Family Business Forum
Presented by WMC Foundation
Building a Future for Your Family Business
Join the WMC Foundation for the Family Business Forum taking place at The American Club in Kohler, April 29-30. 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.
Registration is limited to 100 executives from across the state.
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
2026 Program
Program subject to change
WEDNESDAY
April 29
Session Sponsored By
12:00PM
Lunch & Registration
1:00PM
Opening Remarks
Wade Goodsell
President, WMC Foundation
1:15PM
Family Legacy Beyond Financial Success
Tom Rogerson
Founder, GenLegCo
2:00PM
Break
2:30PM
Executive Spotlight
Kurt Bauer
moderator
President & CEO, WMC
Kevin Honkamp
CEO, Hydrite
3:15PM
Ask the Experts: Trust & Estate Planning Best & Worst Practices
Jon Mariano
moderator
CFO, Evans Transportation
William Grady
Director - Private Wealth, Baker Tilly
Michael Paulsen
Executive Vice President, Lockton
to be announced
Michael Best
4:15PM
Hotel Check-In
6:00PM
Cocktail Hour
7:00PM
Dinner
8:30PM
Reception
THURSDAY
April 30
7:30AM
Breakfast
8:30AM
Family Business Leader Panel
to be announced
moderator
Jeannie Cullen Schultz
Co-President, JP Cullen
to be announced
9:30AM
Large Group Discussion
10:45AM
Closing Remarks
11:00AM
Adjourn
Lodging
To make your room reservation at The American Club in the event block, please call (844) 297-0174 and reference 720337(AC6019) and the group block name Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce – WMC April 2026. Rooms under the block are available until 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2026.
WISCONSIN FAMILY BUSINESS FORUM
Founding Partners
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)
EVENT
Sponsors
Special thanks to our WMC Foundation Sponsors for their commitment to our events and programs throughout the year!