Meet The Palkos

Jim Palko

Chairman of the Board / Founder

Jim was born and raised in Northwest Indiana. After a parochial school education, he attended and graduated from Northeast Missouri State College in 1969, with a degree in Business Administration. After holding several management and sales positions with both large and small companies, Jim decided to establish this distributing company in 1984. He started with one product line, and an exclusive agreement with Natural Balance for 4 states. From there, the business has grown to represent 304 lines, and 6978 products. Jim is officially retired now but still comes into the office occasionally. He enjoys attending industry functions and trade shows. He is passionate about the natural products industry and helping health food retailers grow their businesses. Outside of the business, Jim's passions are for fishing, collecting antique marbles, traveling, and watching his grandchildren grow.

Debbie Palko

Ambassador

Debbie grew up on a farm in Southeast Iowa. She met Jim in college at Northeast Missouri State in 1968. They were married when Jim graduated in 1969. Their first home was in Cleveland, OH, where Steve was born. After 2 years there, they moved to Northwest Indiana, where they have lived for 35+ years. Daughter Sally was born in Hammond, IN in 1971. Debbie has worked in banking and sales before Palko Distributing Co., Inc. was founded in 1984. As the business grew, she helped with billing, packing orders, hiring employees, etc. Currently Debbie is partially retired, responsible for international business for Palko's, and for re-activating dormant accounts. You can meet Debbie at all NPA shows and both Expo's in the natural products industry. Her personal interests include reading, sewing, traveling, and playing with her grandchildren. But her love for the business shows in her great customer service and enjoyment of all of Palko's great customers.

Steve Palko

President / Chief Financial Officer

Steve grew up in the Natural Products industry. Palko Services began in 1984 when Steve’s father, Jim Palko, entered an agreement to distribute Pep Products in a seven state territory. Steve was just 14 years old at the time and his first “job” at Palko Services was answering incoming phone calls and packing shipments after school. He attended Purdue University and worked packing orders during summer breaks. In the years that followed college, Steve worked as a Sales Rep, Director of Marketing, Sales Manager, and CFO, eventually moving into his current position as President. Steve and his sister, Sally Jo, are now 2nd generation co-owners of Palko Services.

Steve enjoys the great outdoors and is very competitive. He plays golf every week when Indiana weather cooperates. Steve is a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan and cheers for the Bears and White Sox as well. He is not a Vegan, loves his occasional steak, and enjoys an adult beverage from time to time, but takes his supplements faithfully and considers himself to be relatively healthy. Steve's passion is on the marketing & artwork side of the business, but enjoys the numbers and seeing the business grow. He learned much from his father about running a family business. Steve is proud to lead a growing company that provides jobs to more than 70 people through the support of this wonderful Natural Products Community.

Sally Jo Reagor

New Products Coordinator

Sally Jo was 12 years old when her dad started his new venture, it was an exciting time for the family. Finally, dad would be the boss, after being a salesman, his whole life. Sally Jo soon learned what he had gotten their family into. She remembers in the beginning (1984) when dad's new industry friends would visit, some had very unusual beliefs (at least in her naïve eyes, a Midwest Indiana girl, who'd never met people from California). She was awe struck by their salt lamps, crystals, and color therapy. The people she met were herbalists & homeopaths, others had pendulums, some read your eyes, and they all had a remedy for everything... she didn't know what to think.

Now over 35 years later its totally normal for Sally Jo to embrace all alternative lifestyles- she's learned about chakras, wears magnetic jewelry, and can even be seen muscle testing when looking for her perfect remedies. Sally Jo's heart is happy just being a part of something better, that potentially improves the lives of those that search for natural solutions. Sally Jo is proud to hold a seat on the MAHO (Mid American Health Organization) Board whose primary focus is serving Independent Retailers here in the Midwest. Palko has come a long way in the natural industry journey, and Sally Jo is super excited to be actively pursuing new and exciting items every day for our retail customers. You will see Sally Jo at most of the trade shows as the New Product Coordinator. She is super proud to be a part of this wonderful company and committed to growing our industry. She would like to take a minute to thank everyone for supporting the Family Business and she wants you to know that the Palko Family appreciates the friendships we have developed over the past 30+ years servicing this amazing life changing industry.