Peoria Standard

During his recent statewide tour, Gov. Bruce Rauner visited Peoria’s Getz Fire Equipment, a family-owned business that been operating in the city since 1957, providing fire safety equipment and services in Illinois and Iowa.

“Love visiting family-run businesses that are thriving in Illinois,” Rauner posted on his Facebook page. “We stopped by Getz Fire Equipment in Peoria. They’ve been around for 60 years, and we want to make sure they’re around for many more. That’s why we need to put structural changes in place to get our state back on track.”

Melvin Getz started Getz Fire Equipment in 1957 with one branch in Peoria before expanding to a multimillion-dollar entity with five more branch offices in Illinois and Iowa, as well as six warehouses. The company is currently managed by Melvin’s son, Rod Getz, who put in 26 years with the company before taking over as CEO.

According to the company’s Facebook page, it has a team of 115 fire safety and protection specialists who work across 11 divisions in the company: Getz Fire Equipment-Portable Fire Extinguishers, Special Hazard Fire Suppression, Fire Alarm Systems, Fire Sprinkler Inspections, Commercial Security Solutions, Restaurant/Industrial Fire Suppression, First Aid and Safety, Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, Pressure Washing, Equipment Innovators and GETZ for the Home.