EC Wisconsin News

Eric Kriete, a 1999 graduate of Lakeland University and co-owner of the Silver Fern Pub in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, will be the featured speaker at the university’s Opening Convocation. The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 4, at 11 a.m. in the Bradley Theatre.

Kriete earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lakeland and initially planned to join his family’s trucking company, The Kriete Group. However, he decided to pursue a different direction after traveling to New Zealand. During his visit, he experienced several events that led him to reconsider his career path.

He later opened The Silver Fern Pub in Sheboygan with his wife Mandy. The name of the pub references the silver fern, a national symbol of New Zealand, as a tribute to the trip that influenced his decision to enter the hospitality industry.

Kriete remains connected to Lakeland University as an active supporter and alumnus. He is a member of the Zeta Chi fraternity and has participated in university events such as the 2014 Movers & Shakers Gala and served as a panelist at the 2022 Lakeland Business and Entrepreneurship Colloquium.

“Called to adventure, Kriete visited New Zealand. Once there, extraordinary and remarkable things continuously happened to him, to the point where he knew that his life was sending him down a new, different path.”

“Now realizing his heart was pointed toward the service and hospitality industry, he found a bar in Sheboygan and called it The Silver Fern, which is the symbol and emblem of New Zealand, to pay homage to the trip that changed his life forever.”

“Kriete always finds his way back to his alma mater. A proud member of LU’s Zeta Chi fraternity, he is an avid Lakeland supporter. He danced in the 2014 Movers & Shakers Gala and was a panelist at the 2022 Lakeland Business and Entrepreneurship Colloquium where he shared his journey and what he learned since that magical trip to New Zealand.”