Street talk: Boutique hotel planned along Washington Street By Tom Murphy News-Chronicle Harp & Eagle Ltd., parent company of an 18th century manor estate in Ireland and three boutique inns in Wisconsin, is a step closer to construction of its hostelry on South Washington Street. Harp & Eagle is headquartered in Milwaukee. Company president Rip O'Dwanny told Street Talk last week that the Selmer Co., the old-line Green Bay-area construction firm, will be general contractor for the new inn. "We're now in the design stage," O'Dwanny said. "Construction should begin in the next couple of months." Harp & Eagle has purchased 1.25 acres immediately north of the former Transit Authority garage on the west side of the 300 block of South Washington. Because the site once was river and/or marsh, soil borings are imperative. Thus, O'Dwanny said, it's unknown if the building will be one or two stories. "We will have 40-plus rooms," he said. Each will have a 12-foot by 12-foot bathroom with double whirlpool and separate showers. A name with Gaelic ties is not out of the question, O'Dwanny said. And it might well be linked to the water since it's on the banks of the Fox. Why Green Bay? "It's the second-largest convention city in the state, and while there are plenty of hotel rooms in the Green Bay area, there is not another boutique hotel," O'Dwanny said. The Irish also are the third largest ethnic group in Brown County, he said. We didn't ask for the first two rankings. Harp & Eagle owns and operates 52 Stafford, a 19-room inn in Plymouth; the six-room Rochester Inn in Sheboygan Falls and 17-room Audubon Inn in Mayville in Dodge County. The corporate capstone, however, is Castledaly Manor Estate, a 22-room Irish bed and breakfast midway between Dublin and Galway. It's in the hamlet of Castledaly, about five miles from Athlone. Athlone itself is an 18th-century community on the long and fabled River Shannon. Harp & Eagle is in the midst of an initial public offering of its stock. Prospectuses are available from Thomas Dougherty at Liss & Co. in Milwaukee. Call 414-225-3176 for information HOME GROWN There's a nice article on H. J. Martin & Son, the 71-year-old diversified Green Bay service company in the January issue of Marketplace Magazine. H.J. Martin, now run by Edward N. Martin, a member of the third generation, was founded in 1931 as a flooring company by Henry John Martin. His son, Patrick, who died in 1995, joined the company after service as a World War II pilot and graduation from the University of Notre Dame. The story doesn't uncover much territory since this column marked Martin's 70th anniversary several months ago. But it does bring one principle into focus: the family approach. "We are blessed and grateful for the number of people who helped build the company," Eddie Martin said. "I feel like a caretaker responsible for the continuation of my grandfather's dream ... to make it prosper especially for the people." H.J. Martin has more than 600 employees, with 450 in Brown County. Of those, 35 have been with the company for 20 years or more. Senior vice president Wayne Daul will observe his 40th anniversary next year. Martin has customers in 38 states, including Hawaii, and is branching north into Canada. The client list is a copy of the Fortune 500: Target, Best Buy, Home Depot (and not just local), as well as Lambeau Field, KI Convention Center, etc. HOME GROWN AT YOUR DOOR Door to Door Travel, a "we will come to you" travel agency, has been started by Judy Schuh. She has seven years of experience in the business. "We are a unique agency offering the chance to talk with experienced travel agents on your time schedule," Schuh said. "We will come to your home, office or your favorite restaurant." Door to Door service eliminates frustrations linked to Internet planning and the normal 9-to-5 travel agency hours, she said. Schuh has a master's certificate in cruise counseling, is a member of the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents, is certified with Sandals and a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge. Customers can contact her at 336-7722 or by e-mail at [email protected].