Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/147468
courtesy of renard's Cheese Ann and Chris Renard's youngest daughter, Carrie, is the star of the company's TV commercial featuring super-squeaky cheese curds. To see the ad, visit www.youtube.com and search "Renard's Cheese." Ann, who had been working long hours in the insurance industry, pulled back and stayed closer to home. She began doing the accounting for Renard's factory. It turned into a new career, and after Taylor's treatment was finished, Ann and Chris decided to take the business to the next level, taking ownership and building the company's product offering, marketing strategy and customer base. Making a name n addition to raising four daughters – Samantha, Gabrielle, Taylor and Carrie – expanding a business that is growing exponentially and making the Renard's name recognizable nationwide, Ann and Chris are involved in the community. It was the combination of all those things that helped make Renard's Cheese the Industry of the Year. "When we review our nominations each year, what we're really looking for is to recognize the companies that have made significant investments in their business, and ideally have seen some job growth," says Bill Chaudoir, executive director of the DCEDC. "They are stepping up as supporting the community in any one of many different ways. … So they obviously hit a home run in the competition this year with all they've done in the last couple of years." w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m On the web www.renardscheese.com The Renards are founding members of the Southern Door Business Association and support numerous charitable organizations, including Southern Door School Sports, the Carrie Ann Renard Memorial Golf Outing, Door CANcer, the Southern Door School Booster Club, and a program called Reading Rewards that helps promote both reading and healthy snacking, according to the DCEDC. "I love those guys, their enthusiasm, positive attitudes – I don't think they've ever said 'no' to me. I've asked them for a lot of different things over the years and it's always 'yes.' They're willing to get involved, they're willing to participate, they're willing to invest," Chaudoir says. "They're just positive people, and they recognize that sometimes you've got to give back, that it's good for your business to be involved in the community." Renard's has helped to reinforce Door County both as a tourist destination and producer of Wisconsin products. "We love these businesses that export their product out of the county because that helps put Door County on the map in people's minds," Chaudoir says. "(Renard's) marketing has expanded so much over the last few years that they're getting their name and the county name out into a much larger audience, which is good for everybody here." A u g u s t 2 013 • Insight | 27