After 50 years in the business, Tom Boldt retires

Listen to this article

A well-known name in northeast Wisconsin officially retired this month. He was the last family member to run his namesake company.

Tom Boldt, chairman of Appleton-based The Boldt Group, officially retired on June 1 and had a formal celebration on Wednesday with family and employees, company officials said. A fourth-generation leader and son of Oscar C. Boldt, he joined the family business in 1976 and served as president and CEO between 1998 and 2024.

Tom Boldt will continue serving as chairman as The Board Group Board of Directors, officials added.

In 2015, the company shifted to an employee stock ownership plan and in 2026 became a 100% employee-owned owned company.

In 2024, Dave Kievet was named the new president and CEO, succeeding Tom Boldt.

“Tom’s impact will continue to be felt through the people he mentored, the relationships he built and the values he embodied every day,” Kievet said in a statement. “He leaves behind a company that is rooted in tradition, strengthened by culture and well-positioned for future success as a 100% employee-owned company.”

The based company started as a carpentry shop in 1889, started by Martin Boldt. It had run as a family company for roughly 137 years until Tom Boldt’s retirement.

Boldt was recognized for his work advancing the industry and earned honors including being named a National Academy of Construction Inductee, a UW Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Construction Club and Wisconsin Safety Hall of Fame award recipient.

He was also honored as a Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Friend of the Environment and recognized with a Rotary Paul Harris Award.