Ferdinand Historical Society

Customer Success Story

The Ferdinand Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the Ferdinand Community. One of the efforts was to prevent an historic building from being demolished. It was this effort that attracted Vice President Katie Mehling to the society.

A lifelong citizen of this small Indiana town, Katie heard about a beautiful old building that was in danger of being torn down in town. Passionate about the issue, and feeling that this destruction was a mistake, she began attending Society meetings to see what her “voice” could do to save the structure. What she found was an extraordinary group of people working for a cause that she could get behind. Thus began her relationship with the Society.

“As an historical society in a small town we felt the need to raise awareness of the amazing history of the people, buildings and events that often get lost through the years,” says Mehling. “Our primary goal is always to raise awareness by resurrecting the stories of the past. The fundraising is secondary.” An annual ornament program was the perfect solution to both.

Mehling continues, “There is a story that is told with each ornament of the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into the shaping of our town and our values.”

Most of the marketing happens around the annual German Christkindlmarkt, held the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Several weeks prior, the Society begins sending out press releases. During Christkindlmarkt, a 14th century tradition of selling gifts and wares in a festival-style setting, they sell their ornaments in a lavishly decorated booth.After the celebration, the ornaments are sold in a local gift shop, which returns 100% of the proceeds to the Society. The ornaments are also featured year round on the Ferdinand Historical Society’s website, http://www.ferdinandhistory.org/forsale.html .

Buyers are especially pleased by the fact that the ornaments are made in America. Comments Mehling, “I have always been pleased with ChemArt’s service and am especially pleased that we are able to have these skillfully manufactured in the USA...this has also been expressed by many of the buyers of our keepsake ornaments. Year after year we have had great results with our ornaments and this program has been helpful in raising awareness of the history right here in our community.”