A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Steve Olson

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Steve Olson

Communication, hard work, and giving back are goals in life that people strive to achieve. For Steve Olson of La Porte, Indiana, these are not only goals; they are a part of his daily lifestyle.

Steve Olson grew up in New Carlisle, Indiana and attended New Prairie High School where his parents taught. After high school, Steve attended Indiana University, Bloomington to study accounting.

“My first real job was given to me by Edward J. Wainscott, [Certified Public Accountant] in La Porte,” Steve said. “I wouldn’t have been in the place I was before and the place I am in now if it wasn’t for Ed Wainscott, people throughout my career, and most importantly my parents. My parents were my main givers. They taught me my strong work ethic I have.”

After working for Wainscott, Steve started working for CompressAir as a controller in La Porte and still works there today. CompressAir is a locally owned and operated business that has been selling industrial air compressors in Northern Indiana and Chicagoland since 1987.

Working at CompressAir is not the only work that Steve does. He and his wife volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House located in Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana.

“It’s important to give back to the community because if you want to be a part of the community, you have to be involved with the community,” Steve said. “My wife and I volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in South Bend because we believe it is necessary to pay things forward. There has always been people throughout my entire life that have helped me, and I believe in doing my part to help others, too.”

In addition to his hard work and altruism, Steve is also a strong believer in effective communication. This is one of philosophies that he lives by.

“I believe that communication is key in life, especially through your career in the workplace,” Steve explained. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a janitor, a CEO of a company, or anywhere you stand in your career. It’s the communication that matters."