President and founder
Crystal Finishing Systems | Schofield
Before the age of 18, Mark Matthiae was already running his first business, an autobody shop in Marathon, Wisconsin. Twenty years later, in 1993, he set out on another entrepreneurial journey when he and his wife, Laurie, founded Crystal Finishing Systems. The business got its start operating out of a 3,500-square-foot facility, with three employees and one spray line. Since then, the company has grown to four facilities, more than 950 employees and annual sales of more than $250 million. Mark remains president of the family-owned firm, while Laurie has retired.
The company’s services include liquid painting, powder coating, anodizing, metal fabrication and plastic and fiberglass painting. It also provides trucking and warehouse services. Based in Schofield, the company has additional locations in Mosinee, River Falls and Senatobia, Mississippi. In 2022, Matthiae told a local news outlet the growing company planned to invest $20 million in its facilities and equipment and add 400 positions to meet customer demand.
Crystal Finishing Systems has been named among the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies for multiple consecutive years, and in 2016 Matthiae was named Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration.
Matthiae is also a co-founder of the Crystal Training Institute, an 82,000-square-foot sports training facility that opened in 2022. Located in Mosinee, the facility allows athletes in central Wisconsin to train year-round.
Matthiae is also involved in various civic and charitable organizations, serving as a founding board member of the Ministry Health Care Foundation and on the board of Northcentral Technical College.
