Off the Record

Pete Scherer, chairman and CEO of Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., “rolls the tape way back” in a career conversation

October 09, 2023 Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal and Platinum Bank Season 1 Episode 19
Pete Scherer, chairman and CEO of Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., “rolls the tape way back” in a career conversation
Off the Record
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Off the Record
Pete Scherer, chairman and CEO of Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., “rolls the tape way back” in a career conversation
Oct 09, 2023 Season 1 Episode 19
Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal and Platinum Bank

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Pete Scherer’s family business, the Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., was started by his grandfather and his great uncle back in 1930. 


“They were the two original Scherer Brothers. They started it from nothing (at) the height of the Depression and made something of it,” Scherer, now the chairman and CEO of the company, recounts in this episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. 


Upon his graduation from Notre Dame, however, Scherer was surprised when his father told him that while he was proud of his son, Scherer shouldn’t expect to work at the family business right away. “We have an employment policy now that my father and uncles created, which is you will work outside the family business” in order to be eligible for consideration, he says. 


Listen to Scherer’s conversation as he “rolls the tape way back” with hosts Kathy Robideau, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal market president and publisher, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, to learn more about: 

  • Why “fit” matters more than family relation when it comes to hiring someone into a family business. 
  • Stepping into a CEO role at age 33. 
  • Scherer’s mentorship experiences with the Young Presidents’ Organization. 
  • What’s ahead for Scherer Bros. in the next five to 10 years.
  • The biggest challenges Scherer has faced as a leader — and his favorite Twin Cities restaurant. 


Leaders like Scherer understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Show Notes

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Pete Scherer’s family business, the Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., was started by his grandfather and his great uncle back in 1930. 


“They were the two original Scherer Brothers. They started it from nothing (at) the height of the Depression and made something of it,” Scherer, now the chairman and CEO of the company, recounts in this episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. 


Upon his graduation from Notre Dame, however, Scherer was surprised when his father told him that while he was proud of his son, Scherer shouldn’t expect to work at the family business right away. “We have an employment policy now that my father and uncles created, which is you will work outside the family business” in order to be eligible for consideration, he says. 


Listen to Scherer’s conversation as he “rolls the tape way back” with hosts Kathy Robideau, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal market president and publisher, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, to learn more about: 

  • Why “fit” matters more than family relation when it comes to hiring someone into a family business. 
  • Stepping into a CEO role at age 33. 
  • Scherer’s mentorship experiences with the Young Presidents’ Organization. 
  • What’s ahead for Scherer Bros. in the next five to 10 years.
  • The biggest challenges Scherer has faced as a leader — and his favorite Twin Cities restaurant. 


Leaders like Scherer understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.