Lou Klein

KLEIN: Lou Klein, age 87. Born in Pittsburgh, Lou was a valley resident for over 55 years. Lou served in both the U.S. Army and Civil Air Patrol. When he left Pittsburgh, he started a chain of five optical stores in Columbus, Ohio, which he sold prior to moving to Paradise Valley, Arizona. After working for two different chemical companies in the West, he started his own chemical company in Tempe, Arizona, in 1973. When the EPA made it impossible to continue, he formed Production Packaging & Processing Equipment Co. to sell off the equipment he had been using. This became his largest business endeavor. Ten years later, he found a better location near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport that he expanded twice. The new location was more convenient because of all the out of state customers that flew in. He became one of the largest packaging and processing equipment dealers in the country. In 2006 he decided to sell the facility on E. Van Buren Street and retire. It took two 18-hour days just to auction off 50,00 square feet of inventory. Lou leaves the love of his life, Honey Klein, his wife of 62 years and three adoring sons, Marc, Alan and Jeff, and their significant others. Lou also leaves four perfect grandchildren: Josh, Alyssa, Gabrielle and Hailey. PJC