Family, Formulating and Faith Fuel Success at Luster Products

Luster Products
Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Founded: 1957

What is the secret to your success? It is no secret that our ongoing success and longevity is nothing less than God’s blessing! We were blessed to have a founder who established a set of core values and principles as a road map to be followed—and we continue to follow. We are also staffed with a great performing and supportive team. Lastly, we are spiritually grounded as a company.

Every business hits a rough patch. Can you share a time when Luster Products was challenged? Normally, periods of success are accompanied by challenges of a variety of types and levels. It is the organization and its leadership’s responsibility to navigate through the ever-present series of challenges and roadblocks. 

Most recently, however, the covid-19 pandemic has presented the most challenging period in our company’s existence. Although most companies are facing these same challenges, they are still tough to navigate. There are many supply chain challenges: longer lead times for materials, difficulties in on-time freight pick-ups and deliveries, inflated material costs as well as increased freight costs. International container costs could qualify as hyperinflation rates. Labor shortages and increased costs are a major challenge as well. These conditions create a series of day-to-day adjustments and changes just to remain viable. It takes a dedicated team of determined and creative individuals to anticipate and seek out creative solutions just to stay in business and remain viable.

How do you handle R&D? We are blessed to have a team of experienced and seasoned R&D scientists, under the leadership of Fred Luster II, who continually search for the best contemporary solutions to solving consumers’ ever changing needs and preferences while accepting no less than performance excellence.

How do you give back? Luster Products has a long legacy of community giving support. It is one of Fred Luster Sr.’s original requirements for the company “that we support and give back to the community that has so graciously supported us.”

The primary focus of our support has been to organizations that benefit African American youth; however, here are some of the organizations that we have supported over the years: The Joseph Assignment (building fresh water drinking wells in Ghana), Mam/ Wow youth guidance organizations, American Cancer Society, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, Jackie Robinson West Scholarship Foundation, just to name a few.

What would your parents say about the company today? There is no doubt in my mind that our parents would be proud that 1) that we have chosen to continue their legacy, 2) that we have placed the values that they handed down to us at the center of all that we do within and outside the company, 3) that we continue to make Luster Products a great place to work for all of our coworkers as well as ourselves and, 4) we keep God at the center of all that we do.