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Elkhart Lake business with young owner grows
A former contestant of Junior Achievement's Young Entrepreneur competition says his business is still growing four years after starting it in high school.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - He started a business as a teenager which earned him recognition in a statewide competition four years ago. Now, a former Junior Achievement Young Entrepreneur contestant is getting ready for another busy summer of sales.
The owner of The Mad Patcher is not only still going strong, but his business continues to grow as he has traveled across an ocean to learn new skills to expand his potential.
The Mad Patcher
The backstory:
There is something special when an item is handmade. Baxter Slazwedel from Elkhart Lake has an art for turning old clothes into the latest fashion.
"We're a sustainable clothing business that uses 100% recycled materials to hand make all of our stuff in-house out of recycled materials in house and also upcycled vintage," explained Salzwedel.
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FOX6 News caught up with the owner of The Mad Patcher four years after appearing in a statewide competition. In 2022, Baxter was not named the Junior Achievement Young Entrepreneur champion. But he may end up as the owner of the most successful business featured in the competition.
A growing business
What we know:
Salzwedel has been busy since we talked to him in high school.
"We're still a small business certainly, but we've grown from when I was a senior in high school," said Salzwedel.
Baxter has never stopped creating. A business model that started by selling items at pop-ups and farmer's markets moved into his first store two years ago in Elkhart Lake.
"It was a bit of a wreck. It was kind of an abandoned neglected building," explained Salzwedel.
A new home
Dig deeper:
After the building housing his business was demolished, Salzwedel has found a more stable footing for his growing brand.
"This year we moved into the Elkhart Lake Historic Depot. It's a great spot. It has great foot traffic right in the center of the farmer's market," said Salzwedel.
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After first learning to sew from his grandmother, this year he's taken his skills to a new level, spending several months taking classes at the University of Arts London.
"I was studying some traditional tailoring techniques, but in London. They've got the OGs," said Salzwedel with a smile.
What's next:
Now back home, four new businesses with young owners are about to follow in his footsteps.
Salzwedel has some advice.
"Be 100%, be honest. Don't go up there and play Mark Cuban and pretend you have the biggest, baddest business. Tell them your mission and show them your passion," said Salzwedel.
It's passion that might lead to something crazy, as The Mad Patcher's business continues to impress.
The Source: Information in this post was provided, in part, by Junior Achievement.