John Heyn opened the Ashwaubenon location in 1966 before much of the land surrounding Lambeau Field was built up. Courtesy: Soap Products LLC
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It’s the end of an era for a local family-owned business.
Soap Products LLC — which sells cleaning products and farm chemicals — has moved from their home in the stadium district. Today marked the final day the family owned the property, as it’s now in the Packers’ hands.
Tim Glodoski, who co-owns the store with his wife, has been approached by the Packers for years, but finally the business has outgrown its location just south of the Packers’ training facility.
“The reason we needed to move is because we just ran out of warehouse space,” said Glodoski, who purchased the business from his father-in-law in 2000. “We needed something bigger.”
When his father-in-law, John Heyn, opened the store near Lambeau Field in 1966, it was surrounded by farmland and a lone practice field. In recent years, it became the rare local business to survive, as the Packers purchased land to build the sprawling stadium district.
The extra space allows Grant Glodoski and his sister Holly to expand the growing business as they take over for their parents.
But the move also vacates a front-row seat to the NFL’s winningest franchise. It’s a seat that’s been kept warm by three generations.
“My father-in-law says he remembers he could hear Lombardi out there with his coaching techniques with the players,” said Tim.
Tim experienced it first-hand a few decades later.
“Reggie White had a 1950 Mercury and he parked right outside our door,” said Tim. “He came after practice and his car wouldn’t start. He came and asked for help and we jump-started his car for him.”
Bart Starr and Brett Favre both stopped into the store at various times during their time in green-and-gold. Grant grew up doing schoolwork at the store and interacted with the most recent future Hall of Fame quarterback to call Titletown home.
“In sixth grade, I broke both my arms,” said Grant. “[Aaron Rodgers] came into my parents’ store and signed both my casts.”
The business, which sells both wholesale and retail, opened their new location in January off Highway 29.
The Packers in a statement said, “The team does not comment specifically on that site or any other but continue to work on long-term potential uses.”
The company still uses the same mixer that John bought second-hand in the sixties. And after the $1.16 million sale, they are once again surrounded by farmland, just as John envisioned.
“He loves it,” said Tim. “He said, ‘I wish we could’ve done something like that when we were in business.’”
Comments