The partnership between UW-Eau Claire and Silver Spring Foods is the latest to be featured as part of the Universities of Wisconsin’s “Mascots on Main” campaign. UW-Eau Claire’s mascot, Blu, and Chancellor James Schmidt visited the business, highlighting how the university contributes to the region’s economy.
The “Mascots on Main” initiative aims to demonstrate the strong connections between the Universities of Wisconsin and businesses across the state. In Eau Claire, Silver Spring Foods has a long history of hiring UW-Eau Claire interns and alumni as well as participating in undergraduate research projects.
The recent visit included Blu and Chancellor Schmidt meeting with Eric Rygg, the owner of Silver Spring Foods, and the company’s own mascot, “Colonel Mustard.” After sampling the product, the group toured the facility, gaining firsthand insight into the company’s operations and the contributions of its employees.
“Silver Spring is a tremendous family-owned company whose products can be found in grocer’s coolers around the country, and they’re also a pillar of our local business community,” said UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Jim Schmidt. “Their close connections to UW-Eau Claire reflect how important our graduates are for regional employers looking to innovate and keep their businesses strong in a dynamic global marketplace.”
The tour also included opportunities to meet and interview several Silver Spring Foods employees, both interns and alumni of UW-Eau Claire, who shared their experiences and highlighted the benefits of their education.
“As long as I have been a Blugold, I have been an intern at Silver Spring,” said Annika O’Hara. “For me, the past three years, Silver Spring Foods and UW-Eau Claire have been my life, and I’ve learned so much from both. It’s been such a gift to be able to transfer both skills – having the textbook knowledge at UW-Eau Claire and being able to implement that at my job. It’s been really incredible.”
To solidify the partnership and show support for the Universities of Wisconsin, Blu and Chancellor Schmidt installed a “We Support the Universities of Wisconsin” window cling to Silver Spring Foods’ front door. This gesture underscores the strong ties between the university and the business.
“We’ve been working with the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire for many years, in a whole lot of different ways,” said Rygg. “We’ve hired a lot of alumni graduates from there, and we work with the internship program. We also do quite a bit of research projects with the university from time to time. I think at any time there are about 10 to 15 graduates from UWEC at Silver Spring Foods, and they are in all different departments. We have graduates in HR, sales, marketing, production, and IT. We even have graduates in senior management and leadership.”
The “Mascots on Main” campaign video, featuring the UW-Eau Claire and Silver Spring Foods visit, will be released on the Universities of Wisconsin’s social media platforms, offering a glimpse into the successful collaboration between the university and a thriving business. The campaign continues to demonstrate the critical role the Universities of Wisconsin play in fostering economic growth and community partnerships across the state.