Upsher-Smith founder Kenneth Evenstad dies at 77
Kenneth Evenstad, founder of Upsher-Smith Labs and co-founder of Domaine Serene Vineyards & Winery, died at his home in Oregon on Oct. 21, having fought chronic pulmonary issues for the past five years. He was 77 years old.
Evenstad was born July 9, 1943 in Baudette, Minn., and earned his bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of Minnesota in 1967. The year before he graduated, he met his wife, Grace Evanstad, on a blind date and married her seven months later, kicking off a lifelong partnership in life, business and philanthropy.
Ken Evenstad's interest in chemistry and pharmacy drove him to revive Upsher-Smith, in 1969, which he bought for $1,500 after scraping together his life's savings. During the ensuing 30 years, he grew the company into a major generic pharmaceutical business. In the following 30 years he bootstrapped, led, and managed the fledgling company into a successful generic pharmaceutical business. When his son, Mark Evenstad, took over as CEO, Ken Evenstad served for 20 years as chairman of Upsher-Smith. He was recognized by Ernst & Young as their Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001, and in 2012, he was awarded the University of Minnesota's Outstanding Achievement Award— the university's highest alumni honor.
Ken and Grace Evenstad's interest in wine began in the mid-1970s. They would go on to buy 42 acres in Oregon's Dundee Hills to be planted to pinot noir, establishing Domaine Serene in 1989 with the mission of making the best pinot noir in the world. was to make the best Pinot Noir in the world, and they became pioneers of the luxury Oregon wine industry From their first win in 1990, made in an abandoned electrical plant, the company pioneered the luxury wine industry in Oregon and by 2000, they had added more property and built ive-level, gravrity-flow winery. Since then, Domaine Serene has expanded to encompass 1,000 acres, a facility for white wine and sparkling wine, as well as a tasting clubhouse for visitors. The company produces 37 different wines, and in 2015 the Evenstads acquired hâteau de la Crée, a 15th-century domaine located in Burgundy, France's Côte d'Or.
Domaine Serene has earned several accolades in the past 10 years, including Best in Show and Best Pinot Noir from Decanter in 2012 and 2016, respectively. This year, Decanter named Domaine Serene Best in Show, and wines made in Oregon and France under the couple won an additional 22 medals, which made Domaine Serene the most award winery in the world. The couple also was recognized in 2018 with the wine industry's highest honor, Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award.
Besides his multifaceted career, Ken Evenstad also was a noted philantrhopist. He and Grace Evenstad focused on supporting at-risk children through college education and they recently endowed the Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield University in McMinnville, Ore., enabling the first program for an undergraduate degree in wine studies. Having lived in Naples, Fla., since 2001, the couple are lifetime trustees of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, the Naples Botanical Garden and Trinity-by-the-Cove Church.
In 2018, Ken and Grace were awarded the wine industry's highest honor, the "Distinguished Service Award" by Wine Spectator for their numerous pioneering contributions to the global wine industry.
Ken Evenstad is survived by Grace Evenstad, his daughter Serene, his son Mark and six grandchildren.
According to his Oregonian obituary, Ken Evenstad recently said, "I've seen and done everything I've wanted to do, as I've wanted ... and I have no regrets."
Contributions in Ken's memory may be made to ¡SALUD! c/o Tuality Healthcare Foundation.
The online guestbook can be signed here.