Brookfield | Founded: 1962
Industry: Industrial equipment
Employees: 590
Wolter distributes new and used material handling equipment, overhead crane and hoists, generators, storage solutions and engineered systems to industrial, construction and commercial customers across the Midwest.
What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?
Jerry Weidmann, president: “Our strategic plan included an annual growth of a minimum of 7.5% net of inflation. Our strategy is to double in size every seven to 10 years (organically and through acquisition). This included a territory expansion plan that took us from a two-state territory to a seven-state territory and included six acquisitions within the last four years.”
What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?
“The material handling industry is moving to increased automation. We formed an automation division over two years ago and are realigning our organization to foster rapid growth in automated materials handling. To allow for growth by acquisition, we have formed a ‘SWAT’ team to assist with due diligence, acquisition integration and long-term performance.
“We are transforming our go to market strategy for fleet users by creating an integrated solutions group that combines our capabilities in warehouse products, storage and handling, and automation. We believe this strategy will lead the industry.”