Relocation Case Study
80% Tim and Toni Eichinger founded Black Husky Brewing in 2010 in rural Marinette County, Wisconsin - just south of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
MUSH APPRECIATED:
of its customers are located 200 miles south in the Milwaukee area.
Black Husky needed help as they began searching for a new brewery location to sell directly to customers.
M7 CONNECTIONS HELP BLACK HUSKY JOIN MILWAUKEE’S BREWERY SCENE
S
ince launching in 2005, the Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership (M7) has facilitated some of the largest corporate attraction and expansion projects in Wisconsin history. But not all of M7’s projects are large-scale factories or corporate headquarters.
Take, for example, Black Husky Brewing – a microbrewery and tap room in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. Look at the bar and you’ll see a brass nameplate that permanently reserves a spot for M7 Vice President Jim Paetsch. Without the help that M7 provided in making connections and overcoming hurdles, says Black Husky co-owner Toni Eichinger, “I don’t think we’d be open.” 2020 | | Milwaukee MilwaukeeCommerce, Commerce,SPRING SPRING2019 2019
Toni and husband Tim Eichinger were living in Pembine, Wis. and working as human resources consultants when Tim took up home brewing as a hobby around 2006. Another hobby – their son’s interest in dog sledding – provided inspiration for the name Black Husky.
estate, financing, zoning and construction — even when Paetsch was overseas working on other large corporate attraction projects. “I can remember saying to him one day, ‘You know, Jim, because I email you at midnight doesn’t mean I need a response by 12:15 a.m.,’” Toni says.
After taking his beers to a few beer festivals and connecting with Milwaukee-area tourists, Tim began developing a small group of devoted fans. Eventually, he started driving to Milwaukee once a week to make deliveries.
Said Tim: “I don’t think Jim treated us any differently just because it was a mom-andpop shop. It was always very professional, it was always very responsive.”
Tim and Toni started to consider moving to Milwaukee and building a new brewery, and a friend suggested they reach out to M7. M7 helped the Eichingers with several aspects of planning the move, including real
While Black Husky might not provide hundreds of jobs throughout the Milwaukee Region, it does make an impact on its neighborhood. And they’re collaborating with other local breweries in the area, becoming yet another asset for Milwaukee. “Black Husky embodies the spirit of
