- Swiss Colony
The Swiss Colony is a
mail-order catalog gift company that is known for itscheese ,chocolate s,fruitcake s, and otherconfection s. The company has been family-owned since1926 , when an entrepreneur fromMonroe, Wisconsin , a town known for its Swiss immigrants andSwiss cheese ,Ray Kubly adopted an idea from aUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison professor.The company sponsors the Swiss Colony
Cheese Days Parade inGreen County, Wisconsin every September of even numbered years.Brands
In addition to its namesake Swiss Colony brand, the company operates catalog businesses under the following names:
* Ashro (Afrocentric women's apparel and accessories)
* Country Door (home decor)
* Ginny's (general merchandise)
* Midnight Velvet (women's apparel)
* Midnight Velvet Style (women's apparel and accessories)
* Monroe and Main (women's apparel)
* Seventh Avenue (general merchandise)
* The Tender Filet (food)
* Durdy Looks (young men's/women's apparel, electronics, home furnishings/decor)
* Room for Color (home decor)
* RaceTeamGear.com (Officially licensed NASCAR(r) apparel and accessories)In August 2008, a Swiss Colony subsidiary purchased the assets of bankrupt retailer Direct Marketing Services Inc., giving Swiss Colony control of DMSI's direct-mail brands:
*
Montgomery Ward (general merchandise)
* Charles Keath (home decor)
* HomeVisions (home decor)Cultural References
*Eric Cartman sings a Christmas song about Swiss Colony Beef Logs in a
South Park episodeExternal links
* [http://www.swisscolony.com/ Swiss Colony website]
* [http://wicip.uwplatt.edu/green/ci/monroe/about/history.htm History of Monroe, Wisconsin]
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