#47 Mitch Kaeser & Brad Kaeser

Kaeser & Blair (asi/238600)

2023 Rank: NR

Mitch Kaeser – Co-CEO

Industry Experience: 8 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 0

Brad Kaeser: Co-CEO

Industry Experience: 13 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 0

Mitch and Brad Kaeser, the fourth generation of family leadership at Counselor Top 40 distributor Kaeser & Blair, make their first appearance on this year’s list after taking over the long-running distributorship as co-CEOs last summer. The brothers essentially grew up in the business, with Brad beginning in order entry back in 2011 and Mitch joining a few years later in 2016 with a focus on event planning, which he continues as the planner of K&B’s annual Sales Leader Summit.

Kaeser & Blair celebrated its 130th anniversary this year, as well as the full integration of distributorship Promotional Concepts Inc. of Red Oak into its corporate umbrella. The move is expected to add $5 million in sales volume in 2024, which could tip the firm over the $100 million sales mark this year after it fell just short last year despite 1% growth. Along with boosting even more business with top-tier suppliers through K&B’s Preferred Supplier Program, the brothers have been restructuring part of its home office staff to a teams-based structure instead of a hierarchical one to better incorporate ideas from the full team, Mitch shares. The move is aimed to raise an already strong company cultured that netted the distributor a spot on Counselor’s 2024 Best Places to Work list.

The pair’s father, Kurt Kaeser – longtime president/CEO of Kaeser & Blair – continues as chairman. “We have some big shoes to fill,” Brad says, “but we’re both excited for the opportunity.”