Kaeser & Blair (PPAI 103148, D12) has announced that the fourth generation of Kaesers has taken the helm of the 129-year-old company.

Mitch and Brad Kaeser, both named PPAI Rising Stars in 2022, have been appointed to the roles of co-CEO of the Batavia, Ohio-based firm. Their father Kurt Kaeser will be transitioning from CEO/president to chairman of the company, which was ranked the No. 42 distributor on this year’s PPAI 100. Along with their father, the two brothers now share one-third ownership in the firm. PPAI has confirmed that the ownership change went into effect last year.

“We’re incredibly excited to take the reins of Kaeser & Blair,” Mitch says. “Kaeser & Blair has always been led by incredible people. Being fourth generation, we know we have massive shoes to fill, and we’ll continue to run this company with integrity, respect and professionalism.”

“I look at this amazing opportunity as a huge honor,” Brad adds. “I'm incredibly grateful to the K&B family around us for trusting me and Mitch to take over. Our father, Kurt, has had amazing success as CEO, as did our grandfather, Dick. So, we definitely have some work cut out for us. But Mitch and I are ready for anything that comes our way. Plus, Kurt will still be here as chairman. His knowledge and experience will still play an important role as we continue to grow Kaeser & Blair.”

It’s A Family Affair

In 1894, the company was founded in Cincinnati as the Cincinnati Printing and Paper Products Co. The name changed when Dutch Kaeser and Bill Blair acquired the firm in 1923. Representing the third generation of family leadership, Kurt Kaeser became CEO/president in 1996.

Involved in the industry for as long as they can remember, Mitch and Brad both went to college and gained professional experience in other areas before committing to the family business.

Mitch, who graduated from Otterbein University with a bachelor’s in graphic design, formally joined Kaeser & Blair in 2016 as a business development executive. Coining himself the “chief officer of fun,” he’s been instrumental in event planning, including organizing the company’s annual Sales Leader Summit. 

Brad, who graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s in marketing, formally joined Kaeser & Blair in 2011 in order entry. He worked his way up to business development, connecting with new business owners and assisting with the startup process.

“The position of co-CEO is very fitting,” Brad says. “We work really well together and are always bouncing ideas off one another. We have our own strengths and weaknesses, but when working together, those weaknesses cancel out and let both our strengths really show. We also have an open-door policy. Kaeser & Blair has always been a family business and we extend that sense of family to all of our team. We want to welcome everyone's voice at K&B – the best way to be successful is by truly working together. With everyone at our side, the future looks really good.”

Mitch adds: “Brad and I believe in the motto of ‘honoring the past and reinventing the future.’ We hope we can lead the Kaeser team into a progressive and successful future, but we can't do it without our amazing team behind us: our sales leaders, the leadership team and our home office team members. We hope this brings some fresh energy to K&B and the industry.”

With more than a century in business, Kaeser & Blair and the independent salespeople it supports have built a strong reputation in the promotional products industry. In fact, the firm’s attitude towards career education helped the company earn high marks in the PPAI 100 for its professional development.