From left, Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump owner Gary Coffee, Troy Tice of Great Lakes Water & Waste, and Tim Coffee of Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump display a new Deming Chopper Pump while announcing their new partnership. The Coffee brothers are joining Great Lakes Water & Waste, located at 707 S. Ellsworth Ave., Salem. The Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump buildings and equipment on Winona Road, Salem will be auctioned off Tuesday. (Submitted photo)

SALEM — Honoring the past with an eye on the future — that’s the headline for an exciting change about to happen Tuesday involving Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump, 33416 Winona Road, Salem.

After many decades of sales and service, Gary Coffee, the owner of Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump will be auctioning off his buildings and equipment through Kiko Auctions, but won’t be done with the industry overall.

Great Lakes Water & Waste, 707. S. Ellsworth Ave., Salem, has formed a bond with Gary and his brother, Tim Coffee, who will be joining Great Lakes at their location.

“I just try to be a sponge when I am around them” Troy Tice of Great Lakes Water & Waste said. “Gary and Tim know so much about the industry and products and they will be an invaluable resource on our team.”

Gary’s son, Gregg, also played an important role for 27 years with the businesses and when Gary decided recently to scale way back, Gregg chose to pursue a new career path.

As part of this transition, Great Lakes Water & Waste signed a contract to be Industrial distribution partners with Crane Pumps and Systems, the parent company of Deming Pump now located in Piqua, Ohio.

“What a transformative and full circle moment for our company” Tice said.

Great Lakes Water & Waste and their sister company, Tri-State Tool & Hoist, reside at 707 S. Ellsworth in what used to be the offices of The Silver Manufacturing Company in the 1800s. In 1862, John Deming came to Salem and opened a grocery store. At the time, Levi Dole and Albert Silver were manufacturing tools for blacksmiths and wagon-makers and Deming bought into the firm.

In 1874, it became the Silver & Deming Manufacturing Co and in 1890, the company divided into two separate firms, The Deming Co. and Silver Manufacturing Co.

“The history of this building and our town is just so fascinating,” Tice said. “To be even a small part of the legacy of Deming Pump in Salem is exciting but would not have happened without the support of Gary and Tim Coffee”.

Great Lakes Water & Waste, Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump have already started putting together presentations showing off Deming Pump’s new innovative chopper pumps to potential customers.

“Deming Pump is a 100-plus-year-old brand and they had to evolve to meet current demands of customers. We feel they have done a superior job at providing modern solutions to water and wastewater challenges while still honoring their past heritage,” Tice said, adding that’s “a past heritage that Interstate Pump & Ohio Pump no doubt played an important role in.”