Rooted in corn, steel

VALPARAISO | Now celebrating more than 60 years in business, Chester Inc. has its roots firmly planted in corn and steel.

Led by President and CEO Pete Peuquet, Chester Inc. serves customers with the manufacture, sales and service of products in agriculture, industry, commerce and retail markets. These products and services are organized into three divisions.

Construction services include architectural services and commercial and industrial construction. Information technologies offers computer and network services and agricultural systems include grain and irrigation systems and The Popcorn Store.

But the company's beginnings go back to George F. Chester, a Northwest Indiana man who was as much scientist as he was a farmer. In the midst of the Great Depression, Chester developed new seed corn by studying its genetic characteristics for better growth, insect resistance and better crop yields.

From 1936 to 1951, the George F. Chester & Sons Seed Co. operated in Boone Grove. When the company's founder decided to retire, Charles F. Bowman and Orville Redenbacher of Purdue University saw an opportunity to buy and expand the business.

Bowman and Redenbacher developed Chester Inc. into a national seed corn, but when Redenbacher focused on popcorn, "things started to pop," said Richard K. Shields, Chester Inc. business development manager.

Shields calls Chester Inc. "an incubator" for growing businesses that spin off with other companies.

A division of Wesson Oil Co. bought the popcorn business, and the national marketing made Orville Redenbacher Popcorn a household name.

In the meantime, the Chester Inc. agricultural business concentrated on other products the farming industry needed, Shields said. After talking with farmers, company officials branched off into producing fertilizer. The Chester Inc. suspended liquid fertilizer became a soughtafter agricultural product.

"We supplied it to grain elevator and dealers and it became a very popular product," Shields said. "Another national firm bought that."

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Rooted in corn, steel