November/December 2017 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber
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Deister line. We now have his son Max in the company. You think of
the fifth generation of a family-owned company; there aren’t many of
those left today.”
Irwin cracks a joke when asked about what interests him outside
the office.
“I’m interested in getting up in the morning! I’m 88 years old.
I’m in pretty good health. I have a lot of sick days built up, so I spend
considerable time in Florida. I like to play golf. I’m in the office every
day I’m here (in Indiana).”
Reflecting on what’s next, he has this to say: “We never rest on
our laurels. Every day, we continue to pursue avenues to better ourselves
and better our product, better our service. It’s a continuing project of ours
to continue to better ourselves and to never sit back and say, ‘We’re
there. We’ll just stay where we are and not proceed forward.’ ”
Founder Emil Deister (far left) in 1912. Deister’s centennial gala in 2012 featured food, ice sculptures and a legacy of pride.