BFI was founded in 1948 and has remained a majority family-owned business since its inception. Currently, women own 57.5% of the total shares, which has allowed BFI to receive its WBE certification with WBENC, The Port Authority of New York, State of New Jersey, and the City of New York. Lead by our President and CEO, Kate Kerpchar, BFI has a diverse management team that oversees all the day-to-day operations as well as strategic initiatives.
President & CEO
Kate has more than 25 years of experience in different roles within the operations, facilities, construction, and management disciplines. It is this diverse background that enabled her to take a unique look at a mature business and develop a go-to-market strategy to bring a third-generation business to the next phase. Kate prides herself in her ability to work alongside her team on a regular basis to ensure clients are getting the attention of all that BFI has to offer; from C-level experience and mindset to the unique qualifications of every member of the team. Under her leadership, BFI became a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and BFI’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is something Kate works hard to bring to clients and admires in the clients we serve and vendors we partner with. Prior to joining BFI, Kate owned a WBE certified project management and consulting firm representing high profile tenants with their relocations and renovations. Launching her career at Deutsche Bank, Kate was tasked with aligning the North American real estate portfolio and strategic plans. Kate earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Management concentration from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Patrick is responsible for the overall growth and operations of the company. When he joined BFI he brought more than 25 years of industry experience and leadership having focused on developing and delivering business service solutions and driving profitable revenue growth. Patrick owned and operated a large scale furniture liquidation company that operated across various market segments including corporate, government, education and health care environments. Patrick is proud of his Jesuit education and is a graduate of Xavier High School and St. Peter s University. Patrick is a member of the Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and an original benefactor in the construction and furnishing of the Make-A-Wish Castle in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Patrick is a member of the Board of Consultors at Hudson Catholic High School and a recipient of the John P. Higgins award for outstanding service. Patrick is a member of the Board of Directors of Team Walker, a non-profit led by Seton Hall basketball star Jerry Walker, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the children of Jersey City. As a member, Patrick received the Leo Zatta award for his high level of commitment and service to the organization. Patrick also serves on the Rutherford Library Foundation, Rutherford Economic Committee, the South Hudson Civic Association, Xavier Business Council, Meadowlands YMCA and the Rutherford Irish Association where he served as Deputy Grand Marshall.
President Eméritas
Since joining BFI in 1984, Dan has held various positions and during his tenure he was an integral part in the company’s growth through organic expansion and the acquisition of several other office furniture companies. In 2001, Dan added the titles of President, CEO and owner to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Branding BFI as a resource to clients and brokers to assist with budgeting and estimating of a furniture purchase in the context of a real estate transaction, Dan’s leadership resulted in BFI becoming one of the top dealerships in the New Jersey metropolitan area. In 2018, as part of a well-planned succession plan, Dan stepped down as the President and CEO, but worked diligently to transition his role and aided in the company becoming a certified Woman Business Enterprise. Although he has relinquished his day-to-day responsibilities, Dan continues to do business development for BFI. He also continues to run the BFI Real Estate Golf Tour which is something he turned from a vision into a reality in 1996. After decades of success with The BFI Real Estate Golf Tour, Dan is bringing a new style of golf with The Woman’s Invitational Golf Clinic Tour, where he is working to introduce his love of the game to women in business. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Fordham University.
Controller
Monica joined the BFI team in 2017and not long after her arrival, Monica was promoted to her current role as Controller. Having responsibility over all the accounting and finance functions for the company, Monica works closely with the C-suite executives to plan and execute the business strategy. Monica was responsible for implementing a new business system, which included company-wide training, report building, resource management and taking the system from beta testing to “go-live”. She continues to enhance the system and maintains overall responsibility as the System Administrator. Prior to joining the BFI team, Monica worked in the office furniture business for over 20 years in different roles within the finance and accounting disciplines, including financial reporting, analysis, and budgeting. Monica graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador with a dual degree in Economics and Accounting and from TCI with a degree in Computer Programming. In her free time, Monica enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Vice President and Principal
With BFI for over 40 years at BFI, Eric has one of the longest tenures in the business. Having the opportunity to join BFI, a company that was founded by his grandfather, Benjamin Klausner in 1949, Eric began working in the BFI warehouse on nights, weekends and summers when he was still in high school and college. He joined the team full time when he graduated from college. Eric has continued to build business acumen in the office furniture industry taking on additional responsibilities during his tenure, including sales, customer service and business development. As the Director of Customer Service, Eric is actively involved in and committed to ensuring that BFI’s service team is second to none. His understanding of a client’s needs and his ability to problem solve means BFI’s clients can be assured of a professional experience and a positive outcome. Eric enjoys networking with his industry peers and partnering with them to help clients with their furniture requirements. Eric received a Bachelor of Administration in Psychology from The University of Hartford.
Director of Sales
Don has been with Knoll since December of 2014. His previous 20+ years of industry experience was primarily with Knoll dealers in the Northern NJ & NYC Markets. With his dealer background, Don brings a strong focus on customer satisfaction to the Northern NJ region. He understands all aspects of the sales process and works effectively with both the end user and dealer community.
In his role with Knoll, Don is responsible for interfacing with all project influencers and decision makers. He is a team player with a positive attitude. He can effectively interface with A & D firms and project managers to communicate what differentiates Knoll from other competitors in the marketplace.
Director of Sales Administration
With more than 35 years of industry experience, Donna has an understanding of and an insight into in the industry that rivals many. Alongside her team, Donna is responsible for all aspects of order processing, including quoting, order entry, client & vendor queries, acknowledgments, and project status tracking. Her attention to detail and organizational skills enable her to coordinate multi-vendor projects in a streamlined and efficient manner ensuring all project milestones are met. Recognizing the strengths of each person on her team, Donna pairs them with salespeople to create a collaborative partnership, which enhances each client experience. Donna takes pride in knowing that her team members have the proper knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in their role and continually works to further their development. While focusing on the execution of her team, Donna also understands the need for regular collaboration with the other department directors and BFI’s management team to ensure that the service level BFI clients have become accustomed to never falters. Donna has a degree in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s College of New York.
NJCID, NCIDQ Director of Design
Mary Lou is the Director of Design and has over 30 years of experience in the corporate interiors and furniture design industries. She believes that design is the key to creating workspaces that help attract and retain talent, and with furniture, you can help tell the unique story of each client. Mary Lou is committed to design excellence, thrives in an environment of collaboration, and demonstrates a high degree of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Understanding corporate culture is extremely important when designing a space, and Mary Lou works closely with each client to understand the message they want to send. She believes that a well-planned space can foster collaboration, reflect business goals, and empower people. Under her leadership is a team of professional designers that each bring a unique area of expertise so that BFI can support any client we have the opportunity to partner with. Mary Lou holds degrees from the New York School of Interior Design and Rutgers University and is proud to be both NJCID and NCIDQ certified.
SVP, Director of Contracts
Bill joined BFI in 1985 as a salesperson and spent his time focusing on winning major accounts and growing the business in new markets. After succeeding in securing projects with clients the likes of Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Dow Jones & Company, Merrill Lynch, Kean University, Township of Bridgewater, Somerset Medical, and Roche Molecular. Bill was tasked with opening and managing an office in Cranbury, NJ and then promoted to Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of the Parsippany showroom in 1993. As the world changed in 2020, so did Bill’s role and focus. Taking on the role as Director of Contracts, Bill has redirected his focus from traditional markets to the public sector. From state and local government clients to public education, Bill’s expertise in contract sales allows him to partner with and educate clients and become an invaluable resource to them. Bill is also responsible for managing the various contracts and co-ops needed to capture that work successfully for BFI. Bill graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History and was a 4-year football letterman. Bill and his wife live in Raritan and have 5 children.
Office Manager
As the Office Manager, Mary Ann does whatever she can, whenever she can, however she can to make sure everyone has what they need to be successful. She is a results-oriented professional with over 25 years of experience in office management and administration. She is responsible for all areas of office services and works alongside the vCTO to maintain BFI’s infrastructure, handle hardware and software upgrades and integrations, providing support to the BFI users and staying abreast of the overall health and integrity of the technology environment. Mary Ann is famous across multiple industries for her role as Director of the BFI Commercial Real Estate Golf Tour. Her ability to schedule over 250 rounds of golf for 65 individuals during a 5 month period is nothing short of a miracle. Despite all of the responsibilities she juggles on a daily basis, Mary Ann is always willing to lend a helping hand, a kind word and a smile. Prior to joining BFI, Mary Ann worked for Macy’s as a New Accounts Manager approving the extension of credit and solicitation efforts to stimulate new account volume. Mary Ann holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Affairs from Montclair State University.
Human Resource Manager
Linda joined BFI in 1990 as a Payroll Administrator. During her tenure she has successfully worked on numerous initiatives that have been continued to present day. Her continual commitment to excellence resulted in Linda being promoted numerous times and ultimately becoming the Human Resource Manager. In this role, Linda is responsible for all aspects of the employee’s experience at BFI. She is the liaison with our Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and responsible for ensuring equality and accessibility for all BFI employees. Linda takes great pride in her work and is always willing to lend a hand whenever needed. Linda is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional and takes great pride in her work. She graduated from Brookdale Community College with a degree in Business Administration. When not helping others at work, Linda volunteers her time at a dog rescue where she has helped for many years and has several rescue dogs of her own.
Director of Project Management and Strategic Accounts
Michael joined BFI in October 2023 as Director of Strategic Accounts and Project Management. He brought 30 years of diverse industry experience that has help expand our client service offerings. Beginning his career as a furniture salesperson, he developed and maintained numerous Fortune 500 accounts including Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Maersk. Feeding his entrepreneurial spirit, Michael started the Integrated Group which focused on warehousing, asset management, and delivery and installation of contract office furniture. He later expanded this business outside the NY market to Atlanta, Nashville, and Knoxville. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from Bethany College.
The legacy of our company and its continued success make us one of the most recognized names in our industry. For years we have made business decisions necessary to ensure our success. The most recent decision was looking to hire you.
