Deep Roots and Strong Brews
How Carron Net weaves community support into company culture.
By Andrea Nemeth
For Carron Net, community involvement is not a modern corporate social responsibility directive—it is a foundational family tradition. Now celebrating its 92nd year of operation in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, the family-owned industrial and sports netting manufacturer tracks its heritage back to 1934, and even earlier to a time when the current leadership’s great-grandparents crafted nets by hand in their family kitchen. This deep-rooted connection to their hometown functions as the ultimate guiding mechanism for the company’s extensive philanthropic and volunteer initiatives.
Collaborative Partnerships
A highlight of Carron Net’s charitable calendar is an innovative, highly collaborative partnership with PetSkull Brewing Company, a fellow family-owned business located just one town over in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Through the “Brew Your Own Beer Business of the Month” program, Carron Net designed and PetSkull brewed a unique themed beverage. Melding their corporate identity with a clever nod to sports history, Carron Net developed a custom peach-flavored beer. This specific flavor profile honors the original peach baskets utilized as goals before modern basketball nets were invented, providing a fitting thematic tie-in to the March Madness basketball season.
The program operates with an active philanthropic structure: the brewery donates 25 cents from every pint sold during the month to a non-profit organization selected entirely by the participating business. Embracing the spirit of the campaign, Carron Net actively matched that baseline donation, bringing the total contribution to 50 cents per pint. For two consecutive years, the company has designated Big Brothers Big Sisters Wisconsin Shoreline as their charity of choice. Backed by an enthusiastic early March tapping party that allowed Carron Net’s 30 plus employees to gather and celebrate after work, the campaign achieved great success. Combined with additional individual bar donations and distributed custom cans, this year’s initiative successfully raised $500 to support local youth development across the twin communities of Manitowoc and Sheboygan.
Kellyn Kiel, Vice President of Carron Net, notes a personal connection to Big Brothers Big Sisters is profoundly personal; herself serving directly as a mentor, and the company works alongside local board members, including the Chief of Police, to boost the community’s youth. Beyond this specific program, Carron Net regularly contributes to a wide array of over 60 local initiatives, ranging from historical and nature preservation to animal welfare and youth athletic programs. They also actively contract work to Ascend Services, an organization providing meaningful employment and pride to individuals with developmental challenges.
A Community-centric Philosophy
The internal motivation to give back is also partially driven by the interests of Carron Net’s employees. Through an annual survey, the team voices the personal causes they care about most, which in turn shapes the company’s annual volunteer day where staff members spend a workday morning helping hands-on with local groups before returning to share their experiences over a company lunch. Ultimately, Carron Net finds that its community-centric philosophy meshes perfectly with the overarching values of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA). By participating in MHEDA Give Back events during industry trade shows, the company proudly extends its civic dedication far beyond the borders of Wisconsin, proving that successful business operations and meaningful community service go hand in hand.
