For more information contact: Lori Zeier lori.zeier@bemismfg.com 888-599-8881
Bemis Manufacturing Company Wins Interior Design Award for Recently Remodeled Bemis Bath Shoppe
Ultra-modern, 5,200-square-foot toilet seat boutique and retail store wins 2008 Award from the Wisconsin Main Street organization.
SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS. (November 7, 2009) – At 512 Broadway, nestled on the corner in a historic downtown that includes a flower shop, a cake shop, and a hair salon, is a truly one-of-a-kind boutique. The Bemis Bath Shoppe, which originally opened for business 15 years ago as Bemis Home and Garden, reopened their doors in late 2007 after a three-month renovation to reveal a stylish shop offering their signature toilet seats, as well as numerous bath accessories and products. Since re-opening the doors, the Bemis Bath Shoppe has impressed a steady flow of visitors with the results of the interior makeover. The Wisconsin Main Street organization and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce formally recognized Bemis with the 2008 Award for “Best Interior Renovation” at their annual meeting in April. The store was chosen from among 36 Wisconsin Main Street communities by an independent panel of design professionals. In addition, Bemis recently received the 20-Year Award for the Best Downtown Façade Rehabilitation during the Wisconsin Main Street anniversary in 2008. The image of the building’s façade has now become the logo of the Wisconsin Main Street organization and appears on all of their published materials. The history of the 130-year-old building began as the JW Smith Meat Market, a popular butcher shop. During the late 1980’s the Chamber Main Street program was initiated in Sheboygan Falls. Many businesses and community members worked to revitalize the downtown buildings. This included the Bemis family, who bought the dilapidated building and transformed it into one of the crown jewels of the downtown. Changes in company strategy and focus from seasonal home goods to its core business of toilet seats drove the need to renovate the interior again in 2007. The challenge was how to make what could be simply considered a “toilet seat store” into something more. “When planning the interior redesign, the team wanted to enhance the space, open it up, use fantastic colors and visuals to create interest and a unique
2 experience for customers and corporate visitors,” said Lori Zeier, Bemis Bath Shoppe manager. “We called in a professional interior designer (Pamela ButlerChannel, Sheboygan) who immersed herself in the transformation of the store with the team. The result of the renovation is a two-story stylish and modern space that serves as a retail store and showcase of company products.” Both floors display a variety of inspirational colors, textures, and materials throughout nine different bathroom vignettes. The vignettes highlight the design flexibility of various toilet seat functions and styles well suited for specific bathroom settings, including a kids’ bath, a family bath, and a high-end master bath. A portion of the second floor is devoted to a conference room for corporate meetings and a bit of company history – photographs and a DVD chronicling the 100-plus-year history of Bemis Manufacturing. The walls serve to display Bemis’ toilet seats similar to an art gallery. This unique use of space is both practical and eye catching. One focal point is the “wall of color” displaying 74 of the 95+ color choices. Other seats are presented in entertaining layouts, such as swirls, stripes, and bubbles. About 150 seats are on display and hundreds more are in stock, including hard-to-find colors, sizes, and shapes. The most recent addition includes an exclusive collection of colorful seat covers with popular Disney characters. To complete the overall bathroom shopping experience, the Bemis Bath Shoppe carries a variety of specialty bath & body products, bath linens, household cleaners, candles, sleepwear, kids’ bath toys, and bathroom accessories. Shopping for a toilet seat in this boutique-like environment has not only made it a fun experience for customers, but also helps Bemis show their products in an effective way. “With so many seats on display, we can easily help customers by guiding them through style, color and function options,” Zeier said. “In turn, the customers help educate us. This is our consumer lab – we learn about our customers. We can convert consumer feedback into product enhancements and new marketing techniques that further our efforts to remain the world’s expert on toilet seats.” Customers searching for the perfect toilet seat or fun bath accessory can visit the shop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed Sundays. For more information call 888-599-8881 or visit www.bemisbathshoppe.com.
About Bemis
Bemis Manufacturing Company, privately owned and operated since its founding in 1901, is a leading global manufacturer of cutting-edge diverse proprietary and custom plastic products. Bemis takes great pride in being the world’s most
3 innovative and forward-thinking manufacturer of toilet seats. The company’s customer base includes leading Fortune 500 firms. Its proprietary products are sold to leading retailers and wholesalers worldwide and distributed through national and regional dealer networks. For more information on Bemis Manufacturing Company, its products or manufacturing, contact the company’s world headquarters in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. at (800) 558-7651 or visit www.BemisMfg.com.
###
Note to Editors: For downloadable images of Bemis Bath Shoppe, go to www.BemisBathShoppe.com.