The Backbone of Bold Businesses
Primpel is a selective business ecosystem designed to help owners grow, exit, or transform with confidence. Built by operators, for operators—this is where strategy, software, IT, and marketing actually work together.
One Legal Entity. Many Capabilities.
Primpel LLC is the parent company and legal backbone of an ecosystem of businesses designed to help small companies scale or exit. Each brand serves a focused purpose—but together, they create strategic synergy.
How the Ecosystem Works
Each business under the Primpel umbrella can operate independently—but the magic happens when they align. Midwest Equity Management sources deals. Midwest Strategic turns chaos into structure. NetProtect365 handles IT stability. Central Software Systems builds custom tools. Otter Foods powers our food security initiatives. And Wisconsin Business Group connects it all to local credibility.
Meet the Brands
Midwest Equity Management
The front door to the Primpel Ecosystem. We help owners sell without selling out. Creative deals, honest transitions, and local legacy—all backed by real operators.
Midwest Strategic
Fix the mess. Build the plan. We optimize operations before or after acquisitions—bringing clarity to teams, systems, and scaling chaos.
NetProtect365
Your business tech should work. Period. We offer managed IT, email migrations, backup systems, and practical cybersecurity.
Central Software Systems
Software that fits your business like a glove. We build mobile-ready, idiot-proof systems for ERPs, refurbishing workflows, and more.
Otter Foods
High-protein, shelf-stable products designed for food banks and nonprofits. Otter Foods fuels the fight against food insecurity with zero-fridge-required products made in the Midwest.
Wisconsin Business Group
Our business-to-business connection engine. WBG promotes local companies, boosts discoverability, and powers sponsor-led growth across Wisconsin.
About Our Founder
John Schram – Built for Chaos. Wired for Impact.
John Schram didn’t just build Primpel to fill a market need—he built it to keep people from losing everything. He’s seen what happens when good businesses are gutted by faceless private equity groups. He’s watched friends lose their livelihoods, their families, and their hope. And he’s lived through battles that would break most people.
John was born in 1983 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Bullied as a child, diagnosed with severe dyslexia, and often overlooked, he leaned into science, machines, and hard work. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 18, where he led 40 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, navigating post-9/11 deployments and tsunami relief missions. That experience shaped his core philosophy: move fast, earn trust, and never break under pressure.
After the Navy, John led tech and operations in industries ranging from food manufacturing to logistics to nonprofit distribution. Whether modernizing labs, rebuilding ERP systems, or stepping into leadership during operational chaos, his reputation was always the same: the guy who fixes the unfixable and carries the load no one else can.
But John’s greatest leadership wasn’t on a spreadsheet. It was forged through personal pain, serious medical issues, and years of hardship. No matter the obstacles—he kept showing up. He kept building. And he never stopped fighting for his team.
That’s why Primpel exists. To protect what matters. To offer real help to business owners who feel alone. To build systems that don’t just scale—but survive.
Today, John leads not just as a builder, but as a survivor. His work at Shredding Hunger, Otter Foods, and Now Equipment reflects his deep belief in dignity, community, and action. He’s not interested in titles or buzzwords. He’s here to do the work—and help others avoid the pain he knows too well.
If you want someone who will give everything to protect what you've built—you just found him.
Why Primpel Exists
We built Primpel to fix what’s broken in small business growth. Scattered vendors. No accountability. Tech that doesn’t talk to your strategy. We’ve lived that pain—and built something better.
Whether you're exiting, scaling, or just trying to make payroll with less stress—Primpel exists to help you win without selling out.
Let’s See If You’re a Fit
We’re selective. Not because we’re arrogant, but because this ecosystem only works when the pieces align. Want to see what we could build together?