OCTOBER 10 • 2019 | 15 W hen Rena Tepman, son Larry and cous- in Dan Grubner separately do their personal grocery shopping, they can spend as many as three hours in a supermarket. It’ s not that they’ re preoccu- pied with food; it’ s that they’ re preoccupied with containers. The three are among five generations of a family owning and/or working for Porter Bottle Company in Downtown Detroit, their base for distrib- uting glass and plastic contain- ers; and they want to keep up to the minute on trends and popular choices. “We don’ t just pick our favorite brand of salad dress- ing, ” co-owner Larry says to provide an example of what takes up their time. “We look at every single salad dressing bottle. Dan, our operations manager, has called me on the weekends from someplace, excited about a new bottling line he has noticed. “I think it’ s in our blood. ” Porter Bottle Company has offices on Fort Street and operates a nearby warehouse spanning 45,000 square feet and holding some 900 different containers among hundreds of thousands of total items. Their Detroit presence, since 1936, is maintained because it’ s central to many continuing customers and holds easy access for Canadian businesses. The family, which continued operations after a devastating fire in 1977, is proud to service local individual customers who are starting out — and perhaps short of one bottle cap — as well as large North American manufacturers needing as many as 35,000 containers with as many caps. THE COMPANY’ S ROOTS Porter Bottle Company was started by Rena’ s parents, Dave and Ida Schwartz. Among the diverse products, beyond foods and beverag- es, that eventually fill their in-stock containers are cos- metics, medicines and clean- ing solvents. “My mom and dad started Porter Bottle right after they got married using the money they received as wedding gifts,” Rena says. “My dad had worked for my grand- father, Sam Schwartz, who washed and sold used bottles after coming to the United States from Hungary. “It was like recycling as my grandfather worked out of a backyard shed before selling the bottles back to the original factory or others. My grandfather was the bottle cleaner, and my dad was the salesman and the delivery guy. My grandmother, Sadie, handled the books.” Although Rena’ s grandpar- ents wanted her dad to join the established business and make it C.S. Schwartz & Son, Rena’ s parents had a spinoff idea. “My grandparents said they needed to do their own thing,” Larry explains. “My great-grandfather stayed on the east side, and my grand- parents purchased an exist- ing business on Fourth and Porter — the Porter Bottle Exchange. They set up on the west side, eventually transi- tioning into handling only new glass bottles before add- ing plastics in the 1960s. “Eight years later, my great-grandfather closed his business and came to my grandfather asking to work with him. He was there from continued on page 16 FACING PAGE: Dan Grubner of Oak Park, 11-year-old Jillian Dickman of West Bloomfield, Rena Tepman of West Bloomfield, Larry Tepman of West Bloomfield and 9-year-old Jordyn Tepman of West Bloomfield What Is Your Plan?..... Call Us. We focus on Probate Litigation and Administration. Administering estates where everyone is on the same page. Protecting you from self-dealing parties appointed by will, trust or the court. Protecting you from family members who always want more. michprobate.com 24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110 Southfield, MI 48034 1-248-945-1111 The probate law firm of: The Probate Law Firm of Ad space donated by Thav, Ryke and Assoc 24725 W. 12 Mile Rd Ste 110, Southfield MI 48075 248-945-1111 / www.michprobate.com Aish Hatorah Detroit is writing a new Torah Scroll dedicated by Lisa and Danny Klein. You are invited to the Opening Ceremony as we scribe the first letter. Following the ceremony, your family will have the opportunity to write their own letter. Reserve your slot today at aishdetroit.com. Look out for our Mitzvah Campaign and the chance to win the opportunity for YOUR family to write the very FIRST letter in the new Torah Scroll