A Milestone Year for Wolter Inc.: Fueling Growth with Family Values and Strategic Investments

At Wolter Inc., a  Brookfield-based leader in material handling solutions, 2024 has been a transformative year thanks to a game-changing growth investment from BBH Capital, the private equity arm of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. This significant investment has fueled our expansion efforts, introducing Bobcat products to our catalog and enabling key acquisitions in the southeastern United States, establishing a brand-new operational market for Wolter.

Since our founding in 1962 by Otto Wolter, now board chairman, Wolter has grown into a powerhouse in the industry, acquiring nearly 20 subsidiaries and serving markets across the Midwest, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

This year, our momentum continued with the acquisition of Cincinnati Crane & Hoist in July and Atlanta-based Dedicated Material Handling Solutions in September. The Atlanta acquisition marked a pivotal moment for Wolter, as it launched our southeast region, added over 100 employees, and expanded our market reach to Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida.

Our achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. Wolter is honored to be named the BizTimes Milwaukee 2024 Family-Owned Business of the Year, a testament to our strong foundation of family values and our commitment to growth and excellence.

From a team of 590 employees in 2023, we now proudly employ nearly 700 people as of November 2024, with an annual revenue of $250 million. Family remains at the heart of everything we do, with several members of the Wolter family holding leadership roles. This includes CEO Jerry Weidmann, Otto Wolter’s son-in-law, Otto's son and daughters, John Wolter, Kim Weidmann and Jan Plenke, alongside nephew Frank Machi and grandchildren Theron and Ian Cichacki, Shannon Williams and Gwen Plenke. 

Our success is driven by a culture that prioritizes family values and seamlessly integrates them into every aspect of our business. “The core element of being able to grow a family business is to translate the family values and culture into each acquisition,” says CEO Jerry Weidmann.

Wolter’s acquisition strategy focuses on partnering with other family-owned businesses, creating a smoother transition for everyone involved. By offering retiring business owners a built-in exit strategy and employing a proven four-phase team-building system—forming, storming, norming, and performing—we ensure a seamless integration process, guided by what we call “The Wolter Way.”

This acquisition-driven model has positioned Wolter for continued growth, with 19 locations across the Midwest and Southeast. Our goal is to double in size within five years, extending operations into states along the Mississippi River and expanding toward the Northeast.

To support this growth, we’ve added new leadership roles, including Stu Pineda as chief financial officer, Ross Jeremiah as president of the Midwest region, Tony Jones as president of the southeast region, and Martin Park as chief of staff to the CEO.

As we look to the future, Wolter remains committed to innovation, growth, and upholding the values that have defined us for over six decades. We are proud to have been recognized as one of BizTimes Media’s Future 50 companies for three consecutive years—2022, 2023, and 2024—and we look forward to achieving even greater milestones together.
 

Click here to read more: https://biztimes.com/family-owned-business-of-the-year-wolter-leans-heavily-on-ma-to-achieve-fast-widespread-growth/