Off the Field
Taking over, expanding and buying out a company sound like engrossing endeavors, the kind that would unavoidably bleed into a person’s personal life. Not true for Dave, who Eva says leaves it all on the field. If there is one thing he does bring home from the office, it is his selflessness.
“The first thing that comes to my mind is what a generous person he is, always thinking about everyone else besides himself first,” she says. “I’ve always had a passion for horses, but never had the opportunity as a child to pursue it. Now we have horses at home—on their own property, but the same property we live on—and Dave’s allergic to horses. He can’t touch and he has to wear a mask so he doesn’t breathe them in.
“The few times we do talk about work, I’ve always said I would love to have him as a boss,” she continues. “He would be one of the best bosses to have.” Kristina, the youngest of their three children, has called Dave “dad” for the last 28 years and “boss” for the last two and a half. “As his daughter I have a ton of respect for him and as his employee I also have a ton of respect for him,” she says. “I’ve always known that I’ve had an amazing dad, and I’m very grateful I’ve gotten to work for him—It has only increased my appreciation of him.”
Photos courtesy of Eva and Kristina Nieman
Kristina says her father was very involved in her, her older brother Nick and her older sister Jessica’s childhoods. He coached her and her brother in several sports, always driving Kristina to soccer tournaments on weekends. “For as much as he worked and traveled, I don’t remember my dad ever not being around,” she recalls. “And growing up, he didn’t play soccer, but he found the time to read all these articles and books about it so he could go out there and actually coach us, instead of just saying ‘Play better.’”
A coach needs to have patience with their players, doubly true when one of them is their daughter. Eva recalls the years before Kristina went to college as a time that tested her husband’s patience.
“The summer before she went, she decided she didn’t want to play anymore. That was a trying time for the two of them. She’d come home and say, ‘Why is dad so hard on me?’ And I’d tell her, ‘Dad sees the potential in you!’ She’d say, ‘Well that’s not fair!’ He pushed her, and he was right: She got recruited by a D1 school.”
Out of college, Kristina spent three years working at another company before deciding she didn’t like what she was doing. Dave extended an offer to work at APR in sales support and she accepted. Looking back, Kristina says it was both a big decision and an easy one. “I can’t tell you how many times employees have come up to me and said, ‘Your dad is amazing!’ and all I can say is, ‘I know!’” she professes, adding that her father’s level of involvement—staying connected to each employee, planning events for the company—reinforces that.
“The first thing that comes to my mind is what a generous person he is, always thinking about everyone else besides himself first.”
On family vacations when Kristina and her siblings were growing up, Dave always planned activities for the group. Now with three grandchildren in the mix, they have made an annual tradition of bringing everyone to Florida and renting a house for a long weekend. He stays involved with his own siblings, nieces and nephews, and creates a calendar every year for extended family.
Beyond extended family, Dave became a part of PADS Lake County, an organization that works to find shelter for the homeless. He donates Chicago Blackhawks tickets for fundraisers affiliated with a camp for children with cancer.
“I went to Labelexpo Americas 2016 and seeing him on the show floor and talking the talk and introducing me all excitedly, and seeing how respected he is, I texted my siblings and said, ‘I know we all know how amazing dad is, but it’s unbelievable how cool he is in his work life.’”