In recent decades, the homegrown, and often family-run companies of Neenah and Menasha, faced intense competition from industry giants. It used to be believed that the economy here, based on paper, would provide endless stability. But they weren't thinking of a digital world, where paper has somewhat less significance than it did before. And everybody, no matter what your business is, has to look at reinventing yourself, repositioning yourself. To compete in a global marketplace, the companies faced growing pressure to get big by acquiring other companies or sell out. Perpetual growth and expansion is beyond what a family-owned operation can really maintain for very long. Some companies, like Gilbert Paper, were sold, sold again, and finally closed.
brick and metal crashing
One exception was the Menasha Corporation, formerly Menasha Woodenware. Hit by a catastrophic fire, the descendants of founder Elisha Smith, continued to rebuild and grow the company. I think the way they did that when you look at the history, was, "How do we innovate? How do we make ourselves relevant in a changing market?" At Kimberly-Clark, CEO Darwin Smith transformed the company by selling off paper mills and timberlands. He then plowed millions of dollars into developing a new product, called Huggies. Darwin Smith gambled the entire future of the organization on this disposable diaper. And so, Huggies is really the product that drove them to the next level, moving away from papermaking completely to a full-on focus on consumer products. His gamble paid off, with company sales exceeding $4 billion dollars in 1985. Smith then sent shockwaves through the entire state, when he announced he was moving the company headquarters to Texas. And so, our pride took a hit, I think. And the community was worried about it. But, most of the jobs stayed here. Their manufacturing facilities were and are still here. The old rivalry between the two cities continued to play out, mostly in sporting events. But in 1972, studies showed that taxpayers could save over half a million dollars a year by becoming one city. Put to a referendum, the plan was soundly defeated. Since that time, the two cities have merged their fire departments, and this led to another merger-- of a long-standing tradition in both communities-- the Santa float.
festive beach music
Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!
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Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! When the condition of their downtown areas became a hindrance to further development, both cities encouraged efforts to restore some of their historic buildings, and preserve the character of their retail centers. Alongside the old canal, Menasha constructed a new marina, which made the area more attractive for waterfront development.
traditional powwow vocals, drums,rattles,shakers
In Neenah, the renovation of Shattuck Park now brings many people to enjoy the downtown area and has also attracted new investment nearby. On this day, members of the Menominee Nation held a powwow, in the same place where the federal government once built a village for them. We talk about the circle, and completing the circle, so it's kind of-- coming back here is kind of like doing that in some sense, and completing that circle that we've left, we've come back. A series of public-private partnerships, like this industrial park in Neenah, created new jobs for residents of both cities. The City of Neenah also partnered with the Wisconsin DNR to take down the former Bergstrom Paper Mill and clean up the site. This cleared the way for building a new headquarters for the Plexus Corporation. And near the old water power sites, a group of local investors partnered with the City of Neenah to build a series of office towers that now bring hundreds of workers to the city center. The investment group also partnered with the City of Menasha, adding a new office tower in the heart of the city. The Visiting Nurse Association continues the legacy of Ida Heinecke, and also continues to benefit from Neenah-Menasha's long tradition of philanthropy, receiving support to provide services for senior citizens. And sponsors from both cities recently funded the building of a new Boys and Girls Club in Menasha. It's asking, "Do you want to buy it? Both cities continue to make many different kinds and grades of paper, and a variety of paper-based products. And while the Fox River no longer provides a source of power for industry, it remains a source of beauty for the cities. Easy access to the river and to Lake Winnebago improves the quality of life for everyone. Both cities take pride in their large water-front parks, set aside by farsighted leaders throughout their history. I think if you look back and then look at today, and look ahead to tomorrow-- which is always so important is to position yourself properly-- it's pretty clear that the community is what the citizens make it. And that's something to be aware of. And in this case, it's something to be proud of.
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