06/10/2026
I would highly recommend Kara with FACC!! She’s been one of my biggest cheerleaders! Special thanks to Iron River Area Chamber of Commerce for recommending me to the Ashland Area Development Center-where I met wonderful Haley. She no longer works there but I’m so glad to have met her when she did! She helped me with early planning and connected me with Kara at FACC. Very special shoutout to my hubby for the beautiful work done to the space and the unbelievable amount of hours put into it. Thanks to Eric with Duluth Coffee Company for the wonderful coffee, my mom for being there since the idea popped into my mind, and friends / family for supporting me and understanding I need to be at the shop while it’s in the beginning stages still. It takes a village and mine is amazing. The village seems to grow everyday with amazing people we’ve met that walk through the door. I couldn’t ask for better customers, and THANK YOU ALL for your support and patience (especially on the weekends when things get wild and the line is long!) 🤎🤎🤎
When Jennifer Goeden moved to Iron River, Wisconsin, she noticed something missing—a local coffee shop. Turning that idea into Sweet Spruce Coffee took more than vision. It took a true partner.
Through one-on-one guidance from Kara Gunderson and the team at First American Capital Corporation, Jennifer navigated first-time financing, built a strong capital plan and gained support focused on long-term sustainability—not just a loan.
“I wasn’t treated like a number or a transaction. The process was fair, transparent and human—and that gave me the confidence to move forward.”
Sweet Spruce Coffee shows what relationship-based lending can unlock for rural entrepreneurs and local economies.
Read the full story: https://faccwi.org/success-stories/brewing-opportunity-in-iron-river-investing-in-rural-promise/
