Brandtjen Jr., 85, Chairman of Brandtjen & Kluge, Passes

ST. CROIX FALLS, WI—Henry Brandtjen, Jr., retired chairman of the board of Brandtjen & Kluge Inc., has died following a battle with cancer. Mr. Brandtjen, who was 85, passed away at home, surrounded by family, on Jan. 4.

Mr. Brandtjen graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He was also a member of the Chi Psi Fraternity. Upon graduation, Mr. Brandtjen served in the U.S. Army and, in 1955, went to work at the family business and became the third generation to run the company.

When Mr. Brandtjen took over leadership of the company the biggest challenge he faced was the rapid advancement of offset printing technology. At that time the company served the letterpress printing equipment market. He guided the company through a transition and steered it into the market it currently addresses: foil stamping, embossing and diecutting equipment.