Business

Ask any non-resident what Wisconsin is best known for and they will likely toss out beer, cheese, brats and Harley-Davidson. Sure, these Wisconsin favorites put us on the map, but did you know the Badger state is also home to well-regarded brands like Culver’s, Carmex, Penzeys Spices and Epic Systems?

Anyone who grew up during the 1990s or early 2000s will admit they are familiar with American Girl. Every birthday and holiday, it seemed as if a doll or its accessories were at the top of every girl’s wish list.

In a state that’s seemingly overflowing with beer, it’s no surprise the earliest breweries in Wisconsin predate our statehood, dating back to the 1830s. Thanks to the state’s industrious German settlers, there were over 300 breweries operating in Wisconsin by 1890, including Pabst Brewing, Schlitz Brewing Co. and MillerCoors LLC.

Like so many tech companies of its era, Epic Systems was founded in a basement in 1979. Today, the electronic health records company, headquartered in Verona, boasts 10,000 employees with a focus on developing software to help people get well, help people stay well and help future generations live healthier lives.

Wisconsin’s most celebrated story of industrial innovation started in 1873 and is alive and well today in Kohler.

A tiny tin jar with a yellow and red logo makes up the simple, iconic packaging for one of the most popular lip balms on the market, Carmex. Since 1937, Carmex has offered lips comfort and care when troubled by the effects of sun, wind or cold.

In 1924, Milwaukee Tool created the first portable, one-handed 1/4-inch capacity drill. Since then, they’ve become a world-leading equipment manufacturer through inventiveness and technical enhancement. If you’re using a power tool, they probably invented it.

Headquartered in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Lands’ End is known for its comfortable, practical outerwear. But most are unaware of the company’s ongoing commitment to the environment.

When traveling north of Milwaukee it’s hard to miss Old Glory waving proudly in front of Sheboygan’s Acuity Insurance. It is home to the largest free-flying American flag, at nearly 10,000 square feet, but that’s not the company’s only claim to fame.

In 1945, the Stayer family opened a butcher shop in Johnsonville, just west of Sheboygan. The original recipe of “sausage with a big taste” that came over from 19th-century Austria was the foundation of the business in the 1940s and remains the staple of the family-owned company today.

Up to 40 percent of food grown, processed and transported in the United States is never eaten, yet 1 in 8 Americans – or 40 million people – suffers food insecurity. The average four-person family wastes $1,500 a year on food.

With cooler weather gusting through Wisconsin, the spooky season is approaching. For many, this means trick-or-treating, but for others it means getting scared by zombies.

At Shaker’s Cigar Bar in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood, your Death in the Afternoon absinthe cocktail may not be the only spirit at your side.

As community members, we seek to make a difference – actively engaging with our communities or giving back in some way. So, it’s no surprise we’ve come to expect businesses in our community to act accordingly.

To some, social responsibility is a natural calling and passion.

As investors seek to invest in companies doing good in the world, socially responsible investing (SRI) has become the fastest growing financial trend. Germantown-based Falcons Rock Investment Counsel is among a handful of Wisconsin firms exclusively focused on helping people invest with purpose. Turns out, SRI is good for the bottom line, too.

Since 1959, the Bemis Company, the global packaging entity in Neenah, has been flexing its philanthropic arm. To strengthen the company’s core values of ethics, innovation, accountability and respect, the Bemis Company Foundation supports community members struggling with basic needs, seeking a better education and desiring enrichment through the arts.

With multiple charitable giving endeavors, the Packers Foundation is chief among the organization’s social responsibility efforts. The Packers Foundation supplies grants to different organizations around the state; in 2017, the foundation donated $800,000 to 213 civic and charitable groups in Wisconsin.

Located in the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, Giving Gallery: Community in Process, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration of art and philanthropy.

Hear it straight from the horse’s mouth: Stepping Stone Farms, a nonprofit horse rescue farm specializing in equine-assisted psychotherapy, has at least 20 horses in need of corporate sponsorship.

National chains and local shops alike often help nonprofits in their community with fundraisers or events that generate awareness for their cause.

“Community service work identifies a student as someone who is involved in the community, committed to giving time for the well-being of others and experienced in real-world issues,” said Sturgeon Bay High School Principal Robert Nickel.

Owned by the people for the people, Willy Street Co-op is far from a regular grocery store. While offering affordable, organic food to the Madison community from three locations, Willy Street is also defined by a commitment to charitable giving – specifically local nonprofits.

Black Shoe Hospitality, known for Maxie’s, Blue’s Egg and Story Hill BKC, combines giving with business.

When you think of corporate social responsibility, your mind may not jump to french fries. But Wisconsin’s own Culver’s restaurant franchise outshines its fast-food competition in sustainable practices.

Companies are seeing that long-term investments in social, environmental and governmental initiatives are more beneficial than initiatives without sustainable practices or missions.

Brand ambassador programs are catching on. However, rather than selecting a few influencers with high followings to promote their product or service, brands are taking another approach: building brand ambassador armies.

Located just north of Milwaukee, Ozaukee County claims top-notch golf courses that combine great scenery and tests of skill.

During the spring, summer and fall months, Wisconsinites take advantage of golf to move meetings outdoors and get to know partners and clients outside of the office.

The Wisconsin 100 team interviewed Juli Pickering, the director of career services for the college of applied sciences and engineering at UW-Milwaukee, to gain insight on internships and co-op experiences in her field.