About

Our Timeline

John Pfefferle and his wife, Lynn, start the company as Pfefferle Realtors

1971

John leads the development of several buildings in downtown Appleton, including: City Center West; the Landmark Building; City Center East; the iconic 222 Building; Appleton Center; Landmark II; and Tri-Park Business Park, a 100-acre development near Fox Valley Technical College

1980's

John forms Quality Business Services, the first commercial real estate company north of Milwaukee to offer a full suite of services from sales and leasing to development and property management

1990's

The property management team evolves to being known as Pfefferle Management which grows from managing 1.8 million square feet to over 13 million square feet today

2000's

Affiliation with Grubb & Ellis, which gives the company national market reach

2002

Green Bay office opens

2004

Wausau office opens

2007

Mike Pfefferle named as President of Pfefferle Companies

2010

Affiliation with Newmark Knight Frank

2012

Partnership with NAI Global, the world's largest network of independently-owned commercial real estate firms

2018

Sheboygan office opens

2020

Pfefferle endures global pandemic and not only keeps every employee on payroll, but has record year

2020

Amy Oelhafen named President of Pfefferle Companies

2021

Milwaukee office opens

2025

Our Story: Built on Family, Driven by Excellence

At Pfefferle Companies, “Family” isn’t just a word—it’s our competitive advantage. Since 1971, this value has shaped how we treat our team, our clients, and the Wisconsin communities we call home. It’s also a significant part of our 55-year-old story.

Early History

John Pfefferle and his wife, Lynn, founded the company in 1971 as Pfefferle Realtors in a small office in Appleton, first as a residential real estate firm and shortly thereafter shifting focus exclusively to commercial property. As the company grew during the 1980s, John earned the reputation as the local expert in office, retail, and investment real estate. He leveraged that expertise and led the development of several buildings in downtown Appleton, including:

  • City Center West: Home of the Appleton children’s museum and City Hall today.
  • The Landmark Building: Which became the area’s first office condominium and houses our Appleton offices.
  • City Center East, the iconic 222 Building, and Appleton Center.
  • Lawrence Court, City Center Plaza, and Landmark II.
  • Tri-Park Business Park: A 100-acre development near Fox Valley Technical College.

In the early 1990s, John formed “Quality Building Services,” which became the first real estate company north of Milwaukee to offer a full-service platform of commercial real estate services—from sales and leasing to development to property management. Around the same time, John’s son, Mike, and daughter, Amy, joined the family business.

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Game Changers

In 2002, the company made the strategic decision to extend our market reach by affiliating with a national commercial real estate network. Today, we continue to provide an unmatched blend of local and global market expertise through our partnership with NAI Global, which has more than 325 offices and 5,800 local real estate professionals.

Another major part of the vision was to develop a full-service property management company to help property owners maximize ROI. Pfefferle Management has grown from managing 1 million square feet in 2000 to more than 14 million square feet today. Our team of 100+ property management professionals, including accountants, HVAC technicians, engineers, and support staff, provides boots-on-the-ground support 24/7, from Kenosha to Superior and everywhere in between.

Today & Beyond

In addition to our reach and expertise, our “family” has also grown. Today, Pfefferle Companies has more than 130 employees and 30 licensed real estate brokers with offices in Appleton, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Wausau. We are one of the largest commercial real estate firms in Wisconsin, but size isn’t everything—results are. We are proud to have transacted more than $400 million of real estate sales and leases in the past three years.

Our development pipeline remains strong as we focus on projects around the state, from new corporate headquarters to retail and multifamily developments. While we remain focused on commercial real estate, office, industrial, retail, land, and investment properties, we have also added a residential management team specializing in apartments, condos, and duplexes.

A few things haven’t changed since 1971: our passion, our appreciation for our employees and clients, and our values. Pfefferle remains family-owned and operated, looking forward to serving Wisconsin’s real estate needs in the years to come.

*Adapted from Insight On Business magazine’s 2021 Anniversary Celebrations special – Feb 1, 2021

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Our leadership team at Boldt worked closely with Pfefferle on the acquisition of our new, 45,000-square-foot, Class A, office building in Appleton. Amy and Elizabeth worked diligently to make the process smooth and predictable, which we really appreciated as we searched the local market for the ideal fit. Our new acquisition will be home to our Enterprise Services which supports our operations throughout the nation while our current Roemer Road location will be home to our Northern and National Power and Industrial Operations.  We are very excited to move into our new space and continue to call the Fox Cities, our home.
Dave Kievet<br/>President and Chief Operating Officer
Dave Kievet
President and Chief Operating OfficerThe Boldt Company
Manny and his team at Pfefferle know the local commercial real estate market extremely well. I worked with them when our company purchased a large industrial building and existing business in the Wausau region. I also communicate with them regarding our company’s needs in the Greater Green Bay market. Their expertise has been a tremendous resource as B&D continues to grow throughout the state of Wisconsin.
B&D Warehouse
Tim Daanen
PresidentB&D Warehouse
ISG is thrilled to share that we have recently expanded to a new location in the heart of downtown Green Bay. The 15,000 square foot space, designed in-house, is located in the iconic Watermark building and has the opportunity to support up to 70 professionals as we continue to grow. This space was strategically chosen to pay tribute to the local history and support intentional efforts downtown. NAI Pfefferle understood our needs and goals from the beginning. Their team was instrumental in helping us negotiate a competitive lease and secure the perfect location. We are thrilled for this truly monumental opportunity for the firm and look forward to being a part of the transformational efforts in downtown Green Bay.
Mark Chambers<br/>Principal & Green Bay Market Leader
Mark Chambers
Principal & Green Bay Market LeaderISG
After being in the same building for 25 years, we were looking for a new permanent location to house our main offices and the Fox Cities Visitor Center. We needed space with great visibility and access, and were open to suggestions. Amy and Manny at Pfefferle listened to our needs and worked with us from start to finish - in the middle of a pandemic, mind you! They helped us identify comparable locations, and provided expert insights into best practices for negotiating our new lease. Our whole team is thrilled with our new space.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
Pam Seidl
Executive DirectorFox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
NAI Pfefferle is a local commercial real estate leader and partner. We rely on Manny and his team for their local market expertise and their support of regional economic development across our 18-county region in Northeast Wisconsin.
New North
Barb LaMue
President & CEONew North Inc.
NAI Pfefferle is a great partner and industry leader. Manny Vasquez serves on our economic development board and is a vital resource for local market conditions. His insights and market data have helped with economic development strategic planning in the Greater Green Bay area.
Green Bay Chamber
Kelly Armstrong
VP of Economic DevelopmentGreater Green Bay Chamber
We purchased our new office and manufacturing facility with Greg Landwehr and Pat Connor of NAI Pfefferle.  In turn, we listed our (2) properties with them as well. While this can be a very stressful process, I felt 110% confident by partnering with them. Pat and Greg were candid, provided great feedback, helped explain clearly all details, and managed the actual sale negotiation brilliantly. In addition, they were extremely responsive during the entire process and helped us close on the buildings promptly.
Muza Sheet Metal Company
Carven T. Blanck
President & OwnerMuza Sheet Metal Company
We have worked with John Roberts and the team at NAI Pfefferle on many transactions. He is a great communicator, very organized and utilizes the many resources that Pfefferle has to offer. We look forward to working with John again.
Bartlett Capital Group
Anthony Wilhelms & Andrew Hippert
OwnersBartlett Capital Group

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Pfefferle Management maintenance requests should be reported to: PFEFFERLE.BIZ