers along with three
of his siblings and with two sons and stepson. This rich family history continues to grow as Getz Fire moves into the third generation with the same commitment and dedication
that Melvin demonstrated when founding the company.
Family
Rod Getz
Jesse Getz
Jason Getz
Kathy Thompson
Jeff Getz
Joann Lockwood
Jim Williams
Title
President
VP Operations
VP Administration
HR/Office Manager
Purchasing Manager
Administrative Assistant
Shop Technician
Year Started
1974
2001
2003
1975
1983
2006
2004
“During this special year, we would like to express our sincere thanks to all our customers, employees, and suppliers for partnering with us in the past fifty years of growth,”
says Rod Getz. “We are excited to maintain these relationships as we continue to grow throughout the next fifty years.”
1615 SW Adams
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: 309309-673673-0761
Fax: 309309-673673-8067
Website: www.getzfire.com
Protecting Life and Property is Priority One