After 51 Years, Brian Baumler Retires from Packerland Rent-A-Mat

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BUTLER, Wis. — May 2026 — In 1975, Brian Baumler was bagging groceries at Kohl’s Food Store for $2.35 an hour when a man named Mickey asked if he’d be interested in cleaning carpets for $3.00. “I was going to make the big bucks,” Baumler recalls. He took the job, and never left.

Last week, after 51 years with Packerland Rent-A-Mat, Baumler retired.

He started on second shift in the carpet cleaning division as a high school junior, hauling water to the machines, dumping dirty water, and moving furniture in and out of customer offices. He worked nearly full-time hours through his junior and senior years and stayed on after graduation, eventually becoming the lead carpet cleaner.

In 1978, a route opened up on day shift, and Baumler took it. He spent the next nine years on the route before John Schultz Sr., the company’s founder, approached him about a supervisor role — over a Brewers game, no less.

“At first I thought he was going to fire me,” Baumler said.

Instead, he was promoted. He served as Route Supervisor and then Route Manager for a combined 12 years, and in 1999 stepped into the role of Customer Service Manager, where he remained until his retirement.

“I am most proud of the service we have always provided to our customers,” Baumler said. “I always did whatever I could to give customers what they needed. That’s why we are where we are today.”

His tenure spans three generations of Schultz family leadership — from founder John Schultz Sr., to current President Michael Schultz, to General Manager Katelyn Schultz, who represents the company’s third generation.

That dedication to customers held to the very end. On his final day at Packerland, after turning in his company vehicle and officially heading home for retirement, Baumler decided he still needed to stop at a customer location to make a delivery and install two dispensers he hadn’t had time to complete earlier in the day.

“When I told my wife Nikki what Brian had done, her response was simply: ‘Of course he did,'” said Michael Schultz, President of Packerland Rent-A-Mat. “Brian never looked at his job as ‘just work.’ He genuinely cared about the company, his coworkers, and our customers — and he set a standard that will continue long after his retirement.”

Schultz added that Brian’s career reflects something larger about Packerland itself.

“A 51-year career speaks volumes about both Brian and Packerland,” Schultz said. “It reflects a company built on relationships, loyalty, family values, and mutual respect. Brian’s tenure is a reminder that when people feel valued and take pride in what they do, extraordinary things can happen.”

When asked what he’ll miss most, Baumler didn’t reflect on milestones or promotions. He will miss the people — his coworkers, the Christmas parties, trips to visit other facilities, and snowmobile outings to Three Lakes that John Schultz Sr. used to organize.

In retirement, Baumler plans to spend more time with family, tackle some projects he’s been putting off, and do a little traveling. But he made one thing clear:

“I do believe I will have to stop in now and then just to see how things are going.”