NAICS Code 448

Location 219 W. Main St., Waukesha, WI 53186

Nearby Businesses n/a

Owner/Manager Barbara Stern

Special Store Activities Education center on policy issues, sponsors educational events, participates in the Downtown Art Crawl Events

Year Opened 1989

Website www.plowsharecenter.org

Phone 262 547-5188

E-mail Plowsharecenter@sbcglobal.net

Community Profile Waukesha (population: 64,825, 10-mile radius: 285,069) is located 15 miles west of Milwaukee at the edge of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area and is the seat of Waukesha County. Founded in 1846, Waukesha has maintained much of its historic downtown, and is nearby Old World Wisconsin, a 600-acre national historic site displaying regional pioneer life. Waukesha was once known for its famous “healing waters” flowing from natural springs in the area.

Poducts Sold & Niche Developed

Plowshare sells arts, crafts, clothing, chocolate, and coffee from developing countries around the world. The focus is on Fair Trade that includes dignity, sustainability, education, and hope. All items are 100% Fair Trade Certified. Items are fascinating and unique. Current products offered are from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Haiti, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, Phillippines, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Market Segments Served

The arts and crafts segment. Customer outreach is beyond the City of Waukesha.

Contributions to the Business Community

Plowshare Gifts is a non-profit retail store with the mission of to “Make Peace Relevant to the World Around Us” through the sale of Fair Trade Certified products from developing nations. The sale of these products support local, indigenous businesses in these nations to foster economic development without many of the potential negative effects of corporate exploitation. Plowshare is a member of both the Downtown Waukesha Business Improvement District and the Downtown Waukesha Business Association.