Drive up to a certain 320-acre spread of land near West Branch on any given weekend and you’ll find Pat McQueen, chairman and CEO of The PrivateBank in Bloomfield Hills, planting alfalfa, hunting for deer, or monitoring his extensive solar-panel system. “I’m off the grid,” says McQueen. “I have a propane-powered fridge, a generator to pump water, and battery storage systems to store the electricity. I was green before it was popular.” The finance expert bought the property 15 years ago and spent the first three years building a three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot cabin with a spacious porch. “We have a contest every year to see who brings in the biggest buck, and I’ve won twice in the last three years with an 8-point, and a 9-point,” he says. In addition to entertaining family, friends, and clients, McQueen uses his retreat for solace. “It’s nice to get away from the office,” he says. “One weekend a year, I do nothing but change oil in my tractor, the ATVs, and the other machinery. It may not sound like fun, but I really enjoy it.”
Pat McQueen
The PrivateBank, Bloomfield Hills