ILMO receives 2015 Top St. Louis Family Business Award
Posted on: July 7, 2015
Did you know: Less than 30% of businesses last more than 10 years.
On June 24, 2015, the St. Louis Small Business Monthly honored 18 companies who have beaten these odds. Some told stories of new energy or true entrepreneurial spirit, while others nodded to their legacy in St. Louis since before the Civil War; all were passionately grateful for their employees.
Celebrating over 102 years in business (since 1913) and now lead by fourth generation owners, ILMO Products Company was recognized among these 18 companies. ILMO is profiled in the July issue of St. Louis Small Business Monthly, featuring owners Brad Floreth, President, and Linda Standley, CEO.
Article Excerpt (see original here):
What was the focus of the business when founded and how has that changed over the years?
ILMO began in Jacksonville, IL as Illinois Tire & Vulcanizing Co., a local distributor and service provider tied to the burgeoning automotive industry. The early 20th-Century use of acetylene in headlights led ILMO to offer oxy-acetylene products for those in the newly popular welding profession, and in turn became the company’s primary gas offering. Today, ILMO retains its historic connection to welding and manufacturing industries as a leading regional gas distributor and welding equipment retailer with 9 stores throughout Illinois and Missouri. Beyond industrial use, ILMO Medical Gases and ILMO Specialty Gases provide gas and gas-related solutions for hospitals, medical centers, laboratory and R&D facilities, food processors, biotech and pharma manufacturers, universities, and all with processes requiring calibration, blanketing, and more.
What traditions have you upheld within your family business?
We focus on operating fairly and honestly. We’ve always tried to balance our work with having a little fun, and we will continue that in our second 100 years so we retain and develop the type of employees our customers enjoy working with. It’s extremely meaningful when our customers tell us stories about visiting an ILMO store with their grandfather, when Fortune 500 firms reach their third and fourth decades using us as their gas supplier, and when we’re selected to supply an innovative biotech laboratory with gases to produce their first groundbreaking pharmaceutical drug.
What have been your family’s keys to success in business?
We want to be someone our community members want to work with and work for. We want great people to work with great people, be it our employees, customers, or vendors, the community we build and keep is why we continue to grow.
Congratulations to all the winners:
- Andy’s Seasoning
- Barnard Stamp Company
- Commercial Plating Company
- Brown’s Enterprises, Inc.
- C. Bennett
- Charles Merkel Piano Service
- Gamma Tree Experts
- Huffords Jewelry
- ILMO Products Company
- Louis Maull Company
- Mills Properties
- Powers Insurance and Benefits
- Tech Electronics
- The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery
- St. Johns Bank & Trust
- Western Construction Group
- Wideman Pools LLC
- U.S. Wiping
About ILMO: ILMO Products Company is a single-source provider of industrial, medical, and laboratory gases in bulk, micro-bulk, cryogenic, and cylinder solutions. Additionally, we offer bulk and residential propane, welding and safety equipment, industrial supplies and accessories, and welder rental and repair services.
We are a family-owned, privately-held corporation founded in 1913, with ten locations, nearly 100 employees and over 6,000 customers. ILMO is headquartered in Jacksonville, Illinois, and has locations in Decatur, Granite City, Litchfield, Mattoon, Mt. Vernon, Peoria, Springfield, and Quincy, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. ILMO Specialty Gases uniquely serves larger areas of the United States, North & South America, and Europe.
- Throughout ILMO, our traditional industrial sales team and our stores serve diverse markets such as manufacturing facilities, fabricators, food processing plants, coal producers, power plants, steel contractors, chemical processors, , agri-businesses, cryogenic and research laboratories, contractors, welding hobbiests, and beyond.
- ILMO Medical Gases’ customers range from hospitals and nursing homes to medical laboratories, device manufacturers, and universities. Many of our medical customers also rely on ILMO Specialty Gases for rare and critical gas mixtures.
- ILMO Specialty Gases’ ISO 17025 and Guide 34 accredited gas laboratory provides high and ultra-high purity gases throughout ILMO’s current territory as well as to Canada, Central and South America, and Europe through disposable and reusable cylinders. They serve the same industrial industries while also supplying laboratories, universities, high-end processors, law enforcement agencies, EPA protocol gas users, and medical device users.
- ILMO Propane, our newest specialty department, started in 2011, and serves many of the same industries and ILMO Products, as well as commercial and residential propane users.
Comments are closed.