$6 Million Investment Project Will Create 36 New Jobs At Eau Claire Cascades Plant

Eau Claire Cascades plant pictured, via Google Earth.

In mid-December, Cascades announced its intention to invest $6 million into its Eau Claire plant, a project which will create 36 new jobs over the next two years. The move follows Cascades’ production site consolidation over the past two or so years in an effort to better position the business for continued success moving forward.

The Eau Claire facility (1200 Forest St.) currently employs roughly 250 people, featuring roughly 770 square feet of production space and a 203-square-foot warehouse. It specializes in the manufacturing and converting of tissue paper products for retail.

According to a media release, the $6 million investment will result in a new converting line at the local facility and strengthen Cascades’ presence in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WDEC) will provide up to $200,000 in performance-based state income tax credits, as announced via media release.

“The amount of credits the company will receive depends on the number of jobs created and the capital invested in the project,” the release states.

Eau Claire State Theater Is Back Up For Sale

The day of the State Theater's final production in July 2018, pictured.

The historic State Theatre on Eau Claire St. is officially back on the market – with a price-tag of $1.95 million.

It appears that, after years-long efforts to potentially reopen or revitalize the space – which included an open house in the fall of 2024 – the theater’s most recent owner, Mohammad Hashlamoun, has let the property go. Hashlamoun owns several properties in the area and is the proprietor of Azara, a regional smoke shop.

According to its listing, the property was renovated in 2022, including five office spaces and a reception area. According to a WEAU article from Sept. 2024, the building had also gotten a new boiler and plumbing work, though a number of other issues including a roof leak had yet to be addressed.

Volume One has reached out to Trillium Commercial Realty for comment but did not receive a response prior to sending this issue to print.

Chippewa Falls’ Bridge St. In A Season Of Change As Businesses Close

String Theory Studio, pictured, will close its doors at the end of January.

String Theory Studio (116 N. Bridge St.) is the latest small business to announce its closure, following a handful of closures along the street throughout 2025.

After five years, String Theory Studio is closing its doors at the end of January, a social media post shared. The crafts-focused business announced its plans to close on Dec. 19, its owners stating “we just can’t afford to stay in our brick-and-mortar space any longer.”

Looking ahead, owners Katie and Brit Bushman said they will be tabling at local events – including Pride events; the business often associated with its LGBTQ+ friendly environment – and plan to continue hosting classes, jam circle events and more at other undetermined locations.

“This holiday season has looked a little different for us here at the studio (and for lots of us small businesses downtown in general),” the Dec. 19 post reads, alluding to what has been a series of business changes along Bridge St..

Ope! It’s Soap, the body care and gifts shop which shared space with String Theory Studio, also announced its intent to leave Bridge St. in November. Then, a social media post pointed to a culmination of rising production costs, fewer shoppers downtown and a desire to spend more time with loved ones, as reasons behind the decision.

Tony Leidl, pictured, is the founder of Ope! It's Soap. The business will continue through wholesale and online but will no longer have a storefront.

For Ope! It’s Soap, the physical location’s closure is not the end for its products. “As we move into 2026, I’ll be focusing mainly on soap, giving my website and social content more love, and doing wholesale again. The business isn’t ending,” the announcement from founder Tony Leidl reads. “It’s shifting into something more sustainable and aligned with where I’m at in life.”

Across the street from the 116 N. Bridge St. space, at 117 N. Bridge St., Iris Boutique closed its doors on Dec. 29. The women’s clothing boutique had moved to the location this fall following a roof collapse at its former location, 120 N. Bridge St..

Owner Leah Ritchie has not shared where the business may go next, though she does intend to find a new space. During the last week of December, Iris Boutique’s social media shared a promising teaser, commenting “we have to do a little shape shifting BUT we have some exciting news.. this girl still has a few tricks up her sleeve.”

House of Eggrolls, which opened in 2024, closed its doors earlier about a year later.

This past fall, House of Eggrolls (504 N. Bridge St.) also closed its doors, while longtime Asian cuisine restaurant Mahli Thai (212 N. Bridge St.) made its closure announcement earlier in the year as its owners entered retirement.

Downtown Chippewa Falls is home to many locally-owned businesses, though the shifting scene of Bridge St. signals change and new chapters. As some local business owners and community leaders across the wider Chippewa Valley have shared online in response to those changes, the past year proved tough for many small businesses in the area.