LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On any given day, you can find employees at Wigglewow, a Louisville area dog treat company, giving it their all. Owner Mark Pfeifer said over 80% of his employees are adults with disabilities.
Pfeifer’s nephew, who has autism, is the inspiration behind the company’s mission.
“He [Pfeifer’s brother] helped me realize that as the parent of a special needs family member how difficult it is to find employment and companies that are willing to giving their sons and daughters an opportunity,” Pfeifer said.
He started Wigglewow in 2019 with the goal of providing employment for adults with disabilities, and he encourages other business owners to do the same.
In Wigglewow’s storefront in Jeffersontown, Brayden Schindler was painting a base coat on specialty dog treats. He said he loves telling people about his work at Wigglewow.
In another room, his mom, Amie Schindler, was putting the final touches on specialty treats. She said this job opportunity has been great for her son, Brayden, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 2-years-old.
“It’s so good on so many levels. You really have come into a family. They have friends,” said Schindler. “There is no one judging them for who they are.”
She explains that as Brayden neared the end of high school, she worried about what his next steps may be, knowing it can be hard to find job opportunities. Wigglewow’s website notes that 75% of employees there had trouble finding a job before Wigglewow.
“Sometimes employers don’t have the resources or maybe the knowledge. I’ve often talked to people in our community about how it’s not really the employee who needs to be trained, it’s the employer who needs to be trained,” said Schindler.
Pfeifer said too many businesses try to fit employees into existing workflows, but he found making minor modifications was the key to helping his Epic Chefs, and therefore his company, successful.
“I do challenge other business owners to give this population an opportunity because they will not let you down. They will put a smile on your face. They will show you what unconditional love is. And they will give you 100%,” said Pfeifer.
Each bag of Wigglewow do treats has a label on the back highlighting one of their Epic Chefs, so customers can learn about who they are helping to provide a career for at Wigglewow. Multiple of the employees were excited to show off their labels.
“They like my job. They think I’m a superstar,” Brayden said.
By giving people of all abilities a job opportunity, Wigglewow has a workforce of employees who say they cannot wait to come to work. There’s even a wait list of people wanting a job at the company, when they are able to add more roles.
Wigglewow treats and specialty treats are available for order online and in several stores across the region. You can see a list of where to find them on Wigglewow’s website.