The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) presented a 2016 Cub Cadet UTV to the winner of the 2017 Wisconsin potatoes display contest. The UTV went to Trig’s in Rhinelander.
Yesterday, members of the WPVGA promotions committee presented the Cub Cadet to Trig’s at the Rhinelander store.
The first-place award to Trig’s is the result of yet another extravagant Wisconsin potato promotion that extended throughout the whole store during the month of October. WPVGA director of promotions Dana Rady says that of all the submissions, Trig’s in Rhinelander was the only store that featured a Wisconsin potato promotion in every one of its departments. It was this all-encompassing effort that again made Trig’s in Rhinelander the top choice after winning the competition last year.
“It became apparent right away that Trig’s took their creativity to a whole new level in a year’s time,” says Rady. “Besides designing a display in the produce department, using point-of-purchase materials from their Wisconsin potato supplier, and inviting the Spudmobile, the Trig’s team also sold potato bread and cake along with cookies in the shape of Wisconsin topped with an edible WPVGA logo. In Cellar 70, the Trig’s spirits department, they featured potato vodka from Great Northern Distilling in Plover, Wis., and completed the deli department with a loaded baked potato bar. They also included potato side dishes with their ready-to-eat meals.”
Additionally, Trig’s handed out healthy potato dish recipes to customers, held a coloring contest for kids, and provided visitors with free samples of unique potato dishes.
Rady also says the store put up Wisconsin potatoes banners, made “Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin” t-shirts for their staff to wear, and held a drawing to award one lucky person with a Leinenkugel’s lawn chair as long as they walked through the Spudmobile during its visit to the store.
“The Trig’s in Rhinelander team has mastered the ‘Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin’ concept, not to mention the art of promoting that concept and its importance to their customers,” Rady says. “Wisconsin farmers work endlessly to provide the highest-quality potatoes and vegetables for families’ plates. Trig’s dedication to communicating that value to its customers is a partnership that resonates throughout a community and reaps nothing but benefits.”
“We cannot thank the WPVGA enough for having the contest,” says Don Theisen, store director of the Rhinelander Trig’s. “Winning last year was such an honor. Being able to win a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for selling local and then turning it around and supporting our communities with the sale was a win-win for our store, company and community. Now we get to do it again, and we are pretty jacked up.
“This year we challenged ourselves to do even more as a store and company. In Rhinelander, we got more involved with our local food pantry and University of Wisconsin [Rhinelander] Agricultural Research Station at ‘A Night on the Farm,’” Theisen continues. “We also wanted to do more to educate ourselves and the community on the health benefits of potatoes. Who knew potatoes were the best energy-producing veggie, help control blood sugar levels, prevent kidney stones, etc.? We obviously learned a lot. Getting involved in this promotion has improved our product knowledge and merchandising as well as our relationships with the farmers, suppliers and community. We look forward to further building these relationships in the future and supporting our Wisconsin families in what they do best.”
That’s a sentiment WPVGA promotions committee chairman Chris Brooks says came through loud and clear when selecting the winner.
“The WPVGA promotions committee was pleased to see the amount of interest and dedication shown yet again by many grocers in this year’s Wisconsin potatoes display contest,” Brooks says. “Trig’s stood out from the crowd with its imagination and promotion of Wisconsin potatoes. We are honored and fortunate to have such a valuable partner to work with and reward again this year.”