Summerfest Business Alliance Member Spotlight
1.) Tell Us Your Story!
The Kieckhefer Group was founded about 25 years ago to help companies and individuals save and plan for retirement. We grew to be one of the largest financial service companies in Southeast Wisconsin with about one hundred (100) 401 (k) plans all over the Midwest and tens of thousands of individuals all over the United States. I was appointed to the EdVest /Tomorrow's Scholar 529 plan board and became Chairman of the Investment Committee. I served on the board for 8 years and our assets under management grew to almost $6 billion.
2.) How Do You Impact Your Community?
In the last 12 years, we have committed 30% of our profits to charities with the bulk of the donations to inner city voucher schools.
I support the following 6 organizations that serve the children in Milwaukee: Children’s Outing Association (COA), Cristo Rey, St. Augustine Prep, Hear Wisconsin, Immanuel Lutheran School, and St. Marcus Lutheran School.
I have served on the Cabinet for St. Marcus School for about 10 years. During my 10 year tenure on the St. Marcus School cabinet, we have grown from 600 students to 1500 students. We are in the process of refurbishing St. Catherine’s grade school on 1st and Burleigh and we are in the process of starting an Early Learning Center for 3 and 4 year olds so that we can get those youngsters ready for K5 and first grade. Our goal is to get all our 3rd graders reading at grade level. In Milwaukee, the schools that are 80% poor and 80% blacks do not get a good education and only about 5% of the 3rd graders read at grade level. We can fix the problem and it is worth the effort.
3.) Adapting to change. - What are some ways in which your business has had to adapt and pivot, and how has that led to success?
My wife and I bought her family construction company, Price Erecting, about 20 years ago. The company is almost 110 years old today and it if flourishing under new management that we put in place. It is a 3rd generation company that made it to the third generation but not without challenges and some hardships. We are proud of what Price Erecting has done over the years including building the first bridge over the Mississippi River at LaCross, erecting power houses and any number of buildings in downtown Milwaukee, building Lambeau Field, Miller Park, Fiserv Forum and countless other projects. We have a reputation for getting things done on time and under budget.
4) Why is it important to your organization to Support Summerfest?
I think Summerfest is Milwaukee and it is a celebration that everyone in the city and surrounding area loves. I am proud to be associated with Summerfest.
I give out over 600 tickets to all kinds of groups and organizations including some if not all of the schools and charities that I support. It is a small gift to give someone a ticket. It makes it a bigger gift if that someone does not know you. It made it a gift to remember when one of the staff at St. Marcus called me and said that she was the most popular person in the school that day because she was handing out Summerfest tickets.