Donald Baumgartner

The Baumgartner family has been engrained in Milwaukee's manufacturing history for decades, from building machinery in the family garage to launching Milwaukee companies including Reliable Tool and Mercury Engineering, as well as Paper Machinery. Donald W Baumgartner got his start working for his father, John Robert Baumgartner and founded Paper Machinery Corporation in 1951. He is highly active in Milwaukee-area civic and community organizations and was instrumental in bringing the Santiago Calatrava wing to life at the Milwaukee Art Museum. PMC became the world’s primary source of converting machinery for the production of paper cups, paperboard containers and custom packages. Today, Mr. Baumgartner personally holds patents on machines for manufacturing paper drinking cups. Donald Baumgartner is a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and has co-chaired the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on International Trade. He traveled to Europe with Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist on two economic development missions promoting Milwaukee-area businesses, and served on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Economic Development. Mr. Baumgartner and his wife, Donna, contribute generously to the quality of Milwaukee’s cultural life. He is a past President of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Board of Trustees and served as President of MAM and Chairman of the museum’s Building Committee during the construction of the Calatrava addition. He also served on the architectural selection committee. Mr. Baumgartner is a Life Director of the Florentine Opera Company. The Baumgartners sponsored the Florentine Opera’s production of Elmer Gantry in 2010, which was recorded by Naxos Records and garnered two Grammy Awards in 2012.