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October 20, 2025
APPLETON – There comes a time when every business owner has to decide whether to continue with the business, sell, merge with another company or pass it down to future generations.
Jim Bartelt said that time is now.
After being involved with Bartelt Insulation Supply Inc. in Appleton for more than 40 years, Jim said as of Oct. 31, his sons, Matt and Mike, will be taking over the reins.
“It’s time to pass the torch to the younger generation,” the 59-year-old said. “This is something I’ve thought about for a long time. I hoped to transfer it to the next generation, which we’re doing, so I’m very happy Matt and Mike will keep Bartelt Insulation going.”
Jim said he’s been thinking about a succession plan for “quite a few years.”
“I put some feelers out about eight years ago and began working with Jayne McQuillan from Journey Consulting in Green Bay a handful of years ago,” he said. “Jayne has helped us a lot in getting ready for this transfer.”
Currently, Jim said Matt serves as the vice president of administration, while Mike is the vice president of operations.
Matt, 32, said he’s worked full-time at Bartelt since 2018, and Mike, 33, started full-time after graduating from college in 2015.
“Even before that, Mike and I helped out during our high school days,” Matt said. “I think it was always in our thoughts and plans to eventually come back and run the business one day.”
Jim said because his sons have “basically been running the business for the past two years,” he doesn’t have any reservations or mixed emotions about the transfer of ownership.
“They’ve been doing a great job running things, so I’m not worried at all – they’ll continue to do a great job,” he said. “I’ve been more hands-off in the last couple of years and have let them learn as much as they can.”
More on Bartelt
A full-service mechanical insulation contractor, Jim said Bartelt Insulation specializes in commercial, industrial and refrigeration projects.
More specifically, he said Bartelt’s expertise covers a wide range of applications for the pulp and paper industry, the plastics industry, food processing, refrigerated dairy operations, custom-sewn removable insulation blankets and many others.
“Thermal industrial insulation provides an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and saves industrial and commercial building owners money,” he said. “Whether the role of insulation is energy conservation, temperature retention, condensation control, freeze protection or burn protection for workers, we have the knowledge and experience to match the insulation product and application to your needs.”
Jim said failing to properly insulate these systems or spending time installing cumbersome insulation solutions can cost a business significant amounts of money and labor.
“Close contour fit is essential for a neat appearance and proper sound and thermal performance,” he said. “Multiple-piece construction is frequently required for most applications. Our custom blankets and pads are made using a wide variety of cloths, insulation materials and closure systems, which can handle temperatures up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Jim said all removable insulation blankets are custom-fabricated in house, beginning with design drawings and precise field measurements.
“Bartelt has made and shipped these blankets to customers throughout North America,” he said. “All drawings and specifications for each insulation blanket fabricated are kept on file to make reordering fast and easy.”
Though they have insulation blankets throughout North America, Jim said Bartelt predominantly services businesses and industries throughout Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Illinois.
Eight decades of service
Jim said Bartelt Insulation’s origins go back more than eight decades, when his grandfather, William, launched the business after relocating to the Fox Valley from Milwaukee.
“Four generations of the Bartelt family have been providing professional insulation services for more than eight decades,” he said. “The business was started in 1944. Before that, my grandfather was a salesman for a company in Milwaukee but eventually moved away to start the company.”
Jim said his grandpa first started Bartelt Insulation simply because he saw a need for insulation services in the area.
“My dad, Cliff, joined my grandpa in 1954, and the two worked together until the late 1960s when my grandpa retired,” he said. “I joined my dad in 1984.”
Though Bartelt Insulation is involved in a plethora of industry sectors today, Jim said his grandpa started slowly – building the business over the years.
“He did a lot of commercial type work for schools, stores and things like that,” he said. “Also, during [World War II], he did a lot of shipbuilding work. He had crews at Bay Shipbuilding.”
Moving forward
Currently, with 12,000 square feet of manufacturing space, Jim said an expansion is in the works to add another 6,000 square feet.
“Things got pushed back a little bit, so [completion] will probably be shortly after the new year,” he said.
As with many businesses, once there is a change in ownership, the new owner(s) might have a few different ideas to move the company forward.
Both Matt and Mike said they won’t sit idly by while moving Bartelt Insulation into the future.
“We recently started a subsidiary company dealing with mechanical insulation consulting,” Mike said. “We are working on growing that, where we’re going to be doing more on the consulting side of the business.”
Mike said that includes inspections, energy audits, among other things.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen a growing need for these types of services, so we split that part of the business out and are working on building that,” he said. “That part of the business won’t be the actual insulating of pipes, etc., but more consulting and marketing.”
For more information on Bartelt Insulation Supply, visit barteltinsulation.com.
