The Journal Sentinel heard from many readers after publishing a story about six iconic Wisconsin brands.
The responses came after we invited readers to tell us which Wisconsin-based brands were worthy of making the list.
The short list consisted of Kohl’s Corp., Harley-Davidson, American Family Insurance, Culver’s, Kwik Trip, and Trek Bicycle Corp. Our list was an offshoot of a USA Today project highlighting 50 iconic brands that helped shape America.
One reader responding to the poll mentioned Schlitz – forever an icon in our hearts – that recently saw an end of production.
Here mare the ground rules we used to decide which Wisconsin companies are iconic brands.
Multiple readers suggested that we should have included these brands:
What about Leinenkugel and New Glarus breweries?
Leinenkugel feels like it should be on the original list but it was acquired by Miller Brewing Company in 1988. After Miller merged with Coors, Leinenkugel is now under the umbrella of Molson Coors, which moved its headquarters to Chicago.
And who doesn’t love Spotted Cow? People who live in 49 other states can’t buy it locally, but plenty of visitors stock up thanks to kiosks at truck stops and airports.
“New Glarus was able to create the mystique and nation-wide demand by marketing ‘only in Wisconsin.’ We always get requests to, ‘and bring some Spotted Cow’ when traveling out of state,” said Mark Bjorgo, of Milwaukee.
What about Menard’s?
The Eau Claire-based home improvement chain is certainly known outside of Wisconsin with more than 300 stores in 15 states, and employs roughly 45,000 people.
Menard’s might be a victim of “not every company can be on the list.” It’s not quite as big as Kohl’s in terms of stores and it doesn’t have it’s own “Menard’s money” or something its passionate guests care about.
But the chain has a national audience.
“Menards only follows Home Depot and Lowes and due to its NASCAR sponsorship also has a big presence there,” Terry Nortrup, resident of Wauwatosa, said.
What about Mercury Marine?
We got a lot of votes for Mercury Mariene. But like Leinenkugel, Mercury Marine is owned by a company that is not located in Wisconsin.
Mercury Marine was bought by Brunswick Corp., which is headquartered in Illinois.
Johnsonville and Klement’s sausages
This might be the part when you have to separate the head and the heart. In our heart, these are enduring local companies that have filled plates and grills for decades.
But our regional love for sausages might not be strong enough to spread to other parts of the country.
“Klements is a brand you can find in grocery stores all over and they are also known to baseball fans for their famous racing sausages,” Diane Trisco, resident of Pewaukee, said.
Here are the one vote candidates
We don’t want to leave anyone’s suggestion out but there were many that got only one vote. But each of these local companies deserve some love. Here they are:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Readers debate Wisconsin’s most iconic business list
Reporting by Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
