/ Business of the Month / Iconik Etchings and Innovations
Business of the Month: September 2022
Iconik Etchings and Innovations
September 2022 Business of the Month
Congratulations to
Iconik Etchings and Innovations
3877 State Highway 70 E
Eagle River, WI 54521
Kayla, Co-owner: (906) 284-1359
Keith, Co-owner: (715) 923-4855
We were delighted recently to have a conversation with Kayla Anderson, Co-Owner at Iconik Etchings and Innovations regarding their flourishing national manufacturing business in Eagle River.
Please share the history of Iconik Etchings & Innovations.
At Iconik Etchings we manufacture and customize wooden products for breweries, promotional companies, restaurants, individuals, and more. Our flagship product is the Original Bottle Opener Coaster which has led to other products like magnets, bar signs, tap handles, cutting boards, awards, and others. We also specialize in custom private-label manufacturing.
We ship our products nationwide and love when people spot our original products while traveling. We get to work with an array of clients and many of them have become friends over the years. We also work with individual customers on things like custom gifts, wedding favors, custom etchings, and more. There's no order too big or too small... we are dedicated to the best quality and customer service no matter what the project may be.
Why did you choose Vilas County to open your business?
Keith grew up in a big family of entrepreneurs and when his family purchased a small laser in 2006, he dove in headfirst. What started as small etching projects for friends, family, and the community turned into an array of original products and endless capabilities. When Keith and I got married in 2014, we separated from the family business and decided to take Iconik to the next level. Now we have three lasers, a flat-bed UV printer, a CNC router, woodworking equipment, and we’re always growing. It was a giant leap of faith that proved to be more rewarding than we could imagine.
We felt like Vilas County would be the perfect place to continue expanding. We are surrounded by friends and family and have a passion for what this area has to offer. We love the tight-knit community and how passionate people are about seeing the area thrive. We have received a tremendous outpouring of support from day one and feel very fortunate to be in Vilas County.
How important is it for you to have your business in Vilas County?
We are overjoyed by the overwhelming amount of support we have received in Vilas County. We have had the pleasure of working with so many local people and businesses in the short amount of time we have been here. We truly feel like Vilas County is a great place to continue growing as a company and are happy to bring new products and services to the area. Being welcomed with open arms has been the icing on the cake.
How has the VCEDC been able to support your business?
The VCEDC has been a huge asset to us. When we found out about the Mainstreet Bounceback Grant, Kathy and Marisue made the application process so easy and they were there to help every step of the way. It’s obvious that they truly care about helping local businesses. After a stressful 8 months of remodeling our new shop, receiving the grant was such a blessing to be able to pay for utilities and remaining property improvements.
How many staff do you have?
We currently have three wonderful employees in addition to ourselves. We hope to continue growing and take a lot of pride in being able to employ and work side by side with great local people.
What are the secrets of your success?
Our greatest triumph has always been being surrounded by good people. We try to always ask questions and continue learning from people that have more experience than we do. We have also built an incredible client base that we share a mutual trust and respect with.
How have you grown over the years?
We have poured our hearts and souls into the growth of our company. We try to add new machinery every year to continue expanding on our capabilities and output. Another huge factor in our growth has been our amazing customers that continue to come to us with wild ideas that allow us to push the envelope.
Why is it important for you to give back to the community?
Living in the area ourselves, we want to make a positive impact on the community and see it continue to thrive. We enjoy being a part of community projects and fundraisers and giving back wherever we can. The giving spirit here is beautiful and contagious; it’s refreshing to see everyone rally together to help the community flourish and we want to be a part of that.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Overall, we just want to say how grateful we are for the VCEDC and the community. When we started on this journey to relocate, we really put everything we had into it. We can now proudly say the journey was all worth it and we are thrilled to be members of this community. We are simply blown away by the support we have received.
Congratulations to Iconik Etchings and Innovations.
