Christopher Nolte has been promoted to president of Milwaukee-based Marcus Investments LLC.
Marcus Investments was formed by the Marcus family in 2006, and Nolte has worked at the company since its formation. He previously was vice president of alternative investments. In his new role, Nolte will provide strategy and oversight for the firm’s portfolio of companies and pursue growth prospects.
The firm has invested in several businesses since it was formed, including Milwaukee-based retail real estate development firm Berengaria Development; Milwaukee-based restaurant group Hospitality Democracy, which operates Zaffiro’s Pizza, AJ Bombers, Smoke Shack, Holey Moley and other restaurants in the area; and mattress retailer Verlo Mattress.
Nolte also has served in leadership roles at those portfolio companies. He is currently chief executive officer of Verlo Matress and co-founder and managing partner of Berengaria Development. Prior to the formation of Marcus Investments, Nolte was director of real estate at The Marcus Corp.
“Chris has played an integral role in the growth and success of Marcus Investments, from our initial team of just three employees to now 40 employees in our corporate office and nearly 500 among our core businesses,” said David Marcus, chief executive officer of Marcus Investments. “We have reached the point where we need to grow our leadership team to take Marcus Investments to the next level. Chris is the leader who can help us achieve future goals.”
Moving forward, Marcus Investments plans to expand beyond internal capital and bring in outside investors.
“At our core, we are entrepreneurial financiers,” Nolte said. “We find opportunities to take something small and grow it big – using our know-how, contacts and capital to make that happen. This puts us somewhere between venture capital and middle-market private equity, a ‘sweet spot’ for entrepreneurs and investors alike.”
