After 31 years of business, owner of Thornberry Cottage in Howard, Sue VanDenElzen (pictured on the left) is turning the reins of her business to Saundra Laskowski (pictured in the center) and Suzette Hackl (pictured on the right).
Since 1987, Thornberry Cottage has been serving Northeastern Wisconsin with a full array of home accessories & gifts. Sue VanDenElzen, founder and proprietor started with a passion in décor and design along with a talent for creating the most gorgeous custom florals. She started the cottage out of the basement of her home and has grown the store to over 5,000 square feet which is now located at 345 Cardinal Lane, Howard. The store has provided customers with an array of products from home accents including furniture, lamps, wall décor, decorative pillows and throws, permanent botanicals, decorative accessories, baby items, food, and gifts. The store has been successful over the years due to its loyal customers and emphasis on strengthening community services with many countless hours of service by Sue, herself. Thornberry Cottage’s community services are far reaching, including being a donation drop off location, participating in numerous food drives for the Giving Tree and assisting with the planning, organizing, and wrapping of auction baskets for the “Taste of the Villages” which is the Giving Tree’s major annual fund raiser. Thornberry Cottage has also supported Hope House, Wisconsin Veterans in need, and Howard Suamico Historical Society, to just name a few. The store is a cornerstone of our community but more importantly, Sue is a servant leader for our community. She has been a member of the Howard Suamico School board, and served many leadership roles within the Howard Suamico Professional Business Association and local Optimist clubs.
After 31 years of owning and operating Thornberry Cottage, Sue will be handing off the reins of the business to two local business owners, Suzette Hackl and Saundra Laskowski effective April 1, 2019. Sue is looking forward to spending more time with her family, especially her granddaughters. “We are thrilled and honored to take ownership of Thornberry Cottage and carry on the tradition of great products, services, and most importantly continue in Sue’s footprints in serving our community” states Saundra. As such, Thornberry Cottage will again be one of the drop off locations for this years “Taste of the Villages” auction items and will donate Thornberry staff time, talent and gifts to put the donation baskets together for the event in April. Thornberry Cottage will continue to carry products from vendors such as — Signature, MudPie, Uttermost, Creative Co-Op, Tag, Carson, Nora Fleming, Old World, Melrose, Pavilion, etc. Customers can expect the same personalized service, great products, relaxing shopping ambiance, and complimentary gift wrapping. Suzette and Saundra also own and operate Home Again of Green Bay which is currently located at 2430 Lineville Road, Green Bay. Home Again will be moving adjacent to Thornberry Cottage at The Shoppes Thornberry on Cardinal Lane in early May. “We are excited to provide this improved shopping experience to our Home Again customers by having both stores in one location. Each will sustain their own aesthetic and product offerings allowing customers to shop at both stores to mix something vintage with something new” states Suzette.
Suzette and Saundra say a special thank you to Sue VanDenElzen for her many years of service to our community and allowing Suzette and Saundra along with the staff at Thornberry Cottage to continue these traditions. A visit to these stores is more than a shopping experience, it’s a visual treat as each step takes you to new and varied displays of uniquely selected home décor, furniture, and gift items.
