Brian Burghardt, the owner of Burghardt Sporting Goods in New Berlin, and Maggie Burghardt, corporate sales and marketing lead for the business, will participate in a keynote panel discussion at BizTimes Media’s annual Family & Closely Held Business Summit, on Thursday, June 4.
The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Brookfield Conference Center. Click here to register.
Burghardt Sporting Goods was founded in 1881 by Charles Burghardt. It started as a stationery and bookstore in downtown Milwaukee before shifting its focus to team sports and sporting goods around the turn of the century.
Brian Burghardt joined Burghardt Sporting Goods in 1995 as the first member of the fifth generation to enter the family business, stepping into a company of roughly 10 employees that was 80% sporting goods retail and 20% team sales. Today, Burghardt Sporting Goods employs around 100 people, and that ratio has flipped — the business is now 80% custom apparel and 20% retail. Over the past 30 years, Brian has played a key role in that transformation.
Maggie Burghardt joined Burghardt Sporting Goods in September 2024, becoming the first member of the sixth generation to enter the family business. Her focus is on the next chapter of the company’s custom apparel growth: corporate apparel. While Burghardt is well known for outfitting schools, teams, and community organizations, far fewer businesses recognize the company as a partner for branded corporate gear. Maggie is working to change that by introducing the Burghardt name to new markets and helping businesses see the company as a trusted partner for branded apparel and promotional products.
In addition to the keynote conversation with Brian Burghardt and Maggie Burghardt, Beeler Construction co-owner and CFO Kim Peterson, Gorilla Mill owner and president Nathan Cranker, Leader Paper Products president and CEO Steve Hipp and Perlick CEO Theodore “TJ” Perlick Molinari will participate in a panel discussion at the Family & Closely Held Business Summit.
The event will also include several strategy seminars:
- Building Business Value: Strategic Succession & Exit Readiness
- The Solution to Dilution: Streamlining Ownership Through the Generations
- Protecting What You’ve Built: Business Succession Planning Essentials
- How New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) can help grow your Family or Closely Held Business
Following the Family & Closely Held Business Summit program attendees will be invited to stay and network with fellow attendees with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres.
The Family & Closely Held Business Summit is sponsored by Meissner Tierney, SVA and TriCity National Bank.
Annex Wealth Management is the event partner.
The 2025 Family & Closely Held Business Summit brought nearly 300 people to the Brookfield Conference Center.
