I thought this was a FANTASTIC story about a person who clearly knows he can't take it with him!

Generac workers get a holiday surprise
Retired founder sends employees checks for thousands of dollars

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George Plehn, a factory worker at Generac Power Systems Inc., was shocked to come home from work and find a $31,000 Christmas gift in the mail.

It was a check from Robert and Patricia Kern.

Robert Kern, recently retired, was the founder of Generac, a Waukesha County company that makes residential, commercial and industrial power generators.

This week, the Kerns mailed checks to employees that easily added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The total amount remains a mystery because the Kerns aren't talking about it, but employees said some people got nearly $50,000.

"My jaw dropped when I saw" the check in the mail, said Plehn, a 19-year Generac employee.

"This was a huge amount of money for something that wasn't really necessary," he said Thursday.

The privately held company has more than 1,500 employees. Robert Kern, 81, recently sold his share of the ownership and stepped down as chairman to focus on philanthropy.

The Kerns have a charitable foundation valued at tens of millions of dollars. But the Christmas gifts came from the couple rather than the foundation or the company.

"I don't know if it was for all of the employees, and the gifts are not all the same. But some people were really shocked by the amounts," said Stephanie Borowski, a Generac human resources executive.

Jeff Dries has worked at the company for nine years and said he got a check for about $10,000.

"People had gone home for lunch and checked their mail like they normally do," Dries said. "They just got broadsided" by the checks.

Dries said he and his wife plan to use their gift as a down payment on a house.

"I know it's going to change a lot of people's lives," he said of the gifts.

Gordon Seefeldt, a Generac truck driver, received one of the checks. He has worked at the company for 17 years and has met Robert Kern.

The checks surprised a lot of people, but Kern is a generous man, Seefeldt said.

"He has always maintained that the longtime faithful employees have been responsible for his success," Seefeldt added.

One former employee said he was disappointed that he didn't receive a check.

"I was with Generac for nine years, left a week and a half before this happened, and they didn't give me anything," said Jeremy Schwarz.

"If this is a reward for service or outstanding commitment, then I think they need to take another look at this," he said.

Some of the checks weren't huge, especially for new employees.

Brian Thompson, who has worked at Generac for only six weeks, received $500. He saw Robert Kern only once, in the hallway, and has never met him.

"I would have been OK with not getting anything," Thompson said.

A district sales manager, Thompson said he has been impressed with the company's generosity in areas such as charitable giving.

"A lot of companies do a really good job of promoting themselves and building up their image. But this is more than that. It's not fake," Thompson said.