BROOKFIELD - He just got back from Florida, but he was hardly on vacation.
As the new owner of the Brennan's Market stores for a mere month and change, beach-lounging is not on the schedule for Tim Culhane. Instead, was traipsing through fields inspecting the Sunshine State's strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe and asparagus.
That's because it's a company tradition, dating back to founder Frank Brennan.
"Frank always said "Get to the farm,'" said Culhane, a Monroe native who on Dec. 31 purchased the five Brennan retail stores and its cheese-cutting facility in New Glarus from Skip Brennan. "So that's what I did."
Keeping the status quo will be the business-as-usual approach for Culhane, who climbed through the company ranks like few do.
"That was the goal. I'm not going to change anything at this point," said the 51-year-old who lives in Hartland and works out of the Brookfield location. "And the managers know what to expect from me. They've all been here between eight and 20 years."
Does he feel different now that he's owner?
"Not yet," he said. "I've been handling day-to-day operations for a long time, so this is now kind of a habit."
An appreciation for tradition and continuity called for Culhane to keep Skip Brennan, son of Frank, on board as chairman emeritus.
"It's important. He's always been our idea guy and it will be great to have him around," Culhane said.
The sale is actually the fulfillment of a 15-year succession plan, Culhane said, that came about when he moved into the general manager for all stores position in the late 1990s.
Since then, Skip Brennan suffered an injury in 2007 that left him a paraplegic, but that did not hasten the sale, according to Culhane.
"Skip has always played a major role and will continue to do so," he said. "We've worked together for 35 years so we're certainly not going to stop now."
He's the first non-Brennan-family owner since the business was established as a fruit stand in 1942. When asked what he paid, he would not give a figure but said: "A lot of hard work and sweat."
And the details were simple.
"(With the Brennans) everything's a handshake," he said.
While at Monroe High School, Culhane went to work at the Monroe store simply because he needed a job, but soon he realized he enjoyed the pace.
"We change seasonally with new produce, and I liked the fun and excitement of meeting all the different people," he said. "Nothing got old."
Two more stores were added in Madison in 1967 and 1975, respectively, so when he entered the University of Wisconsin in 1982 to study accounting, two more Brennan's were waiting for him.
It was while in college, working at the University Avenue location, that Culhane said he first eyed a lifetime career with Brennan's.
A manager stint at a different Madison location (now closed) would follow, as would the same role at the new Brookfield store that opened in 1988.
Soon he had GM duties and was on his way, leading the creation of the New Glarus operation in 2003 and expansion to a new Madison spot in 2004 plus a fifth store in Oconomowoc in 2009.
When the time came to buy, he said he wasn't aware of any other potential buyers being in the picture, but couldn't imagine anyone else taking the reins.
"I've been part of the Brennan's tradition for so long and I've literally been groomed for this all these years," Culhane said. "I have a real passion for this business."
As the new owner of the Brennan's Market stores for a mere month and change, beach-lounging is not on the schedule for Tim Culhane. Instead, was traipsing through fields inspecting the Sunshine State's strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe and asparagus.
That's because it's a company tradition, dating back to founder Frank Brennan.
"Frank always said "Get to the farm,'" said Culhane, a Monroe native who on Dec. 31 purchased the five Brennan retail stores and its cheese-cutting facility in New Glarus from Skip Brennan. "So that's what I did."
Keeping the status quo will be the business-as-usual approach for Culhane, who climbed through the company ranks like few do.
"That was the goal. I'm not going to change anything at this point," said the 51-year-old who lives in Hartland and works out of the Brookfield location. "And the managers know what to expect from me. They've all been here between eight and 20 years."
Does he feel different now that he's owner?
"Not yet," he said. "I've been handling day-to-day operations for a long time, so this is now kind of a habit."
An appreciation for tradition and continuity called for Culhane to keep Skip Brennan, son of Frank, on board as chairman emeritus.
"It's important. He's always been our idea guy and it will be great to have him around," Culhane said.
The sale is actually the fulfillment of a 15-year succession plan, Culhane said, that came about when he moved into the general manager for all stores position in the late 1990s.
Since then, Skip Brennan suffered an injury in 2007 that left him a paraplegic, but that did not hasten the sale, according to Culhane.
"Skip has always played a major role and will continue to do so," he said. "We've worked together for 35 years so we're certainly not going to stop now."
He's the first non-Brennan-family owner since the business was established as a fruit stand in 1942. When asked what he paid, he would not give a figure but said: "A lot of hard work and sweat."
And the details were simple.
"(With the Brennans) everything's a handshake," he said.
While at Monroe High School, Culhane went to work at the Monroe store simply because he needed a job, but soon he realized he enjoyed the pace.
"We change seasonally with new produce, and I liked the fun and excitement of meeting all the different people," he said. "Nothing got old."
Two more stores were added in Madison in 1967 and 1975, respectively, so when he entered the University of Wisconsin in 1982 to study accounting, two more Brennan's were waiting for him.
It was while in college, working at the University Avenue location, that Culhane said he first eyed a lifetime career with Brennan's.
A manager stint at a different Madison location (now closed) would follow, as would the same role at the new Brookfield store that opened in 1988.
Soon he had GM duties and was on his way, leading the creation of the New Glarus operation in 2003 and expansion to a new Madison spot in 2004 plus a fifth store in Oconomowoc in 2009.
When the time came to buy, he said he wasn't aware of any other potential buyers being in the picture, but couldn't imagine anyone else taking the reins.
"I've been part of the Brennan's tradition for so long and I've literally been groomed for this all these years," Culhane said. "I have a real passion for this business."