Eau Claire (WQOW) - A local
company is competing against others around the state, hoping to lay claim to a
title it missed out on last year. Realityworks is an Eau Claire company most known for making
dolls that simulate child care for high school students. They're in the running
for Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year.
"I think it's a
great nomination for us to have, it really showcases some of the stuff that we
do and the uniqueness of the company here in Eau Claire," said Timm Boettcher,
President of Realityworks.
Realityworks is back in the running.
It's the second straight year the business has made the list of nominees for Wisconsin
Manufacturer of the Year. It is an award sponsored by the business association
of Wisconsin manufacturers and commerce.
"Awards like this
are stuff that we want to be nominated for, that we like to strive for. Because
it showcases how we're innovative, how we're different. How we go about doing
business differently. It showcases a lot of what are employees are about as
well," Boettcher said.
The award is broken down into five
categories; four based on size and one for sustainability. Companies must
demonstrate things like financial growth and stability, operational excellence and
improvement, and also environmental impact.
"Probably the main
drivers for us are more of the how we manage costs, but also the sustainability
side. Making sure our products are recycled from 5 or 6 years in the field,"
said Boettcher.
Realityworks, which makes baby dolls
for high school kids to learn first hand about parenting, recycles as often as
they can. That includes the dolls themselves.
"So we've got
40,000 pounds of vinyl that we've recycled over the past few years,"
Boettcher said.
They've also gone paperless.
"We've taken all of
our curriculum that has historically been sold inside the packages and
converted that to electronic, eliminating thousands and thousands of pounds of
paper," said Boettcher.
Realityworks says winning an award
for manufacturer of the year would give them a marketing advantage. Since 2008
only one other company in the Eau
Claire area has won one of the awards. It would also
mean a celebration...
"I'm sure we will
come up with something that will be a lot of fun, yes," Boettcher said.
Realityworks still has a while to
wait on any possible celebration. The winner won't be announced until February
28th at a ceremony in Milwaukee.
