TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY
Mike Erwin recently retired as CEO of Tailored Label Products.
Jeff Kerlin succeeded Erwin as CEO of Tailored Label Products.
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BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer
OU DID THE RESEARCH, WROTE THE BUSINESS PLAN, obtained the funding, completed the paperwork, opened the doors and christened your business. You planned and executed, analyzed and steered that business. You hired employees, created a culture, fostered an environment of success. All along the way, you tracked its progress and watched it grow. It’s your baby. Suddenly, it’s time to retire. Time to loosen the reins to find out what all those long hours and all that hard work have amounted to. Now what?
A CLEAR PATH Several months ago, Mike Erwin began allowing his second-in-command to run employee meetings while he sat in the front row and quietly mentioned points to cover. He moved further back in the room at each successive meeting until he was loudly heckling Jeff Kerlin from the back row. That’s when he knew it was time for him to leave the room. Erwin, who recently retired from his role as chief executive officer of Menomonee Falls-based label manufacturer Tailored Label Products Inc., planned the move many years in advance. “I wanted to retire in kind of a normal cycle of 63 to 65, and be able to have the energy and enthusiasm to do other things,” Erwin said. w w w.biztimes.com
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