Gov. Evers visits Merrill small businesses to kick off “Shop Small Wisconsin Season”

Gov. Tony Evers visited three Merrill small businesses Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, as part of his “Shop Small Wisconsin Season” initiative encouraging residents to shop locally during the holidays.
The Governor’s tour began at Kindhearted Floral and Custom Creations, 120 S. Mill St., where he spoke with owner Diane Goetsch about opening the business to meet a community need after Dave’s County Market closed its floral department. Evers also visited with clients at Kindhearted Home Care’s adult day care program in the back of the building.
He continued at Polka-Dotted Pie, 914 E. Main St., before concluding at Johnsons of Merrill, 1023 E. Main St.
The Shop Small Wisconsin Season runs from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31. This marks the fifth consecutive year Evers has proclaimed the period as a time to support local businesses.
“Small businesses are the hearts of our main streets, supporting Wisconsin families, creating community spaces, and bringing unique products and services to every corner of our state,” said Evers. “As Wisconsinites set out to do their holiday shopping, we are encouraging folks to keep their dollars local.”
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses employ 1.2 million people statewide, and approximately two-thirds of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community.