Episode 35: Bill Schroeder III and AQS – All in the Family
Bill Schroeder III has been around quilting since he was a young boy selling buttons at their AQS booth at the Quilt Show in his hometown of Paducah, KY. When his grandparents launched the AQS Quilt contest in 1985, it was the first contest in the industry to award a $10,000 prize. When Meredith and Bill Schroeder started hosting Quilt Week 36 years ago, young Bill was right there helping his dad hang signs. When his family decided to sell the business, he and his brother-in-law James went in 50/50 and purchased the company. They did so to continue to the family legacy, and to ensure that National Quilt Week would continue. It had been cancelled the past two years due to Covid, so Bill worked tirelessly to ensure the show would go on.
You can hear the pride in Bill’s voice as he shares the history of AQS, National Quilt Week, the National Quilt Museum and American Quilter Magazine. As he details his hopes and plans for the future, and for the different shows around the country, he shares his desire to make Paducah the biggest show it can be. “For me, you know Paducah is home and I just tried to do my best to get everybody back here.”
Bill is committed to keeping quilters and their amazing creations front and center. His goal for AQS is to reach 70,000 members by 2024 and he’s working hard to make that happen. He’s working with sponsors, the mayor of Paducah, the Secretary of State, and the residents of Paducah to make the community stronger, and to build greater awareness and support for the quilting industry. When Bill rolls the dice, his team rolls it with him, and he credits them with making National Quilt Week the best experience it can be for attendees. [8:23-15:40]
As Bill continues to share his story, it’s apparent that the Schroeder family values have permeated every generation. He talks about the strong bond and connection they all have, and how their support of AQS and Quilt Week continues. It was a thrilling moment for everyone when the doors opened in Paducah this year and the quilters walked through them. Over 30,000 quilters came, sharing their love of quilting and their longing for community. Bill shares how much the support of family, and the hard work and dedication of his staff mean to him, and humbly expresses his gratitude to everyone who made Quilt Week such a resounding success. [15:50-21:09]
Be sure to tune into this engaging podcast to learn more about the Schroeder family, AQS- the internationally renowned organization and the power of community. If you’d like to reach out to Bill personally, you can email him at bill.schroeder@americanquilter.com.
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