Mike Kehoe

Mike Kehoe is running for State Senate to serve the people of Missouri’s 6th District which includes the counties of Callaway, Cole, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan.  A 23-year resident of Central Missouri and a small business owner since 1988, Mike is committed to bringing leadership, values, and common sense to the Missouri State Senate.

Mike’s story stands apart from others in politics.  He is not running because he needs a government job – he is running so that government does a better job for our families, and to help secure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. Mike’s background and experience show he will be a new voice for our community and a true citizen legislator who shares our views and values.

Learning the Values of Family and Personal Responsibility

Mike Kehoe was born and raised in Missouri and has deep family roots in the state. He was born on January 17, 1962 and is the youngest of six children. Mike’s father was a Policeman, but left the family to fend for its own when Mike was only a year old. Mike’s mother, Lorraine, was able to raise a loving family by herself as a single mom. Lorraine raised Mike and his siblings in a one-bedroom apartment where she taught them to value faith, family, and hard work.

Mike never met his sister, Carol, who had passed away at the age of 8 from Leukemia. He learned at an early age the importance of personal responsibility and taking care of family, especially those in need. By the age of 12, he was featured in the local newspaper with a story of a community fundraiser to aid children with Leukemia.

Learning the Value of Hard Work: From Washboy to Manager

Growing up, Mike knew he would have to work hard to succeed. Mike graduated from Chaminade High School and attended St. Louis Community College while working as a washboy at Dave Sinclair Ford. Dave Sinclair himself was also a St. Louis Policeman, and had watched over Mike’s family after his father had left. He soon recognized Mike’s talents and work ethic, and asked him to sell in his New Truck Department. He quickly progressed through the ranks, and by the time he was 23, Mike was the New Truck Sales Manager.

Mike has never forgotten the kindness shown to his family by the man who gave him a chance and his first job.  Mike and Mr. Sinclair remained close friends for decades.  On September 25, 2009, Mr. Sinclair lost his battle with cancer.  He made a difference in Mike’s life that will never be forgotten.

Successful Small Businessman: Turning Around a Failing Company

Mike’s career as a small business owner began when he rescued a failing Central Missouri company. At 25, Mike was asked to take control of Osage Industries, a van conversion and ambulance manufacturing company in the town of Linn. Osage was owned by a consortium of 19 auto dealerships in the St. Louis area, but was losing money due to bad management. More than 30 jobs were at risk. Shortly after arriving at Osage, Mike was able to purchase the company from the St. Louis dealer group, and over the course of the next five years he dramatically turned the company around.

Under Mike’s leadership, Osage Industries not only began turning a profit, it doubled the size of its workforce and became a huge success with sales across the nation. Today Osage is one of the largest ambulance manufacturers in the world.

Central Missouri Job Creator

Mike speaking at the 2007 Missouri Economic Development Summit.

While with Osage Industries, Mike did a lot of business with the local Ford dealer in Jefferson City. Since his days as a washboy, Mike had much respect for the Ford Motor Company. Ford is the brand he grew up with, an American company, and still essentially a family-owned company today. When the opportunity arose in 1992 to buy the dealership, Mike’s old boss and mentor, Dave Sinclair, asked Ford to take a chance on Mike despite his young age. Mike sold the now robust Osage Industries to its employees, and purchased the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury franchises in Jefferson City, which he still owns and operates today.

As a successful small businessman with 70 employees, Mike knows what it takes to create family-supporting jobs, operate a business, manage a budget and meet payroll for his employees who are working to support themselves and their families.

Transportation Leader 

Mike speaks with contractor partners at the Tuscumbia bridge ground breaking - the 1st E.R.R.A. project in the Nation

Mike understands that a strong transportation infrastructure is critical to Missouri’s economy and the safety of our citizens. In May 2005, Mike was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission (MHTC), where he served for four-and-a-half years, including serving as its Chairman. With Mike’s leadership, the Commission turned around a part of state government that Missourians did not trust, and made it a model for accountability and integrity.

As a result of the changes Mike helped enact, Missouri saw unprecedented growth in our transportation infrastructure. During Mike’s tenure our roads and highways became smoother & safer; our bridges became safer and stronger; and, most importantly, fewer people lost their lives on Missouri roads and highways.

During Mike’s tenure with the MHTC, he also served as the Chairman of the MoDOT & Patrol Employees’ Retirement System.

Deeply Involved Community Leader

Mike has been deeply involved in the Central Missouri Community for nearly 20 years.  He is currently a board member for both the United Way and the Boy Scouts, and has been the title sponsor of the popular Jefferson City High School’s Mike Kehoe Great 8 Basketball Tournament for the past 15 years.

Mike has also taken a leadership role in the area business community, first with his involvement in the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association. Mike eventually became Director for a 2-year term, and is the current Chairman-Elect. Mike served six years as a board member on Linn State Technical College’s Board of Regents, and is currently a board member of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.

Mike is also closely associated with the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, holding various positions on several Chamber committees, until he became Chamber Chairman in 2004. He’s made several trips to Washington, D.C. leading a community contingent to promote growth in Central Missouri.

Helping Others Through Volunteering and Charity

Currently, Mike is Co-Chair of the 2009 Central Missouri United Way Campaign, as well as Vice Chairman of the Jefferson City Diocese Jubilee Capital Campaign Committee. Mike, his wife Claudia, and the dealership are active in the American Cancer Society, the Heart Association, Central Missouri 4-H, the Helias Foundation, the Jefferson City Veterans Council, the USS Missouri (SSN-780) Commissioning Committee, the Jefferson City YMCA, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral School. Serving his community is important to Mike personally. It is also a value he has taken to his business, encouraging his 70 employees to contribute their time and resources, making it a permanent part of the business culture.

Awards

Mike’s commitment to his community is exemplified in the number of awards he has received at both the local and state levels. In 1991, while still running Osage Industries, Mike received the Small Business Administration’s “Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.” Mike received national recognition when he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1996, and was the Missouri nominee for the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award  in 2000, where he placed in the Top 5 of all auto dealers nationally. In 2005, Mike was awarded the “Heart of a Hero” award by the American Red Cross, and recently received the “Outstanding Philanthropist“ Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

On a Personal Note

Mike and his youngest daughter, Claire, at the ranch.

Mike met his wife, Claudia, in 1988 when the couple went on a blind date. They were married one year later. Mike and Claudia have four children; Carol (18), Michael (16), Maggie (12), and Claire (9). The children attend St. Joseph’s Cathedral School and Helias High School and are actively involved in several sports.

Mike and Claudia are active in the Jefferson City Catholic school system and the Diocese of Jefferson City. The family spends their spare time on a 500-acre ranch on the Gasconade River in Phelps County, Missouri. The C-bar-K Ranch has won multiple ribbons at the Missouri State Fair for its Bermuda Hay, which Mike, Claudia, and the kids work to produce each summer.

The Kehoe’s are also horse enthusiasts, raising and training American Quarter Horses.  The offspring are used for competitive showing and recreational riding. The family’s favorite activities include horseback riding and driving a pair of 2000-pound Belgian team horses hitched to an 1870 Julian “Stage Wagon”, which is how they give tours of the Ranch.