DeKALB – Tom Inboden counts the 50 years Inboden’s Meats Ltd. has been in business as an accomplishment, but he knows that’s not a free pass to coast from here on out.

“You’ve got to get up and dig in every day if you want to continue to be successful. I really believe that,” he said.

Tom’s father, Ocie Inboden, opened the meat market in 1962 in the same DeKalb location it’s in now near the corner of First Street and Hillcrest Drive. Growing up, Tom remembers washing out glass milk and soda bottles as the “sink man” after school.