Mr. Kenneth F. Klosterman is a third-generation baker from a family that has a rich baking heritage dating back to 1848 in Germany.  Ken grew up in the baking industry and held various sales and operational roles prior to succeeding his father as Chairman and CEO of Klosterman Baking Company in 1972.  Under Ken’s leadership, sales increased more than 400 percent and the number of employees doubled between 1973 and 1983.

Klosterman Baking Company claims title to many bakery firsts for the Cincinnati area.  It was the first bakery to produce a square sandwich loaf, hamburger and hot dog buns, brown and serve rolls and to use plastic bags for its sliced bread and rolls.  In 1984, the company entered the retail grocery store market with the purchase of Schaefers Bakery and franchise rights for Pennington Bread and Holsum Bread.  Today, Klosterman Baking Company is one of the largest family-owned bakeries in the Midwest and produces bread and buns for restaurants, institutions and grocery stores.

Ken’s other lifetime passion is magic.  Introduced by his uncle to magic at the age of 9, Ken became a professional magician and performed along with his wife Judy until his obligations to Klosterman Baking Company became too great.  Ken is an accomplished magician and has accumulated the largest collection of historical magic paraphernalia in the United States.

Ken has served as the President of the Variety Bakers of America, the Ohio Bakers Association and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, as well as on the Boards of the American Bakers Association, The Long Company, Cincinnati Restaurant Association and the Cincinnati Convention Bureau.

Click on the images below to view .pdf files of the inductee’s biography and plaque.