Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/143040
75 and Over "A Family Affair" Wasserstrom Founded 1902 Out of a basic necessity to provide for his family, immigrant Nathan Wasserstrom embarked on a series of entrepreneurial ventures (selling wares and sundries out of a wagon, opening a handful of malt and hops stores) before settling into a lifelong career as an equipment and supplies distributor. Little did he know that the business, run at the time with the help of his three sons, would balloon into a multimillion-dollar operation. Today, the fourth-generation dealer has a number of cash-and-carry locations, sales offices, warehouses and distribution facilities in eight different states and it maintains an inventory of 40,000 SKUs. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Wasserstrom also employs—no supports—465 employees and their families. Spend any time with CEO Rodney Wasserstrom and you know that "supports" is a far more appropriate word. For while he attributes his company's success to a lot of things (forward thinking, ingenuity), by way of repetition and tone, he places great emphasis on the importance of words like support and family. "My father and uncles believed very much in family," he says. "They cared very much about fellow associates; they cared about taking care of the customer." "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" Dixie Store Fixtures & Sales Co. Founded1921 Two things about Frances Cypress: She's not a quitter and she never tires of getting up in the morning and doing what she loves. That's pretty much been the standard since the late 1940's, when Cypress married her husband, Conrad, and began working at Dixie Store Fixtures full time. Nearly 73 years later, "she still works every day and maintains a keen interest in almost everything," says son Fred, who now serves as president of the Birmingham-based distributor. (Francis is pictured at a 1950's Trade Show in Montgomery in the photo below.) The distributor's story begins in the1920's, when Fred's grandfather, Joe, got his start in the store fixture business. Years later, he acquired another business, Dixie, and merged it with an existing business, thus the name Dixie Store Fixtures & Sales. Eventually, that business evolved into foodservice after others began to mass-produce store fixtures, explains Fred. "My parents and grandparents worked very hard and despite various challenges never gave up," he surmises about one of many reasons why the dealership has been in business for 92 years. Fred's grandmother Pearl, for example, remained active in the day-to-day until she had a stroke in the late 70's and despite suffering for more than 40 years with Crohn's Disease, his father, Conrad, continued to work at Dixie until his death in 1994. "He was unable to travel but known throughout the industry," says Fred. "Unfortunately, his use of 'caustic correspondence' created a legendary persona that was far from accurate. Conrad was a charitable man that cared deeply for others. "We cannot accept praise for Dixie's longevity without acknowledging the amazing accomplishments of our previous generations. As the famous quote succinctly states, "we are standing on the shoulders of giants." 16 FEDA News & Views "Do you remember when…" or "Whatever happened to…" Detroit Michigan Stove Co. built and sold Garland Commercial Range and Detroit Jewel Domestic ranges. Herrick reach-in refrigerator and freezer were one of the top refrigeration products. "WearEver" aluminum cooking utensils manufactured by Aluminum Co. of America (Alcoa). Toastmaster four-slice electric pop-up toasters were "fair traded" and sold for $99.50. Steam table pans were mostly porcelain enamel; fractional pans were unknown; and 6-and-a-half inch, 8-and-a-half inch and 10-and-a-half inch round insets were either porcelain enamel or stoneware. A medium-sized hotel would have a bain marie, a timed egg cooker, a silver burnisher, and a Blickman coffee urn. Stocking dealers had gauge glass, sight tubes and urn brushes. Galvanized (square-cornered) sinks and dish tables were standard and stainless steel was an expensive luxury. Majestic "Smoke-eator" heavy-duty commercial ranges with cast-iron construction and some had ovens without thermostats. Southern Equipment of St. Louis and Blickman were top fabricators of stainless steel. Dick Keating's green vest. Numerous thick glassware catalogs and the popularity of the barrel glass. If a dealer asked a factory or rep for a better price, he probably got laughed at. China was shipped in barrels in boxcars, packed with straw. FEDA was prompted by Sam Anoff, the founder of FSEI (Food Service Equipment Industry). Source: John E. Hain, Jr., Krebs Brothers Supply (1950 –2001)