I graduated from Carroll University in 1977 with a B.S. degree and double major in Business Administration and Economics.My career began at Trico at the age of 14 by working in areas of manufacturing until I completed college. I am the third generation of this family business, which was founded by my grandfather in 1917. After college I worked in various capacities and became President in 1994 and CEO & President in 2001.Today, Trico is a holacratic organization. All of our employees refer to the roles they play rather than a title they hold. My focus is on Strategic Initiatives and I am a member of the Owners' Team. Self-governing accountable teams fits my personality and style. I prefer visionary and higher level thinking. I believe in empowering people, collaboration, problem solving, building trust and being accountable to yourself and to your team.If you are reading my profile before applying for a job at Trico, I would say up-front, if you need to have a title on your business card, won't make decisions, are not results focused, will not be accountable, don't care for collaboration and problem solving, then Trico is not the place for you.From 1994 - 2016 I was been a member of TEC (now Vistage). I served as the first Chairman of the Hydraulic Institute’s Associate Member Council in 1998. I have been a Co-Host and Advisor for 7 years at Business World, a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce program which exposes high school students and teachers from around the state of Wisconsin to a variety of issues and careers in the world of business. I served as a lay counselor in my church from 1999 – 2006 where I counseled men. I have facilitated strategic planning at a number of churches and also have spoken on a variety of topics at area organizations.My wonderful wife, Pam, passed away in 2020. We have 5 adult children and 11 grandchildren. In 2023 I was elected to the board of the National Christian Foundation in Wisconsin. https://www.ncfgiving.com/wisconsin/My specialties are: Strategic Planning, Accountable Teams, Creative Thinking, Family Succession and Acquisitions.
