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Family Business Forum

Presented by WMC Foundation

Building a Future for Your Family Business

Join the WMC Foundation for the Fall Family Business Forum taking place at The Club at Lac La Belle on October 2nd. This invitation-only event is an opportunity for middle market and upper middle market family business owners and executives to convene, benchmark and share best practices on timely topics such as: governance, succession planning, family office, family meetings, philanthropy, geopolitics and economic outlook.

REGISTER
Date:
October 2, 2025
Time:
3:00PM - 6:00PM
Venue:
The Club at Lac La Belle
Oconomowoc

Extending to the Next Generation

A third of Wisconsin businesses are family owned, employing about 40% of all employees. But nationally, only about a third survive through the second generation, 12% through the third.

Family businesses leaders experience a spectrum of challenges not experienced by leaders of other forms of business ownership: limitations to capital and talent, succession planning, business ownership, family wealth transfer, and more.

Opportunities like the WMC Foundation Family Business Forum can extend the family business ownership to the next generation. I highly recommend active participation in this program to all family business stakeholders, family and non-family leaders, stockholders, board members and others surrounding the family business.

Rusty Schieber, Brakebush Brothers, Inc.

EVENT AGENDA

2025 Program

Program subject to change

THURSDAY

Session Sponsored By

3:00PM

Registration

3:30PM

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Wade Goodsell

President, WMC Foundation

3:45PM

Panel Presentation: Tales from the Trenches - Lessons Learned in Succession, Governance and Navigating Growth

Kate Bashir

CEO, EVCO Plastics

3rd Generation

John W. Mellowes

CEO, Charter Manufacturing

4th Generation

Rusty Schieber

Vice President - Operations Support, Brakebush

3rd Generation

4:40PM

Questions

5:00PM

Cocktail Reception

6:00PM

Optional On-Site Dinner

WISCONSIN FAMILY BUSINESS FORUM

Founding Partners

Michael Best logo

Host Committee

GEORGE CULLEN & JEANNIE CULLEN SCHULTZ

JP Cullen (5th Generation)

PATRICK FLESCH

Gordon Flesch Co., Inc. (3rd Generation)

JANE BLAIN GILBERTSON

Blain’s Farm & Fleet (2nd Generation)

KEVIN HONKAMP

Hydrite Chemical Co. (3rd Generation)

RYAN KEEPMAN

Evans Transportation (2nd Generation)

THEODORE PERLICK MOLINARI & LAURIE BERGUM

Perlick Corporation (5th Generation)

JOE POEHLING & KATIE POEHLING SEYMOUR

First Supply, LLC (4th & 5th Generation)

RACHEL PREGONT

Prent Corporation (3rd Generation)

RUSTY & CHARI SCHIEBER

Brakebush Brothers (3rd Generation)

ROBERT WAHLIN

Stoughton Trailers, LLC (2nd Generation)

Special thanks to our WMC Foundation Sponsors for their commitment to our events and programs throughout the year!

Alliant Energy Corporation • Amcor Flexibles NA • Aon Risk Services Central, Inc. • Ariens Company • Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. • Associated Banc-Corp • Badger Meter, Inc. • Baker Tilly • Bank of America • Bank of Sun Prairie • Bassett Mechanical • Belmark, Inc. • BMO Harris Bank • Brakebush Brothers, Inc. • Campbell Wrapper Corp. • C.D. Smith Construction, Inc. • CentroMotion • Dairyland Power Cooperative • Delta Dental of Wisconsin • Eaton Corporation • Fairbanks Morse • Fearings • First Business Bank • First Supply LLC • Gamber-Johnson LLC • Godfrey & Kahn • Grande Cheese Co. • Greenheck Group • Hydrite Chemical Co. • Incredible Bank • Jack Link’s Protein Snacks • JJ Keller • John Deere Horicon Works • J. P. Cullen & Sons, Inc. • Kikkoman Foods Foundation, Inc. • Kwik Trip, Inc. • Lakeside Foods, Inc. • M3 Insurance • Mercury Marine • Michael Best & Friedrich LLP • Michels Corporation • Packaging Corporation of America • Plexus Corp. • Prent Corporation • Riley Construction Company, Inc. • Sargento Foods, Inc. • S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. • Society Insurance • Teel Plastics, Inc. • The Boldt Company • The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Inc. • US Venture, Inc. • Wahlin Foundation, Inc. • Waupaca Foundry, Inc. • Wegner CPAs • Wintrust/Town Bank • WIPFLI LLP • Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges & Universities • Wisconsin Energy Corporation 

Wade Goodsell

QUESTIONS?

Contact Wade Goodsell or Katelyn Acker  with any questions.