William “W.R.” and Floy Sauey
Time period/Baraboo: 1950 to present
Submitted by: Jason Sauey
William (W.R.) Sauey has been making a positive difference in the Baraboo community and for its citizens since 1950. Born in 1927 in Melrose Park, Illinois, W.R. Sauey spent his boyhood living in both the Chicago area and Bruce and Kennon, Wisconsin up in Rusk and Price counties. Following his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, W.R. and brother, Ed, started Flambeau Plastics in 1947 in Bruce, Wisconsin. They hand-built their first injection molding machine with the help of their father, Ole, an immigrant from Norway.
W.R. married his devoted wife, Floy Anderson, in 1948. Flambeau was relocated to Baraboo in 1950 where it has remained and grown since that time. W.R. and Floy raised seven children, all of whom graduated from Baraboo Senior High School. They also helped start and were founding members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. In 1998 they started the W.R. and Floy Saukty Family Foundation. Since its origin the Foundation has touched thousands of local lives through donations to recipients such as the Al. Ringling Theatre, Circus World Museum, Baraboo Schools Athletic Department, Hope House, People Helping People, The Boys and Girls Club of Sauk County, and Kids Ranch, to just name a few. In addition, the Foundation continues to award up to three 4-year and up to two 2-year college scholarships every year.
W.R. Sauey started or acquired numerous businesses during his career. Many, including Flambeau, Seats, Columbia Vehicle Group, Humane Equipment and Cellos Corporation were based in Baraboo and Sauk County. His companies have facilities in five states and in four different countries. His companies’ products are sold to consumers and major industries throughout the world. More importantly, perhaps, his companies employ thousands of people and have employed thousands of people right in Baraboo and Sauk County. W.R. Sauey has been honored with numerous business awards, one of the most prestigious being Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst and Young in 1990.
W.R. Sauey has always believed in and been a practitioner of personal liberty and free enterprise. He has always supported and pursued the concept of the “American Dream’ in which people are free to pursue their personal ambitions by applying hard work and ingenuity to the opportunities that lay before them. Over the years many in the Baraboo and in society at large have tried their hand at starting and growing a business but few can lay claim to having employed or positively touched so many as has W.R. Sauey.