On the price of loyalty

Dear Reader,
I thank you for supporting the advertisers who buy display ads and run their inserts with us. Many big and small retailers have featured their wares within this publication, sometimes for decades. Local “mom and pop” establishments are the backbone of our community. Your support of them in turn supports us in our stewardship of hyper-local news and advertising for our community.

All advertisers should be recognized for their commitment to supporting original news reporting and advertising content in our cities, towns, and villages. There are too many to mention in this space, so I will single out just one long-standing customer, Menards. Their display ads and inserts have run in our publications for decades. They are family owned and based out of Wisconsin, which is tremendously important to our state’s economy – the lion’s share of the monies are spent in-state.

Meanwhile, some retailers are shifting their ad dollars to digital. That money is going out of state, since to our knowledge Google and Facebook, the two biggest providers of digital advertising, do not have significant physical business presence – and employees – in our state.

When you have a few moments, we hope you’ll do some research on the places where you spend your hard earned dollars and buy Wisconsin- and US-based products as much as you can. If one tag says “Made in China” and the other says “Made in the USA”, the choice is easy. Family ownership is another important consideration – owners who live here tend to reinvest in our shared neighborhood. In this way you can support those who support you and your family in our community.

Patrick J. Wood
Publisher

Author of “Dear Reader” and “Tapestry of Love and Loss”