What have you accomplished in your professional life/career since your 40 Under 40 selection?
I am proud of what ACI represents. In 2003, we were a small business trying to make a name for ourselves in the HVAC industry. Today, we are known as an industry leader in providing high-quality peripheral sensors for the HVAC industry. We employee over 200 employees, all right here in Middleton. However, I am most proud of our philanthropy efforts and giving back to our community. Most notably, our partnership with the UW Carbone Cancer Center. Five years ago, ACI and my family established the five-year ACI & Schwenn Family Professorship, which commits $500,000 in colorectal research funds benefiting the Carbone Cancer Center. This professorship was established to honor my late wife, Mindy, who lost her battle with colon cancer six years ago. By building a solid foundation of philanthropy, we continue to champion the concept of looking past our own needs to better the situation of those who need additional support. It is our hope that by setting a good example of giving back, other organizations can share the wealth of this concept to raise the bar for how good business is done.
What accomplishments, milestones, or endeavors have you attained in your personal life since your 40 Under 40 selection?
Over the years, ACI has received the Wisconsin Manufacturer of Year award, the Wisconsin Family Business of Year award, multiple Control Trends awards, and Most Admired Company in Wisconsin, just to name a few. However, our business is only as good as the people working for us and these accolades recognize the lasting and tremendous work from everyone here at ACI.
How did your 40 Under 40 selection help your career?
It is truly fascinating how small the Madison business community is. Looking back at my peers from the 2003 class, I am proud to say we are doing business with some of them today! For instance, Mike Victorson and his team at M3 take great care of all of our insurance needs.
What is something that you have a new passion for since the time of your induction — either professionally or personally?
One of my true passions today is our succession plan and setting up a second generation at ACI. We now have second-generation employees established in key roles at ACI, we are focused on creating structure to assist in spreading the knowledge that our first generation of employees have. We implemented an internal board of directors five years ago with the intent to increase collaboration between ACl’s key executives. The board grew by six members when we hired our second-generation director of purchasing, director of engineering, accounting manager, HR manager, production manager, and two VPs. After a year on the board of directors, both second generation VPs were assigned as the board facilitators who now run the biweekly meetings. Their assignment to this position was done to promote the flow of communication and collaboration through them, rather than through other first-generation executives.
Based on your experience, do you have any advice for today’s young professionals (under 40)?
Find a mentor who cares! One of my passions today is mentoring our young leaders. Great mentors truly make a difference. I was very fortunate to have a great supporting cast of mentors and business partners early in my career. To this day, they still have an impact on me.
Click here to sign up for the free IB Ezine — your twice-weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.
