Media

Thank you for your potential interest in the Sugar River Trading Company/McNess Home Products story. Since the brand has been around over 100 years, there could be several different approaches to share with your readers/viewers/listeners.

The online store can be found here, www.McNessStore.com.

We have a digital library of images as well as a photo studio to shoot specific photos. We own what we believe is the world’s largest collection of McNess products dating back to 1908, many on display in our reception area. (Stephenson County Historical Society in Freeport, IL also has a nice display.)

Ownership can be interviewed or respond to questionnaires. Call Randy at 608-424-0264 to make arrangements.

Visit www.FWMcNess.com to visit the historical site, here you can read about:

• How the company was founded in 1908 and introduced the Safety Seal
• The McNess Man, traveling salesmen in horse and buggy and early cars
• McNess products are part of the Smithsonian
• The celebrities in the early 1900s that were associated with the McNess products
• Numerous historical photos are on the site

Other interesting items:

• Sugar River Trading Company is having a tenyear anniversary in Belleville, WI in April of 2026. Randy and Cindy Gunter acquired the McNess Home Products in 2015 and moved it to its present location in 2016.
• The Gunters owned an advertising agency for years previously, working with companies that included Kimberly-Clark, Rayovac, Firestone, John Deere, OshKosh B’Gosh, as well as Furst-McNess Company, and other international brands. Samples
• Sugar River Trading Company is named after the Sugar River that runs through Belleville, Wisconsin. The crane on the logo is in recognition of the sandhill cranes that always return to the area each spring.