They say good things come to those who wait and, in the case of this month’s cover story on Krier Beverage, that couldn’t be more true.
We had been discussing the possibility of a cover story with the Random Lake-based contract beverage manufacturer for well over a year, but the timing just wasn’t right. The company, which produces award-winning Jolly Good Soda as its own house brand, was in a leadership transition and needed to focus elsewhere.
But when Jolly Good was named the champion of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin Contest last October, it was time to strike. With current CEO Claude Marbach in place and the fresh title of Coolest Thing, we knew it was time to share the 117-year-old company’s story. This time, Krier agreed.
Gina Balke, executive director of FaB (Food and Beverage) Wisconsin, says our state has a long history of excellence when it comes to producing consumable products and Jolly Good landing the Coolest Thing win is another feather in the industry’s cap.
“Jolly Good is an iconic brand. The fact that a beverage manufacturer won that award out of all the submissions from other types of products made in Wisconsin just goes to show the strength of the food and beverage industry in the state,” she says.
Krier’s Coolest Thing win may have been the catalyst for this feature, but there’s so much more to their story. Learn about Krier’s evolution from canning beans and sauerkraut to producing one of Wisconsin’s most iconic soft drinks in this month’s cover story on page 22.
This issue is packed with features you won’t want to miss. Associate editor Kate Bruns’ Insight Insider (page 28) is a sobering look at the realities our UW System is facing and how leaders are working to shift programs and strategies to serve more students. It goes hand-in-hand with our health care feature (page 31) by contributor MaryBeth Matzek, which addresses the critical worker shortage in elder care and the efforts — many in higher ed — underway to combat it.
Turning the page into a new year is always exciting, but I believe 2025 is going to be a banner year for Insight. Our team has been working on some new projects and updates to debut throughout the year that I hope you will find useful to your work and business. Until then, I’m wishing you a prosperous start to 2025 filled with all the success you deserve.
Happy new year,
