Looking for a role model? Someone that not only will inspire you to be a better leader, but demonstrates daily what it is to be a caring, compassionate and servant oriented President of a growing enterprise (and Accomplished Grandma - as you can see from her picture)? Look no further. Marietta Reuter has been a friend and colleague of mine for several years and she is a walking, talking exemplar of why there should be no such things as "glass ceilings" or any other sorts of discriminations against women and their abilities in the workplace. As a member of the Sauk Prairie community for her entire life, she has stood for the highest principles in leadership and inspires those around her to do their very best.
In March of 1995 she founded Tools of Marketing, Inc. a successful woman-owned promotional products and fulfillment company. Having grown up on a farm in the small town of Roxbury, WI, Marietta knew what hard work was and continues to work hard in the business and in the community. She is the 9th of 11 children and had more responsibilities than most kids. In between her chores, she was always trying to keep up with her 6 older brothers. Her philosophy was, anything they could do she could do. One of Marietta’s main goals when she started her business, was to be there when her kids got off the bus after school. She wanted to have a career but also felt it was important to be involved in her kid’s lives and didn’t want to fail as a mom.
Volunteering and giving time to others is very important to Marietta and her staff. Throughout the year they take time to volunteer at agencies like 6:8; the local food pantry; and send the entire staff to spend an afternoon packing food at the “Feed My Starving Children” food pack event. They also use their graphic design talents to create flyers/brochures/logos for nonprofit organizations and events. As if that's not enough, three staff members also volunteer for Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation.
Marietta has served on the S.P. Area Chamber of Commerce ambassador committee for 20 years and served on their board several times as well as being their Chamber President a few years ago. She is on the Rec Commission, Food Pantry Board, and volunteers to assist with food distribution. She was a girl scout leader for her three daughters as they grew up and has been actively involved in her church helping with fish fry’s and other events as well as chairing their annual festival for the past 5 years. As you can tell, she is a true "Pillar" of community support and did not fail at being a mother.
After helping another company to branch into the promotional products industry, Marietta decided it was time to go out on her own. On March 11, 1995, she opened Tools of Marketing and ran it out of an 8’ x 8’ bedroom of their 900 square foot home. In 2000, Marietta and her husband Marc built their dream home to include 1,100 sq. ft. of office space above the garages, and 1,200 sq. ft. of warehouse space in their basement for the growing business. In April 2018, Marietta and her growing staff, moved into a newly constructed 10,000 sq. ft. building which allows for more fulfillment programs and additional staff as needed. It will continue to be a family and women owned business, as it has recently added Amanda (niece) and her daughters Mariah, and Martina as generation two.
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