Wittlins' family, business have been a part of Menomonee Falls for more than a century

Posted: Dec. 20, 2011

Menomonee Falls - When the family business has lasted through two world wars, the Great Depression, numerous stock market downturns and seen 19 presidents, it says something about both the business and the family.

The Wittlin family has seen just about everything over the last 104 years, and the family business, Wittlin Services, has made it through them all.

Today, the gas station and repair shop is run by John Wittlin and his son, Max, who continue to run the second-oldest business in Menomonee Falls. John's grandfather John B. Wittlin started the business in 1907 as a repair shop.

Two years later it became a Ford dealership as well. In the 1920s, the dealership sputtered, as so many businesses did during that era, but it didn't deter the owners. When John B.'s son, Ed, came back from World War II, he took over the business.

It didn't take Ed's son long before he was also part of this family tradition.

"I can remember when I was 12 years old, coming out and pumping gas. It was still full service at that point," John remembers. "I was just playing in the tires when I was a kid.

"When we'd get a snow day at school, I'd go out and plow driveways."

John worked alongside his father, who dedicated his life to making Wittlin's run.

Ed worked there for the next half-century, until he was 87 years old. He sold the company to his son John in 1987, but continued to help out. Ed died this year at age 89, but was alive long enough to see his grandson, Max, return to Wittlin's.

"I have people who knew my grandfather, customers that have been coming in and talking to him for the past 60 years," Max says.

The next generation

Max, now 26, said he didn't work at the store in high school, but found himself there during his summers back from college. It was the business side that really intrigued him, and he began to take on more and more responsibility as part of the company. It wasn't long before he realized just how big of a family his family's business had developed.

"I like that when the people walk through the doors, you see a lot of the people day in and day out," he said. "You build friendships with them. They're not just customers anymore.

"I see those people more than some people in my own family. Relatives are out of state or somewhere else, but you see those people every day."

To have a customer base like that takes years, and Wittlin's has had plenty of time to develop that sort of relationship with the community. Firestone estimates Wittlin's may be its oldest customer, John Wittlin said.

Making history

He said it's hard to confirm because Firestone doesn't have records dating back far enough to confirm it, but Firestone sent Indy car driver Mario Andretti to the store four years ago when it celebrated 100 years of business.

Whether Wittlin's is the oldest Firestone dealer or not, a centurylong partnership is an accomplishment in itself.

The laurels continue, as John will be inducted into the Menomonee Falls Hall of Fame on Friday. The Wittlins have been in Menomonee Falls for generations, and John credits his family as the true reason for his recognition.

"(I'm) very humbled by it. I think when I look at the other people on the Hall of Fame, I think it's not totally me, it's the heritage for my father and my grandfather," John said.

You could call it a lifetime achievement award, except the Wittlins have been doing it for so much longer, through the lifetime of a grandfather, father and now a son and grandson: four generations of business supported by Menomonee Falls.

Still young, Max doesn't have any imminent plans for his successor, but it's hard to believe whoever it is will have a name other than "Wittlin."

"It something I hope to pass on to a new generation maybe."