It has been hard to find things on all three businesses, but I haven’t had time to go to the library yet.  I might have to just do my paper on Leinenkugel Brewery.  I found a website, http://www.millercoorsblog.com/canoes-for-a-cause/, that tells of a stewardship program called Canoes for a Cause.  This blog was written by Lisa Shade in May of 2013.

The Leinenkugel family gets together and picks up trash and invasive plant species along the riverbank.  On May 11th, 2013, the Leinenkugel’s gathered more than 1,000 pounds of trash along the Chicago River.  The article also mentions another event called Friendly Float down the Chicago River.  That event raises money and awareness for the Friends of the Chicago River.  They also hold these events in Denver, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Madison, and Cleveland.

This source is a credible one because it is an article reporting what they do at these events.  It would be interesting to see how long they have been doing things like this for.  They are helping our waterways stay clean.  They made a commitment 146 years ago to water stewardship.  It is also interesting to know that one of the reasons Leinenkugel Brewery was established in Chippewa Falls, was because of the high water quality.

From here, I want to try to find information on the other two businesses I have looked at and look more into Leinenkugel Brewery and the events they hold.

My primary resource is an interview of Bill Leinenkugel from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.  In this interview, he tells how he got started in the business, and what he did for work at the business.  I selected this source because it gets personal and right into the heart of the business.  Bill was not the current owner at the time.  He had retired from the Leinenkugel Brewing Company already.

The information included in this interview was a first-hand account of how Bill Leinenkugel made it to the top.  He started out with saying how he started working summers bottling at the soda water plant.  Then, when he got old enough, he graduated up to the brewery in the bottle house.  He then worked in the sales department, and was later promoted to sales manager.  Later he was named Vice President, and then Executive Vice President.  Finally, he became the President of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery.  He then retired as President and Vice Chairman of the Board.

This helps with my question because it gets me to understand the background history of the businesses.  It makes me realize that this business has been around for a long time and it is an important part of the Chippewa Falls area history.  I learned that all of this business has been in the family since it started, which is nice to see.  The only thing that is missing is how the businesses have affected the community.  I will research online to help answer that question.

My research question is how do local businesses contribute to their community?  I came across this question as I was reading interviews from workers and business owners of Industrial Rehabilitation Consultants, Crane Lumber Company, and Leinenkugel Brewery.  All of these businesses are located in the Chippewa Falls, WI area.

I am interested in this because my family started a small business in my home town and I’d like to think that we contribute a lot to our community.  It is interesting to see how other small town businesses succeed and contribute to their community.

I don’t fully understand these businesses and how they contribute to their community  because I had never heard of them before two weeks ago.  I had only heard of the Leinenkugel Brewery before.  I am not from or am familiar with the Chippewa Falls area.