In 1999, only eight years after opening its bingo hall and realizing economic self-sustenance, the Tribe started its foundation. That mindset permeates throughout the Tribe and its businesses.” “For generations, the Forest County Potawatomi have placed a priority on using only what was needed and giving away what it can. “Giving back is at the heart of what we do as an organization,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino CEO/General Manager Rodney Ferguson.
The business has helped revitalize the area, has spurred job growth and has placed corporate citizenship as one of its top priorities. What started as a 2,500-seat bingo hall has flourished into one of the largest casino properties in the Midwest and the state’s most visited entertainment destination with more than 6 million guests annually. Since 1991, the Menomonee Valley – once Milwaukee’s manufacturing and commerce hub – has been home to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. In the last three decades, both Milwaukee and the Tribe have benefitted greatly from the relationship. They’ve both served as home for the Forest County Potawatomi (the tribe settled in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley more than 300 years ago). Its secluded beauty feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the state’s largest city.īut the two communities share a very special bond. Wisconsin’s Forest County is three-and-a-half hours north of Milwaukee.
