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Posted October 14, 2024
Plymouth High School recently inducted the newest member of its Alumni Hall of Fame – Gerald (Gerry) Krebsbach of the Class of 1972, president of KW Electric and a mentor with Royal Rangers.
During the induction ceremony held Oct. 4 in the PHS Auditorium, Mr. Krebsbach students that he grew up on a dairy farm north of Parnell. His family farmed 500 acres, ran a trucking business, and did custom field work for neighbors. “So, very honestly, going to school was like going on vacation,” he said, drawing laughter. “I really enjoyed school. I had a lot of good friends and some really great teachers.”
The youngest of five boys, Mr. Krebsbach recalled a time when his fifth-grade teacher told him she thought maybe he was smarter than his brothers. “I think it’s just the clothes,” he told her. “These clothes have been through fifth grade four times already. I got all the hand-me-downs that my brothers could give me, and I had holes in my jeans before they were even popular.”
He was part of the last sixth-grade class at Parnell Elementary School, and part of the first seventh-grade class at Riverview Middle School. In a speech filled with jokes, he drew the most laughter and applause when he said, “When I went to school, I only learned 25 letters of the alphabet. And I still don’t know why (Y).”
After completing high school, Mr. Krebsbach took night classes at Lakeshore Technical Institute (now Lakeshore College) to earn his Master Electrician degree, while working during the day to support and raise his family.
By age 24 he was married, with three boys, a mortgage, and two car payments. He had some tough luck before being hired by Rohde Brothers, and eventually bought the electrical division. He took in two partners (Mark Wollner and John Unger) and they launched KW Electric in 1988 – and still are partners 36 years later.
Since 1988, KW Electric has sponsored more than 150 electrical apprentices. Mr. Krebsbach is involved in the apprenticeship program at Lakeshore College and is president of the board of trustees for apprenticeships within Associated Builders and Contractors.
“I truly enjoy the building trades,” he said. “What a blessing it is to see these young men and women getting into the trades. I love to teach things that I’ve learned in life. … The apprenticeship program is my way of giving back to the men and women who are starting in the construction trades.”
Mr. Krebsbach’s influence spreads throughout the community and into other countries. He strives to utilize local businesses as much as possible, such as the lights for the “Cheese Capital” arch on Eastern Avenue. He also has used his Master Electrician training to provide support to wire buildings for electricity in third-world countries.
Once an athlete himself, Mr. Krebsbach supports PHS athletics and other local teams. He also has been a deacon and Sunday School teacher for his church, and continues to serve in leadership roles.
In addition, for the past 40 years he has been part of the Royal Rangers, a Christian ministry where men mentor young boys, and currently is the district leader for Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
“I got into this ministry the way most dads get into it,” he said. “They invited me to bring my boys, so I did what most parents do: I brought my three boys there, dropped them off and I went home. But the second week, as I drove up, one of the leaders came running out and said, ‘Gerry, we need some help tonight.’”
There were 10 little boys there, and he knew two of them didn’t have fathers at home. “That night those two boys grabbed onto me until I couldn’t let go,” he said. “And I realized there are a lot of young men in this world who could benefit from the presence of a man in their life.”
Mr. Krebsbach credits his wife, Debi, for her endless support and contributions to these achievements, noting that she has been instrumental in the success of KW Electric and the Royal Rangers program. She has spent more than 30 years working in the school system and has accompanied her husband on numerous mission trips. He believes that she, his constant companion in both personal and professional endeavors, is owed as much recognition for these accomplishments as he is.
Mr. Krebsbach concluded his remarks by sharing three things he’s learned over the years:
1. Don’t do life alone. Life can be tough. God, family, friends are important. If you succeed, usually it’s not an individual success. “In everything I’ve done, I’ve had the support of my family and some great friends.”
2. If you’re ever in doubt about what to do in life, start to serve others. Find a place to get involved. “When you serve others, you get outside yourself and you forget your own problems and you help others forget theirs.”
3. Work hard. If you do, life becomes easy. But if you try to take it easy, life will get hard. “Work can help cure both mental and physical afflictions. Thank God every morning that you get up that you have something to do, that you must do, whether you like to do it or not.”
“Plymouth is a great community. It’s a wonderful place to grow up. This is a wonderful community, filled with wonderful and caring people,” he concluded. “This is a wonderful community now, but we have a tremendous opportunity to make it even better. I hope you make it better.”
Learn more:
• Visit the PHS Alumni Hall of Fame webpage, which includes bios of all Hall of Fame members.
• Watch video of the induction ceremony, courtesy of Plymouth Community TV.
• Read more about 2024 Plymouth High School Homecoming.
• Explore the Post-Graduate Success section of our interactive, award-winning District Report Card to learn more about how Plymouth grads are making an impact all over the world.
The Alumni Hall of Fame was created in 2010 to honor excellence and celebrate the successes of PHS graduates. Inductees are meant to serve as role models and inspiration for current students and the extended community.
New candidates, who must have graduated from PHS at least 10 years ago, may be nominated annually in the spring. The nominations then are reviewed by Student Council members, with honorees revealed at Graduation in June and inducted at Homecoming in the fall.
