PPB January 2019

From left, the young executive circa 1978; as his alter ego, the Geigernator, during a Geiger event; and joking around with longtime co-worker Jo-an Lantz, MAS. larger-than-life figure. “He was amazing in terms of his charisma and his ability to do things,” Geiger says proudly about his dad, who stayed active in the company until his death in 1994 at 83 years old. The elder Geiger was deeply involved in community service and fundraising events, believing passionately in giving back to the places fromwhich he had derived success. Among his jaw-dropping accomplishments was getting legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite to come to Lewiston to raise money for a charity event. He also arranged a ride on the Goodyear blimp for his wife, Ann, and himself to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Incredibly affable and self-assured, he appeared on numerous radio and TV programs, including Late Night with David Letterman , Art Linkletter’s House Party , The Mike Douglas Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show . “He never took no for an answer. That’s the kind of father I had,” says Geiger. “So, my challenge was what could possibly I do to come close to a father who was a giant in our community, our state, our industry? How does one follow an act like that?” While Geiger’s father set a fine leadership example for his son, this year’s Hall of Fame inductee also credits many nonfamily members with helping to guide him. Among them is George Liming, who was his father’s right-hand man. Geiger says Liming was, using today’s terminology, the CFO, but he was more than that. “Extraordinarily competent, decent and loyal, he really ran our company while my father was its face and soul. George had the skills to run a company 100 times our size. On paper he reported to me, but he was my teacher and my mentor. I’ve never met a finer person.” On the company’s board until his death in 2013, Liming was the bridge from the third- to fourth-generation leaders. “He was essentially a family member who dedicated his work life to nurture the business and make sure it continued for the generations ahead,” Geiger says thoughtfully. He is also proud to include other nonfamily members in the family circle, including Dale Denham, MAS+, the company’s chief information officer and PPAI’s board chair, and Jo-an Lantz, MAS, former PPAI board chair and Hall of Fame member, who nominated Geiger for the Hall of Fame honor. She also assumed the role of company president this month and is set to succeed Geiger as CEO when he retires sometime this year. Lantz has been with the distributor for 40 years and is the first nonfamily member to become president. “She’s superbly capable,” he says. “She’s earned everything she’s achieved.” The stage is set for the fifth Geiger generation. Sons Jeff and David work for the company now—Jeff as business development manager and David, just out of law school, as general counsel. “My wish is for them to be happy and to do work that is fulfilling whether inside the company or out,” he says. “It is satisfying to envision that ours will continue as a family business well beyond me.” The dedication and hard work that’s required to keep a business going over generations is something Geiger knows well. Over his long career in the industry, Geiger has also given back to the industry that’s given his family somuch as amember of numerous PPAI committees, three terms on the PPAI board of directors, and as chair of the Product Responsibility Advisory Group (PRAG) since it was established in 2010. Over the same period, he and Rick Brenner, MAS+, served as co-chairs of PPAI’s Product Responsibility Summit. In 1994, he was named Counselor magazine’s Person of the Year, received PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award in 2001, and was honored by ASI in 2018 with the Marvin Spike Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the years he and his brother, Peter, have been involved in countless local civic and charitable organizations. They recently supported a major building project for New Beginnings, the only Celebrating The Exceptional | FEATURE | JANUARY 2019 | 27