Schmelzer settling in as Guttenberg Chamber Director

By Audrey Posten

Daniel Schmelzer admitted taking over as Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce Executive Director just ahead of the Stars and Stripes Celebration and RAGBRAI was a bit chaotic, but he’s appreciative of the community’s support as he settles into the role.

For Schmelzer, it’s the next step in getting involved in the community where he grew up.

Although he left the area after graduating from Clayton Ridge in 2006, Schmelzer and his wife returned to raise their family in the small-town environment. After becoming a software engineer, he and a partner started a business called Sugarbroom Studios that has since helped around 20 local businesses launch websites.

It was through his business that Schmelzer became more engaged in Guttenberg. 

“As a business owner in town, you kind of have that responsibility to contribute in some way,” he remarked. And the chamber position was the perfect opportunity to “become the change that you want to see.”

“I felt like the chamber was doing a fine job the way it was,” Schmelzer said, “but I felt like there were some things they were kind of falling behind on as far as staying up to date digitally and representing the businesses on a digital platform.”

Creating a greater online presence for chamber businesses—and Guttenberg as a whole—is one of Schmelzer’s goals. It’s as simple as making sure a business has an updated Google profile. 

Those steps can draw customers off nearby U.S. Highway 52, he said.

“The biggest thing is Highway 52 doesn’t drive through our business district. The more businesses we can get on Google, it actually pops up on people’s maps as they’re driving through town and encourages them to pull off onto River Park Drive,” he explained.

Schmelzer hopes to pull visitors off the river too.

“We’re in two of the most sought after fishing pools on the Mississippi River. For us to be able to utilize that, it’s only going to make things better and attract tourism,” he added.

In conjunction with these efforts, Schmelzer recently launched the “Rivertown Rundown” video series. When initial Facebook posts spotlighting Guttenberg businesses and attractions didn’t generate the engagement Schmelzer hoped, he pivoted to a podcast-style project. The first video spotlighted Guttenberg Brewing Company and owner Kathryn Klaes.

The idea is once Schmelzer hasn’t seen done in Guttenberg previously. He will use YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to share the content.

“I want to use all of these components to help reach the widest audience because, for the 70 percent of people who live in town, they know that building for Joe’s Pizza has been there since the 1800s. Somebody driving through from Minneapolis to St. Louis, they have no idea. But they might come across the video and say, ‘Oh, dang, this town has this going on,’” said Schmelzer. 

Schmelzer plans to release two videos each month: one on a business and another on a Guttenberg attraction. For example, he’s already filmed most of the parks in town. With help from his 7-year-old son, they’ve rated them all.

“Which ones are the best. Which ones have the best slides,” he shared. “There’s a couple where I pan across and he’s hanging upside down. It’s just something fun. That way these videos aren’t just showing the businesses. It’s showing the community. It’s showing what Guttenberg has to offer.”

Schmelzer hopes the videos raise brand awareness and revitalize interest in the community.

“I’m excited to see where it goes from there,” he said.

Another focus for Schmelzer is events. He credited the RAGBRAI committee’s work, as well as those who helped him prepare for Stars and Stripes. Although weather disrupted the latter, cancelling both the parade and fireworks, he’s proud of plans to transition the fireworks to GermanFest instead.

“We’re shooting them off from the south marina. Anybody who is at GermanFest, all they’re gonna have to do is take a step to the east and look south and you’ll be able to see the fireworks. That's going to turn that event, hopefully, into something a little bit bigger,” Schmelzer said. “Our heritage and our culture is deeply rooted in the German culture. For us to have the ability to express it the way we do, it makes us really unique. And not only that, but there’s not a lot going on in September. It gives people something to do.” 

Along with GermanFest, Schmelzer is looking forward to the annual Smoke Off on Saturday, Sept. 6. City-wide garage sales are the same weekend as GermanFest, Sept. 19 and 20, then Ghoul’s Night Out is Thursday, Oct. 16. The year will wrap up with the German Christmas Market and Parade on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Much of the preparation for these events was underway when Schmelzer started as director, so he’s taking more of an observatory approach.

“You want to get a good feeling of how things operate before you start making suggestions. Then, next year, I can go in and recognize like, hey, these were some of the pain points we ran into. Here are some of my solutions,” he said.

These events—and most initiatives around town—aren’t possible without volunteers. As a result, Schmelzer wants to re-activate committees. Participation has weakened over the years, he said, not due to frustration, but because some members are aging out.

“We don’t have the younger people who—I don’t want to say they don't want to get involved—but they just don’t know how to get started,” Schmelzer said. “Kathryn [Klaes] runs the brewery and she’s very active in just about everything. It’s people like that who are going to keep the community alive. I’m not taking away from anybody who has already been doing it, but when I see a young, fresh face on some of these committees, it’s inspiring because you’re getting new ideas.”

Schmelzer encourages anyone interested in helping to call the chamber at (563) 252-2323 or email guttenberg@alpinecom.net.

“I’ll gladly point anybody in the right direction,” he said.

Schmelzer recognizes, too, that his own position is a community effort. He’s looking forward to learning more and continuing to engage with Guttenberg.

“It’s been kind of an eye opening experience. I’ve never really done public service work—I guess you would consider it. It’s really kind of helping me come out of my shell and be part of the community,” he shared. “I’m really grateful for the community giving me this opportunity. I’m gonna do the best I can to provide the best quality of service to the community that I can.”