Camp Door County

OVERVIEW
In 2013, a dream was born. Pat Hockers had a vision for his 40 acres of land in Door County: a campground where people could stay and make memories. At the time, he shared the idea with his sons, Matt and Chris.

“One day, we were talking with our dad, and he said he wanted to make the property into a campground,” Chris says.

The dream took a backseat in the Hockers’ lives as Matt and Chris left town to attend college. By 2020, they both moved back, which is when the campground idea returned.

“When we moved back, our dad was still so passionate about the campground, so we brought it up again, and it was kind of a do it now or don’t do it at all type of thing,” Chris says. “We hired Stantec to engineer the entire project, and it snowballed from there. We started putting the underground infrastructure in three years ago. We handled the electrical and sewer systems and the roads ourselves.”

They were building something extremely meaningful, and not just for their family, but for anyone looking to experience Door County in a different way.

A SEAMLESS FIT
When it came time to hire a contractor to build the main clubhouse, the choice was simple.

“Alliance was a pretty easy fit for us,” Matt says. “Virtually anytime they come north of the Sturgeon Bay Bridge, they hire us for excavating work. They’ve pitched us so much work in the past that it was a no-brainer. It’s always just been them, right from the beginning. We never even got a bid from anyone else.”

Together, they brought the Pine Lodge to life, a stunning clubhouse with 24-hour restrooms, showers,
laundry, a small store with essentials and snacks, and a bar offering beer and wine.

“What was really nice is that they handled everything, like all the state permitting and local permitting,” Matt says. “Navigating that kind of thing can be tough, but with their in-house design and engineering team, it was all so seamless.”

BETTER THAN EXPECTED
It is always an incredible feeling when a project turns out better than you could have ever imagined, and this was the case for the Hockers. Their favorite part was stepping back and seeing the stunning timber framing.

“The timber framing is probably our favorite part,” Matt says. “The aesthetics of it are just incredible. You look at the plans and think it looks nice, but once it actually went up, it was like... wow. That part of the building faces the whole campground. The covered porch with the timber framing is where we set up live bands on the weekends. It’s just a really fun, standout centerpiece of the entire project.”

The timber framing may have sealed the deal, but the entire building left Matt and Chris pleasantly surprised. “Even just looking at the rendition drawings they gave us, I think the final result went above and beyond what we expected,” Matt says. “It actually exceeded what they said it was going to look like. It turned out better than we ever imagined.”

MORE THAN A BUILDER
For Matt and Chris, the building itself exceeded their expectations, but what stuck with them was the entire experience. “Everyone who works for Alliance is just really easy to work with,” Chris says. “People are always in a good mood. At this point, they’re friends, and they’re not just people we work with. We’ve built real
friendships. Anytime we needed something, if they were heading up this way, they’d grab it for us. Even
the ubcontractors they bring on are great. Always helpful, always positive. I think it comes down to their
understanding that not every day is going to go as planned, but they always find a way to make it work.
It’s just easy working with them. And honestly, not all contractors are like that.”

The Alliance team’s friendly and genuine nature is just one reason why the Hockers enjoyed their experience. They also found a partner who had their best interest in mind.

“They’re really fair and they’re committed to the project once they start it,” Matt says. “If they say they are going to do something, they do it. It’s very comforting.”

CONCLUSION
Opening Camp Door County was a major milestone for Matt and Chris, and it is just the beginning. The brothers already have plans for future expansion, like adding permanent cabins to offer a year-round escape for visitors.

Although growth is on their minds, the Hockers are proud of what they have created and the memories already being made.

“It’s really cool to have a family-oriented place where we can bring our kids,” Matt says. “It’s going to be awesome for all of them to grow up at the campground, meeting new friends in the summer, hanging out, and just playing together.”

Their dad never got to see the campground open, but the space honors his vision and carries his legacy forward. Camp Door County is a place where people can slow down and enjoy being together.

“We’re just so happy to be at this point,” Matt says. “It’s open, and now we can keep making it cooler and cooler every year. We know it’s not perfect, but to us, it feels perfect. And we’re only going to keep improving it. It’s especially meaningful because Dad always wanted to share the property. He had it for a long time, but never quite knew what to do with it. Now, a lot of people can stay in Door County and have this really unique spot just outside of town to spend time and make memories.”