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Bud Brian is founder and vice chairman of Budco. In 2006 he sold the organization to Perry Miele, who became chairman, and a group of investors. He started the organization in 1982 when he purchased D.W. Hacker Co., a small printing and distribution company located in Detroit. At the time, the company employed 15 people and had gross sales of $800,000. One of Bud's goals when establishing Budco was to support the urban renewal of Detroit and the surrounding urban area by providing employment to the local community. Under Bud's leadership, Budco has grown into a $100 million operation with nearly 1,000 employees. He had the unique opportunity to create a true people-focused corporate culture, which is one of the company's differential advantages today. Prior to starting Budco, Bud worked for Helm, Inc., a marketing and distribution company in Highland Park, MI. He quickly became the company's top salesperson; he stayed with the organization for 12 years. Prior to that, Bud taught English in the Walled Lake School District. He specialized in working with "at risk" students. He was named Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 1999. Under his leadership Budco received "Best Overall" recognition in the metropolitan Detroit 2001 "101 Best & Brightest Companies To Work For" competition. It also has been recognized in the Detroit Regional Chamber's Best Practices 2003 competition for several Human Resources/Training & Development initiatives. In 2005 Budco received a Stevie Award for Best Overall Company under 2,500 employees in the American Business Awards competition held in New York City. Bud is originally from West Branch, MI. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in English. | 