Chairman, president and CEO
Badger Meter | Brown Deer
Ken Bockhorst has led Brown Deer-based Badger Meter as president since 2019 and as CEO since 2020. He joined the company as chief operating officer in 2017. Under his leadership, Badger Meter, which produces water meters and other flow instrumentation products, reported net sales of $703.6 million in 2023, a revenue record for company. That same year, the company acquired U.K.-based water monitoring solutions company Syrinix for about $18.1 million. Prior to joining Badger Meter, Bockhorst was an executive vice president with Actuant Corp. and held prior leadership roles at IDEX Corp. and Eaton Corp.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Marian University; MBA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Highlights from the past 12 months: “What I’m most proud of this past year is how our employees have been able to continue to deliver outstanding results, year after year. We have more than doubled our revenues over the past five years, but our team continues to operate with a drive to exceed customer expectations, and a culture of excellence that outperforms our competitors time and again.”
Playlist for commute/run: “Audiobooks. I am listening to biographies of U.S. presidents in chronological order while in the car. I’m currently on no. 10, John Tyler.”
What would you do if you could choose another career: “Sports reporter.”
Cocktail of choice: “Buffalo Trace Manhattan.”
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Manufacturing
Chairman, president and CEO
Badger Meter | Brown Deer
Ken Bockhorst joined Badger Meter in 2017 as its chief operating officer and was promoted to president, chief executive officer and chairman each successive year after. The Brown Deer-based manufacturer of flow measurement and control products has 1,900 employees company-wide and ranks among the 50 largest public Wisconsin companies by revenue. Badger Meter has managed to grow its top line amid supply chain challenges in recent years. Previously, Bockhorst was an executive vice president with Actuant Corp., and held prior leadership roles at IDEX Corp. and Eaton Corp.
Education: Bachelor’s, Marian University; Executive MBA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Favorite Wisconsin restaurant: “Too many great choices to pick one restaurant, but the Lobster Pot Pie at Third Coast Provisions in Milwaukee is amazing.”
As you enter your office, What would you choose to be your walk-up or theme song: “‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem. Making sure that you do everything within your power to succeed. You never know how many opportunities you will get, don’t let it pass you by.”
First car: “1977 Chevy Nova. Rescued it from the junk yard at 16, and drove it for four years.”
Biggest recent success: “Our Badger Meter team has pulled together to overcome many of the significant challenges posed by the supply chain crisis. To do this on the back of successfully navigating a global pandemic has been like hitting grand slams in back-to-back innings. I couldn’t be more proud of the results achieved during these times by all of our employees across the world.”