EC Life Magazine - Winter/Spring 2022 Edition

Background photo by Tim Abraham Photography

Welcome to The EC Life, an Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce publication, where you the reader are able to dive into a variety of community driven stories that feature local businesses, explore the vitality of the area and share the overall sense of home that Eau Claire provides.

Thank you to all of our readers.

“Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

I have shared this quote from Walt Disney several times over the past four years.

All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including a photocopy, ecording or any information retrieval system without written permission from the publisher.

We the Eau Claire Area Chamber continue down new paths and this publication, “The EC Life” is another new path we’ve set out on.

Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this publication.

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information presented here or be held accountable for omissions or errors. Please report any changes to the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce for inclusion in subsequent editions.

This publication will help us tell OUR story to those who live here but also for those who are thinking about calling Eau Claire home.

David Minor Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO

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© 2022 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce

The EC Life Magazine

Main articles and spotlight stories written by: Doug Mell Cover & back photos: Tim Abraham Photography, designed by former Chamber intern, Missy Prissel Published by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce 101 North Farwell St., Suite 101 Eau Claire WI 54703 Phone: 715-834-1204 • Fax: 715-834-1956

Table of

Photos by Visit Eau Claire

Contents

4 6 9 12 15 18 21 22

EC CHAMBER

BACK TO BUSINESS

VISIT EAU CLAIRE SPOTLIGHT

OUR VITALITY

RIVERSIDE BIKE & SKATE SPOTLIGHT

HOME IS HERE

THE LOCAL STORE SPOTLIGHT

EXPLORE EAU CLAIRE

www.eauclairechamber.org

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To learn more contact our VP Investor Relations, Phillip Swiler!

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The EC Life Magazine

10 FACTS FAST

EST. IN

1915

Staff consists of nine community oriented thinkers.

The Eau Claire Chamber celebrated 100 years in 2015.

1,100 investor businesses on annual basis.

The Chamber website has over 2,670 views with 1,237 visits per month.

40 Ambassadors with over 400+ years of combined business experience.

Our weekly video series the Monday Morning Minute has over 250 views every week.

Developed the Chippewa Valley Alliance (CVA).

A collaboration between the Chippewa Falls and Menomonie Chamber.

Four pillar value system that consists of Advocacy, Workforce, Education and Investor Engagement.

Investor dues structure transitioned from traditional structure to new five level tiered program in March 2019.

Our mission is to be the ADVOCATE of business. www.eauclairechamber.org

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David Burke has a lot of duties and responsibilities as owner of The Florian Gardens Conference Center on Eau Claire’s south side.

Burke oversees the entire operation of the Chippewa Valley’s premier wedding, banquet and event space.

But talk to him about his various roles, and he eventually will land on what is a true passion for Burke: personally inspecting and giving a final “wipe” to each and every entrée plate before it is hustled to awaiting guests in the spacious Florian Gardens ballroom.

Besides properly preparing the food, he said, “presentation is everything.” Each meal has to be contained within a certain area on the plate, Burke said, and during most events he ensures that no sloppily prepared plate is served.

“I am a professional plate wiper,” Burke said with obvious pride. “I make sure that plate is presentable.”

pride ourselves on our food, “WeBurke said in an interview. “ “ The food is the big thing for me.“ Burke said he and his team sweat the details of every meal they serve, ,such as exactly how long to cook a steak to be truly medium rare in the massive 4,000-square-foot kitchen. “We can cook for the masses,” he said. “The chefs know exactly what they are doing.”

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The EC Life Magazine

Photo by Seckora Photography, The Eau Claire Chamber’s Bravo to Business

The Florian Gardens opened on June 6, 2006, following eight long years of research by Burke and his wife, Patricia into similar facilities. The Burke’s daughter was getting married, and they couldn’t find a facility in the area that had all the amenities they wanted in one place.

Photo by Seckora Photography, The Eau Claire Chamber’s Bravo to Business

Back to Business

Photo by The Florian Gardens Conference Center

“I had a ‘vision’ of what that new venue should be like, he said, adding, “There was such a need in Eau Claire to have more than just a wedding venue,” a facility that offered every service required for a successful wedding or other event.

Burke had spent his career in the buildingmaterials industry, so he knew his way around construction. They bought land just south of Interstate 94, had it annexed to the city of Eau Claire, and had local contractor Market & Johnson do the construction to Burke’s specifications.

“They always do a nice job,” Burke said of Market & Johnson.

Since the inspiration for The Florian Gardens came from an impending wedding in the Burke family, weddings remain a focal point for the business.“It’s a one-stop shop” for weddings, Burke said with pride. “We can be inclusive and do everything.”

As befitting its name, The Florian Gardens offers a large outdoor space for ceremonies along with two large patios with bistro tables and chairs for receptions and socials.

In-house catering, a full-service bar and a hightechnology sound and audio visual system are available. Professional event coordinators are on staff to make sure that attention to detail is for the comfort of their guests and that the event flows smoothly.

can really “ People enjoy it out here.

“

But Florian Gardens is hardly just a wedding venue; it is a go-to location for banquets of all sizes and annual corporate meetings.

For example, the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting at Florian Gardens on Jan. 26.

“We are a full-service venue,” Burke said of the kinds of meetings or banquets they can accommodate. “We can pretty much handle anything.”

www.eauclairechamber.org

Background photo by The Florian Gardens Conference Center

While the facility is large at 24,000 square feet, with 12,000 square feet of event space, Burke said he now wishes he had built even bigger.

Future growth is being considered, he said.

The large spacious ballroom can be conveniently divided into three separate ballrooms all graced with a wall of windows overlooking the beautifully manicured gardens.

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Burke said it is important to meet early with a client to gauge their needs and assess the budget.

Photo by The Florian Gardens Conference Center

Clients “expect to have nice food,” he said, and quality meals can be provided even with a tight budget, due in part by the creativity of their inhouse chefs and the close relationship the facility has with its suppliers.

Also important, he said, is to make sure that the technology works for whatever presentations and other activities are planned for the event. “There is nothing worse” than a glitchy presentation during a banquet, Burke said as he showed off the bank of computer technology that runs the audio and visual equipment.

“We love working with Dave and everyone at Florian Gardens because they are true professionals, and the facilities are outstanding,” said Sarah Hughes, the Chamber of Commerce’s event and program director. “They take care of every detail, and we know our investors will always have an exceptional experience every time they step into the Florian Gardens.”

Photo by Seckora Photography, The Eau Claire Chamber’s Bravo to Business

“It was a huge challenge,” Burke said of the effects the pandemic had on his hospitality business.

“We were just petrified. How were we going to survive?”

But survive they did, using accumulated savings and grants funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, he said. “Thank God for the grants,” he said.

Business started picking up in April 2021, Burke said. “We had a pretty good summer with the weddings we have done,” he said. “We kept our heads above water.”

There aren’t many wedding dates available for 2022, Burke said, and reservations are coming in for 2023 and 2024. Corporate gatherings also are slowly coming back as well, he said.

The secret to the Florian Garden’s success, he said, is something that is heard time and again throughout the Chippewa Valley business community: pay attention to details and give the customer value for their dollar.

Photo by Seckora Photography, The Eau Claire Chamber’s Bravo to Business

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The EC Life Magazine

“If you give the client a good experience,” he said, “they are coming back. You cannot survive on one and done events…the best compliment we receive is their return business year after year, and for that we are forever grateful.”

Spotlight Story:

Visit Eau Claire

Couples who want to get married in the Chippewa Valley have a variety of options to choose from. Visit Eau Claire, the regional tourism agency, is working hard to get the word about the options available. “We have so many options” for wedding venues, said Benny Anderson, Visit Eau Claire’s executive director. These include “really glitzy receptions” at venues like the Pablo Center and the Florian Gardens, to “really cool and rustic barns” that have emerged lately as wedding venues, he said, as well as more traditional outdoor settings like Phoenix and Carson parks.

Visit Eau Claire and its partners are trying to raise awareness through its website and social media platforms that the Chippewa Valley is the perfect place to hold a wedding and all the events that accompany that big day, including bachelor and bachelorette parties, and rehearsal dinners.

That effort even included helping soon-to-be newlyweds find that perfect spot “to pop the question.” Suggested spots include well-known locations like the downtown bridges at Phoenix Park and Haymarket Plaza, and more out of the way locales like Dells Mill near Augusta or the Buena Vista Scenic Overlook near Osseo.

Photo by Seckora Photography, Wedding at the Metropolis Resort & Conference Center

Go to Visit Eau Claire’s Wedding page and you will see listings for all that goes into holding a wedding: bridal shops, wedding entertainment, wedding venues or spaces, churches, florists, photographers and catering. “Eau Claire is the perfect place to hold your special day,” the website proclaims. “The Eau Claire area boasts a large number of event, convention and ballroom spaces that are designed specifically to meet the needs of your individual wedding.”

It continues: “We invite you to host your special day in the natural beauty of the Eau Claire area in one of our many venues and facilities.” Anderson said one of the trends he has noticed are engaged couples being “more comfortable doing it their way,” even if the ultimate wedding event bucks tradition.

“People are becoming more interested in making new traditions,” he said, including getting married at one of the music festivals or having a food truck provide the rehearsal or wedding meal.

Photo by Seckora Photography

Even though 2021 saw a large number of weddings, Anderson said, as the pandemic shutdown abated, there’s still a lot of pent up demand. “You are still compressing events from the last two or three years into one year,” he said. “Wedding dates have become a very hot commodity.”

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The EC Life Magazine

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FACTS

1

Baseball legend, Hank Aaron, played at Carson Park for the Eau Claire Bears in 1952. Fans continue to watch upcoming baseball players at Eau Claire Express games.

2

Silver Spring Foods, Inc. is the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish. The family business has called Eau Claire home for more than 85 years.

YOU 3

MIGHT NOT KNOW

ABOUT

Eau

Claire

The U.S. National Kubb Tournament is held in Eau Claire.

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Justin Vernon, Grammy award winning lead of the group Bon Iver, grew up in rural Eau Claire and still calls it home.

5

In 2016, the City of Eau Claire received a Playful City USA designation, which was awarded by the nonprofit organization, Kaboom..

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In 2014, Eau Claire was selected as one of ten All-America City Award winners, the country’s most prestigious award for outstanding, community based civic accomplishments.

www.eauclairechamber.org

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For years winter in Eau Claire and the greater Chippewa Valley was a season to be endured rather than savored. Not any more.

Now local cross country ski trails are busy soon after the first appreciable snowfall; snowshoe enthusiasts celebrate a forecast of heavy snow; old and young alike lace up their ice skates for a spin around the plentiful neighborhood outdoor rinks, including two new ones this year; and bikers now simply switch to a snow-friendly bicycle with low pressure fat tires and ride throughout the winter. Moreover, opportunities continue to expand for old favorites like sledding and outdoor hockey, as well as ice fishing.

Need more evidence of how much many Eau Claire residents embrace winter: Look no further than the beautiful nearly six-acre Pinehurst Park on Eau Claire’s north side, where winter enthusiasts can enjoy downhill and cross country skiing, fat tire biking, snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating, hockey, snow boarding and even a winter version of the Swedish lawn game, Kubb.

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The EC Life Magazine

Photo by Visit Eau Claire, Kubb at Pinehurst

Short winter days don’t slow down the fun: The groomed trails are lit, as is the ski hill. All of this has been brought to life by a non-profit group, OutdoorMore Inc., working with city government, and volunteers and generous donors.

Andy Wians of OutdoorMore said that while no specific usage numbers are available for Pinehurst Park, “we’ve noticed an uptick in park visitors over the last few years.” For winter activities, he said, the increased traffic is coming from Chippewa Valley residents, while the summer increase seems to be visitors from outside the area who avail themselves of the mountain biking opportunities.

Photo by Visit Eau Claire

Our Vitality

Three years ago, Think Eau Claire, a project administered by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, with the assistance of Volume One, a cultural and news magazine based in Eau Claire, was initiated to help bring more professionals to Eau Claire, in part by promoting winter activities.

“Think Eau Claire aims to break some of the myths about the cold weather and six months of winter in Wisconsin,” said Kaylynn Winegar, Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce vice president of workforce initiatives, and thereby “point people in the right direction” if they are considering moving to the area.

The project’s website, thinkeauclaire.com includes a 74-second video that tells viewers, “a whole new world of opportunity awaits” as winter comes on, and “here in Eau Claire we are proud of winter.”

That’s because, the video says, “we get new things to do. We have new places to be and a chance to do something out of the ordinary,” as the video shows people cross country skiing, skating and playing hockey.

Photo by Tim Abraham Photography, Dells Mill

Dave Minor, Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said the organization learned in 2018 through its Employers Workforce Initiative that companies needed “a persuasive tool to assist them in asserting the positive attributes of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley region.” Minor added:

“

Our community has recently gained significant attention in regional and national media for its cultural, economic, and outdoor recreation qualities, and employers want to take advantage of this as they interact with potential employees from other areas.

“

Background photo by Tim Abraham Photography

Photo by Visit Eau Claire

Working hand in hand with Think Eau Claire is Wintermission Eau Claire, which is led by representatives from the City of Eau Claire, Eau Claire City-County Health Department, Downtown Eau Claire Inc., Visit Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., and the City of Altoona. www.eauclairechamber.org

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Eau Claire was one of five municipalities across the United States to receive a grant intended to put strategies in place “to highlight our vibrant winter,” the Chamber’s Winegar said. The two efforts, she said, “aim to change attitudes about the chilliest season of the year in an effort to recruit new professionals and their families to the Chippewa Valley.” Winegar added: “Wintermission really takes on the specific outreach with activities.”

Benny Anderson, executive director of Visit Eau Claire, said the vision for Wintermission Eau Claire “is to be a city that embraces winter, yearround activity, and wellness by providing safe access to community resources.” Think Eau Claire and Wintermission Eau Claire “are both promoting the uniqueness and opportunities of living, working and playing in Eau Claire,” Anderson said.

Each December, Anderson said, “Wintermission continues to remind locals and visitors that winter is here and there are some great ways to make the most out of it in the Chippewa Valley.”

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The EC Life Magazine

Wintermission worked to establish a four-mile paved trail section in the heart of Eau Claire that the city gives “the highest priority” to keeping clear in the winter months for those who want a safe place to walk, run, ride bikes, etc., thereby ensuring that traditional warm-weather activities can continue during winter.

The Visit Eau Claire website lists a myriad of events and activities open to residents in the winter, many of which understandably are in the run-up to Christmas and New Year’s, including the annual Clearwater Winter Parade and Fireworks in Eau Claire. The major winter event, taking place mid-January every year, is the Silver Mine Ski Invitational. During the tournament, national and international ski jumpers fly off the 136-year-old Silver Mine Hill south of Eau Claire.

Benny Anderson concluded: “Wintermission has an active Facebook presence and aims to promote winter in the Chippewa Valley in a positive manner on social media. The positive engagement we see from the audience shows that winter is no time to hibernate, and there is no better time to go out and play.”

Photo by Visit Eau Claire, Sledding at Pinehurst

Spotlight Story:

Riverside Bike & Skate

Drive by the front of Riverside Bike & Skate on Menomonie Street in Eau Claire and you’ll find little indication that the 50-year-old business is a mainstay in providing winter enthusiasts with the equipment they need to enjoy their activities. But looks are deceiving. “We are not a seasonal store,” said owner Pat Rolbiecki, as he surveyed the hockey equipment and other winter sports equipment in his bustling store at 937 Water St.

Photo by Visit Eau Claire, Riverside Bike & Skate

In fact, hockey is how the business got started in the first place; Pat’s father, Jim, a local educator with a passion for hockey and coaching, began selling hockey equipment in the early 1970s out of their home in what was then the town of Hallie just north of Eau Claire. Jim Rolbiecki, who is in the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame, would travel to the Twin Cities, buy hockey equipment, and sell it to his players and others in need.

Soon, a successful business was born; after a couple of moves over the years, the store opened in its present location in 2000. Over the years, the business expanded into other recreational areas; besides hockey equipment, it now sells skates and snowshoes, along with a variety of bicycles capable of handling streets and trails in winter. It also does a brisk business in keeping all kinds of skates sharp. For summer activities, the shop sells bikes, along with paddle sports equipment, including kayaks and canoes.

Rolbiecki said activity in his business is split pretty evenly between summer and winter enthusiasts, with the busiest months for winter sports running from about Nov. 1 to March 1. Concerning snowshoeing, he said, “demand for (equipment) has gone through the roof.” Furthermore, innovations like winter-capable bikes are popular with “dedicated riders” who now have a way to continue with their sport into winter, he said. “Fat (tire) bikes make winter riding acceptable.” There’s been a societal change involving recreational activities that have helped spur sales of winter equipment, Rolbiecki said.

“Wellness and staying active is affiliated with maintaining a quality of life for a longer period of time,” he said. “Mom and pop have made the investment in buying the bikes to stay active during the summer, they have seen the value in that activity, and they don’t want to see that activity subside just because of seasonality issues. “They realize snowshoeing, skiing and skating are activities they can do economically and (help them) maintain social interaction and wellness through these slow times. Otherwise, they are going to be staring at the walls and driving themselves nuts.”

Photo by Riverside Bike & Skate, Skate rack

More information about Riverside Bike & Skate is available at www.riversidebikenskate.com or (715) 835-0088.

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CONTACT US

If you would like a presentation at your business about the Young Professionals program.

Casey Schumacher

Young Professionals and Educational Director schumacher@eauclairechamber.org

Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce 101 N. Farwell St. Suite 101 Eau Claire WI, 54703 www.eauclairechamber.org 715-834-1204

TO P

10

reasons why the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce

is a GOOD investment

1. New business contacts 6. Professional Development 2. Publicity and Exposure 7. Workforce Development 3. Referrals 8. Leadership Training 4. Legislative Action 9. Young Professionals 5. Community Connections 10. No time commitment required 16

The EC Life Magazine

CO INV

Think Eau Claire is a project of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Volume One, an Eau Claire-based media, event, retail, and production company.

how eau claire stacks up PUBLIC SAFETY

KIDS & FAMILY

HOME OWNERSHIP

96% of Eau Claire residents report feeling safe in their neighborhood.

90% of Eau Claire residents said the city is an excellent place to raise children.

$170,000 median home sale price for Eau Claire County.

The National Citizen Survey (2016)

The National Citizen Survey (2016)

YOUR TIME

PUBLIC SAFETY

Mean travel time to work in the city of Eau Claire.

Eau Claire ranks as the 13th safest of 371 metro areas in the nation.

Realtors Associations of WI, IL, and MN (2017)

SAVE MORE

What costs $1 in EC will cost $1.10 in Minneapolis and $1.30 Think Eau Claire is a project of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, collaboration in in Chicago.

U.S. Census Bureau’s American Crime Rate Rankings, SAGE Stats,

with Volume One, Community Survey (2010)

an Eau Claire-based media, CQ Press (2015) event, retail, and production company.

Council for Community and Economic Research (2018)

thriving, working, playing. find more here: thinkeauclaire.com

how eau claire stacks up

www.eauclairechamber.org

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It seems like every week another national story points out what those who live in Eau Claire and the surrounding Chippewa Valley already know: something’s going on that is propelling the area to even greater heights.

A recent accolade comes from the major website Realtor.com, which in December 2021 labeled Eau Claire one of the 10 “Most Affordable Trendy Cities of 2022” across America. The authors said the company “looked through the country’s 300 largest metro areas in search of ones that have a young, culture-rich urban experience but also plenty of affordable homes for sale.”

To make the list, the authors said, “each (city) had to have plenty of amenities loved by the trendy set: yoga studios, breweries, and art house theaters, to name a few,” as well as experiencing an increase in the population of 25 to 34 year olds.

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The EC Life Magazine

Eau Claire made No. 8 on the “trendiest” list, just ahead of Baltimore and Orlando. The authors gushed: “‘Sawdust City’ has been earning a reputation for a whole lot more than its lumber mills.

Located about an hour and a half east of Minnesota, Eau Claire has been reinventing itself as an outdoor and cultural paradise with boutique hotels, farmto-table restaurants, and an $80 million (Pablo) arts complex at the crossroads of two gorgeous rivers.”

CVTC President, Sunem Beaton-Garcia

While she is still getting acclimated to the Chippewa Valley, Sunem Beaton-Garcia already knows she made the right decision to move her family here from south Florida to become president of the Chippewa Valley Technical College.

“The quality of life in the Chippewa Valley is even better than we imagined,” Beaton-Garcia said, adding that she, her husband Carlos, and her son Gabriel “have spent more time outdoors here than we did in Florida.”

Photo by Seckora Photography, Eau Claire Water Tower

Home is Here

Beaton-Garcia emphasized that the opportunity to lead CVTC was the first draw to the area because of the institution’s “wonderful reputation for innovation and excellence nationally.”

Contributing to the quality of life, she said, is how local partners collaborate to move the community forward.

“When we all work together, we all benefit,” Beaton-Garcia said. “That could not be more apparent in the Chippewa Valley. We are all part of the same thriving community.”

When asked what has stood out for her so far in the Chippewa Valley, Beaton-Garcia mentioned the area’s state-of-the-art health care systems; “access to high quality and affordable education;” and relatively low cost of living and safe streets.

Photo by Visit Eau Claire, Grilling at Kubb game

“CVTC and other colleges and universities throughout western Wisconsin offer a huge service to its students with a quality education at an affordable price,” Beaton-Garcia said. “And by making it attractive to stay in the Chippewa Valley after graduation, that education continues to improve our community.”

Other Chippewa Valley assets include “the thriving and diverse food scene,” she said. “The Chippewa Valley has so many restaurants to choose from and the most amazing coffee houses.”

The list also includes numerous hiking trails, and sledding and hunting/fishing opportunities.Then there is this, she said:

No traffic! “ Gone are the days of high

stress with long commutes.

Photo by Visit Eau Claire

“

www.eauclairechamber.org

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Then there are those who never felt the pull of another locale, who have lived in the Chippewa Valley their whole lives. Mark Faanes says he was lucky enough to find a good job in Eau Claire after graduating from UW-Eau Claire, which allowed him to raise a family in his hometown. A retired managing partner at the accounting firm Wipfli, Faanes said he was offered transfers to other locations and was recruited by firms outside the Chippewa Valley.

Photo by Visit Eau Claire, Phoenix Park Bridge

“In the end,” Faanes said, “I was too entrenched in Eau Claire -- with my family, friends, business and community contacts all here in the Chippewa Valley. I have been involved in various community volunteer organizations since back in the 1980’s, which have been important to me. My kids were involved in various activities once they came along.

None of those opportunities that came along ever intrigued me enough to move and start all that over.”

Don Huebscher came to Eau Claire with his young family in January 1987 to become the managing editor of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram newspaper.

Now retired as editor of the paper, Huebscher and his wife Sandy continue to call Eau Claire home. Huebscher said the move up from southern Wisconsin made sense at the time from a family perspective, because his two children hadn’t started school.

“Some benefits of living in Eau Claire,” he said, “include being an affordable place to raise a family; having a relatively low crime rate; having both UWEau Claire and CVTC in town, which offer so much more for our community than can usually be found in a community our size;” and “I mean this sincerely, the people who live here are really cool. They are polite, giving and care about our community and the other people who live here.

“Once here we found what we wanted,” Huebscher said, “a clean, safe and friendly community with good schools, quality health care and a hub of higher education, which benefits us all.”

The construction of the North Crossing, which enable easier travel east to west, as well as the U.S. 52 bypass, which diverted through traffic from city streets, were major improvements, he said, adding, “Can you imagine the Chippewa Valley today without the North Crossing or the Highway 53 bypass?”

He continued: “Eau Claire was and is big enough that there is plenty to do but small enough that you don’t face the hassles of big-city living, such as traffic, pollution, higher crime rates and fretting whenever your kids go to the park or schoolyard to play with friends.

“And since the opening of the Pablo Center, an expanded Farmers Market, improved parks and recreational offerings, greater variety of restaurants and shopping, the quality-of-life meter has definitely shot upward since our arrival here 34 years ago.”

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In conclusion, Faanes said, the city needs to continue to work on affordable housing and making the Chippewa Valley even more attractive for good employers and entrepreneurs, “so there is an opportunity for all to have a rewarding career here like I was lucky enough to have.”

Spotlight Story:

Local Store

If you need a perfect gift that truly evokes what it means to live and work in the Chippewa Valley, make haste to The Local Store in downtown Eau Claire at 205 N. Dewey St. For more than 11 years, shoppers have been visiting The Local Store for clothing, prints, food, books, recordings, pottery, spirits and a myriad of other merchandise that truly shout: “This is what life is like in Eau Claire and western Wisconsin.”

The Local Store is the retail operation of Volume One, the locally owned and operated arts and news magazine owned by Nick Meyer that is housed in the same downtown Eau Claire building.

Photo by Volume One, The Local Store exterior

“You truly do get a sense of this neck of the woods from the products offered at the store,” Meyer said, “because so much of it IS made by people from this neck of the woods, with materials from the same place.” As Meyer explained, The Local Store opened eight years after Volume One, adding, “it was on the list of ideas for a number of years before we pursued it.”

“It made sense where an organization like Volume One could write about the books, music, artwork and other products people were making in our community,” Meyer said, “and then right there in our office you could actually come find and buy some of those products.”

Walk into The Local Store and your senses are overwhelmed by the tremendous variety of products, literally from soup to nuts.

“The guiding principle is that the majority of the products are either made by someone local, or that the products simply evoke a sense of this place,” Meyer said of how products are chosen for sale at The Local Store. “The concept of ‘local’ to us is really more regional.

We always start by sourcing a product from our own town when we can, then it radiates out from there.”

Meyer said The Local Store comprises about a third of the total Volume One annual revenue, “and it’s grown basically every year it’s been in existence. During the most difficult days of the pandemic when local event advertising and related revenue was dramatically down, having a retail component to our operation – when that part was doing really well – helped level things out.”

As for The Local Store’s future, Meyer said “there are some really exciting things … that people are going to love,” but, “as of now they’re top secret. Stay tuned.”

The entire Local Store inventory can be viewed at: www.thelocalstore.org.

Photo by Volume One, The Local Store interior

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Explore Eau Claire

You sell your company. We sell the community.

Through the new “Explore E” program, a personal concierge acts as a connection to your job candidates and new hires as they make the choice to call Eau Claire home and begin the process of relocation. We ask what’s important to them in a community, then research, communicate, and make connections for them in areas such as: • •

Schools Housing Places of worship Community involvement

Childcare Diversity Pet care Restaurants

Shopping Hobbies/interests Outdoor and indoor recreation Any additonal areasimportant of interestto them Anything else that’s

Our Explore Eau Claire program will save you time and money. Our concierge is knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated to serving candidates who are relocating. Whether you have a general employee, manager, or executive, our program helps decrease turnover and increase employee satisfaction.

Individual Attention to your Job Candidates: The family your recruit brings with them are often the deciding factor in whether your candidate accepts the job. Our concierge asks personal questions about the most important areas of your candidate’s life (marital status, children, hobbies, etc.) to understand the needs of those all moving to the area. We then provide a customized tour and access/links to area resources as reassurance that the Chippewa Valley has assets that can meet their needs and interests.

Sponsored by:

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Personal Acclimation for your New Hires:

Focus on Accompanying Partner

If your new hire and his/her family feel connected to the community, it will increase the likelihood that they stay in the Chippewa Valley.

Our concierge will learn more about your new hire and their family and connect them to our community in the early stages of relocation. From arranging a tour of a dance studio, pointing out the best fly-fishing streams, or connection with a youth hockey team, we can act as the link between newcomers and their needs and interests.

An accompanying spouse/partner securing employment is another vital factor in a family choosing to stay in the area. We can distribute a spouse/partner’s resume to all our Chamber members and other propective employers. This is a win-win for all, as we know area employers are looking for quality candidates.

Coordinated by:

Menu of Services

Services are available to job candidates and new hires.

Contact our Community Concierge for pricing.

Customized Tour: Let us show your candidate or new hire the many resasons the Chippewa Valley is the ideal place to call home! The customized Chippewa Valley tour includes: • Introductory survey to assess the needs of the individual or family • Customized community tour with introductions to many of the unique communities that make up the Chippewa Valley area, including schools, local businesses and community resources • Welcome packet with customized resources • Detailed post-tour survey • One month follow-up to identify needs or services

Settle-In Service: With the settle-in service, your employee will receive an introductory meeting with the concierge to assess the needs of the individual or family, a personalized welcome packet, quarterly check-ins and the following connections to make sure they develop a sense of belonging from the very beginning: • • • •

Meeting with the Chamber concierge Survey to assess personal needs of individual or family Invitations to relevant community events Authentic connections based on individuals or family’s interest, background and beliefs

Partner Career Support Includes connecting with partner to assess most desired position, circulation of resume to Chamber investors, and/or personal emails/calls to relevant company contacts.

Welcome Basket Includes basket of local products delivered to the individuals/family’s home.

To learn more or submit a referral to the Explore Eau Claire Program, please visit www.eauclairechamber.org exploreec@eauclairechamber.org

www.eauclairechamber.org

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