Press Release

 

World’s 5^th Goat Tower Built

Waunakee, WI

Endres Manufacturing Company in Waunakee, WI has constructed the world’s fifth goat tower. Endres Mfg. is a structural steel fabrication business that supplies steel beams, columns, stairs and railings to building projects all over Wisconsin and surrounding states. Endres Mfg. has a long history of keeping goats in a park on their property. The goats were originally brought to the company grounds in 1982. Larry Endres, who was extremely proud of his German heritage, decorated the grounds in a Bavarian motif and thought the goats added a little more authenticity and some fun to the property. They live in Kappel Park on the Endres property every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Each year new goats are brought to the park from a local farmer for neighbors and tourists to stop and enjoy.

 

With the present economy Endres has had time to take on several projects to improve their buildings and grounds, but also to spend time volunteering at local non-profits. Ken Ballweg, president of Endres, had been presented with an idea to build a goat tower in the park similar to the four other towers existing in the world.  With the decreased workload, Ken decided that this was a perfect opportunity to take on this project. The tower was fabricated by long time employee Bob Ziegler. He had worked at Endres for 46 years and was nearing his retirement date, so the timing was right for him to make one final contribution to the company that he had watched grow over the years. Endres utilized a spiral stair that had been sitting in the scrap heap and had manufactured a roof and a stair for the goats to go around the outside the structure. Then they applied stucco to the outside and hoisted it into place. The tower is almost 30-feet tall and 10-feet in diameter and has three small living compartments at each level and has a custom made dancing goat weather vane on top.  The goat tower joins several other houses and bridges that goats enjoy during the summer months. The new structure has become equally popular with the goats and visitor alike.

 

There are four other reported goat towers in existence in the world. The first was built in 1981 at Fairview Wine and Cheese in South Africa. Three others followed in their footsteps the “Tower of Baaa” in Findlay, Illinois, a bar called Silky O’Sullivans in Memphis, Tennessee, and Ekbay Farms in Moss, Norway, and now at Endres Manufacturing in Waunakee, Wisconsin. The goat tower at Endres is just another reminder to enjoy your childish side once in awhile and just laugh and enjoy. The goats are not part of any product the company makes, but they are part of the culture and history of the company and hopefully they will remain for generations to come and for all to enjoy.