Founder of Waukesha-based Generac dies

The founder of Waukesha-based Generac died this week.

Robert Kern founded the company in Wales, Wisconsin, in 1959 with five employees making portable generators from his garage. The company now employs about 10,000 people and had revenue of $3.7 billion last year.

When Kern sold the company in 2006, he and his late wife Patricia shared the proceeds of the sale with employees. Workers received gifts based on their years of service, some receiving as much as $40,000.

“Bob’s passing is a tremendous loss for the Generac family and the larger community,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO, in a statement. “His forward-thinking vision laid the solid foundation for what Generac is today.”

Jagdfeld continued: “I had the distinct honor of working with Bob for nearly 15 years, and he continued to serve as a mentor to me and to others well into his retirement. He was a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word as his work ethic, tenacity, and innovative spirit are the embodiment and the defining characteristics that live on in our Company today.”

In addition to his work with the company, Kern was active in philanthropy. He and his wife established the Kern Family Foundation in 1998, funding a number of organizations in the Milwaukee area including the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University’s College of Engineering.

According to a statement from Generac, the couple also supported national organizations including funding the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery to help improve patient’s health care experiences, as well as the creation of the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network. They also provided funding for science and engineering education programs like as Project Lead the Way.

Kern died Nov. 8. He was 96.