Jeffery Wirth

Jeffrey J. Wirth is Chief Executive Officer and owner of The Wirth Companies, a business he founded in 1978. The Wirth Companies employs over 1000 people and is primarily engaged in renovation, redevelopment, and management of real estate assets.

The crown jewel of the portfolio is The Grand Hotel Minneapolis, a 140-room luxury hotel located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Formerly known as the Minneapolis Athletic Club, The Grand was purchased in 1998 with the vision of restoring the 85-year-old club to its original classic elegance. The hotel completed a $54 million dollar renovation and opened fully in March 2001. This ambitious project has received the following awards and recognitions:

The “Minneapolis/St. Paul” magazine’s “Best New Hotel Award for 2000”
The Consulting Engineers Council of Minnesota Award for “Best Renovation of 2000”
The Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers “Seven Wonders of Minnesota Award” for the “Most Distinguished Engineering Achievement of 2001”
AAA’s recognition as Minneapolis’ Only Luxury Hotel in 2002-2003
Travel+Leisure magazine’s “Top 500 Best Hotels in the World 2006” Minnesota’s only Travel+Leisure Top 500 Hotel
AAA Four Diamond Award, seven years in a row

The Wirth Companies newest property, The Radisson Hotel by Mall of America and Water Park of America located in Bloomington, MN opened in May 2006. This $105 million dollar project features the worlds biggest indoor water park hotel with a 10 story waterslide, 403 hotel rooms, 8000 square feet of arcade and redemption center, a spa, and 5000 square feet of meeting space with 3 restaurants. This property has received the following recognitions:

Expedia Insiders’ Select 2007
AAA Diamond Rated Hotel 2006, 2007, and 2008
Official members of The Society of Government Meeting Professionals

Mr. Wirth Founded and is Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit organization “Musicians in Debut International” (MIDI), which is the sponsoring organization of the “Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition.” Since its inception in 2001, the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition has become one of the most recognized and highly rated competitions in the world. The number of outstanding young pianists applying for participation has been growing with each event, and so was the number of world-wide visitors to the competition’s website. More than 100,000 new viewers logged in to follow the e-Competition events in 2006. The competition has expanded the number of the recording sites to include Moscow, Toronto and Vancouver in addition to Paris, Shanghai, New York and Los Angeles.

In July of 2008, the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition is hosting the first e-Piano Junior Competition, geared specifically for young pianists ages 17 and under. Twenty young pianists will come to the Twin Cities to perform a series of solo recitals and concerti with the orchestra to vie for the top prize. For the first time, all performances of the e-Piano Junior Competition will be free of charge and open to the public.
In addition to the e-Piano Junior Competition, Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition is collaborating closely with the Minnesota Music Teachers Association to produce an e-Piano Junior Festival, an exciting program that provides unique performance and educational opportunities for Minnesota’s young pianists. To give the most accessibility, all events of the e-Piano Junior Festival are also free of charge and open to the public.

In July 2006, Mr. Wirth became the talk show host of “For What it’s Worth with Jeffrey Wirth” aired Saturdays on KTLK 100.3 which by spring of 2008 had become the most “listened to” local weekend talk show in Minnesota.

In September 2005, Mr. Wirth started serving as adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, for the course “Entrepreneurial Perspectives”, a course he conceived and founded. In the course, students break into groups and each group works closely with a top entrepreneur from the region to study a complex business problem the entrepreneur has recently faced. The group then builds a “business case” around this problem and presents, in conjunction with the entrepreneur, the “business case” to the entire class. Mr. Wirth is building a collection of cases which the University hopes to publish for use by business students across the country.

The Wirth Companies developed and opened in 2004, the Grand Rios Water Park Hotel located in Brooklyn Park Minnesota. Grand Rios, a $40 million dollar project features Minnesota’s First Major Indoor Water Park, 224 rooms, and a 10,000 foot conference center.

In January of 2002, Mr. Wirth founded Grand Towers LLC, a wholly owned company providing tower space to the Wireless Communications Industry. Billed as the Midwest’s fastest growing Tower Company, Grand Towers is currently developing large communication towers in out state Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In December of 2005, Mr. Wirth acquired a 425 unit apartment complex on I494 located across the street from Water Park of America. This property which occupies ½ mile of prime frontage on I494 was reconcepted and renovated and renamed Buena Vista.

The Wirth Companies currently owns and manages the Holiday Inn of Tomah Wisconsin, the Central Medical Building in St. Paul, the Saint Anthony Business Center, the Columbia Park Business Center, Palmer Lake Plaza, and the Zachary Square Shopping Center in Maple Grove.

In June of 2007, Mr. Wirth joined the Board of Directors of Community Health Charities, a non profit focused on providing funding for health charities throughout Minnesota. Community Health Charities is funded largely through employer sponsored employee giving programs. Subsequently, Mr. Wirth became the Chairman of the Marketing Committee.

Mr. Wirth is a member of the Organization of Commercial Realtors, the Minneapolis Board of Realtors, Young Entrepreneur Organization, MENSA, and is a former member of Rotary International and the Twin Cities Dunkers.

Mr. Wirth launched his career in real estate after graduating from Park Center High School, initially renovating single-family homes and duplexes. He proceeded to purchase and renovate apartment buildings and is now working with commercial properties.

Mr. Wirth attended Carleton College and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1983 with a BSB in accounting. He is a Minnesota Real Estate Broker as well as a Certified Public Accountant.

For outstanding work in the renovation of historical buildings and to recognize his commitment to the less fortunate in the community, Mr. Wirth was awarded the inaugural Curtis L. Carlson Young Entrepreneurs and Philanthropist Award in 1998.

Mr. Wirth has served on the Boards of Ridgedale YMCA, Minnetonka Power Squadron, and was the founding director of Private Bancorporation, Inc. and its subsidiary, Private Bank Minnesota.