With heavy hearts, we found it necessary to cancel our second annual Champions of Commerce Gala & Awards, which had been scheduled for November 13, 2020.

In its place, our 2020 Champions of Commerce became Celebrate Resilience, to recognize and celebrate the many stories of resilience in the face of the pandemic. We received many compelling nominations, and after many deliberations, 12 honorees were selected as our 2020 Champions of Commerce for their resilience.

The in-person Celebrate Resilience Gala & Dinner was held simultaneously, allowing a select group of honorees to join us in person.

Meet our 2020 Champions of Commerce

Below are our 2020 Champions of Commerce. For each honoree, there are two videos:

  • A specially produced, captioned video that demonstrates why they were selected for the honor.

  • Awards presentation at our Celebrate Resilience event, which includes the aforementioned video, along with our CEO’s introduction and winner’s remarks (if they were present at the event).

Daffodil Bowl / Fitness Quest

Brad Swartz, owner of Daffodil Bowl and Fitness Quest, approached COVID-19 compliance with a “one-up everyone else” mentality. They installed a medical grade misting system that kills the coronavirus on surfaces for 48 hours, they use masks and conduct temperature checks 100% of the time, they added plexiglass installations and spent thousands of dollars on outdoor signage and outdoor seating. Brad became a statewide advocate for the fitness industry participating on forums and testifying in front of the legislature playing a vital role along with our 25th district legislators to advocate to include gyms in the Phase 2 re-opening plan. Members received personalized messages from the owner and a special app that allowed virtual training, with 15,000 exercises and an avatar to help improve exercise form. The efforts made by this family owned & operated business helped them retain 96% of their members and 94% their employees, as they continued to provide the valuable service of health and wellness to the community at a time when we likely needed it the most.

Celebrate Resilience captioned video.

Award presentation with introduction by Chamber CEO Tara Doyle-Enneking.

Dillanos Coffee Roasters

With a mission statement to HELP PEOPLE, MAKE FRIENDS AND HAVE FUN, Dillanos Coffee Roasters caffeinated up to find unique ways to serve the community, particularly those on the front line. They provided complimentary coffee to local hospitals and hundreds of front-line workers. They demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their staff by guaranteeing full time hours for 8 weeks to their full-time hourly employees, even if they worked less. They pivoted to allow office staff to work from home with cell phone stipends and provided onsite facility workers bonuses. Just as you may drink a cup of Dillanos coffee for a boost, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, the company, serves to boost its community at every turn.

Celebrate Resilience captioned video

Award presentation with introduction by Chamber CEO Tara Doyle-Enneking.

We Are Puyallup / Colt Fairley

Compelled to do something, Colt Fairley and other concerned and supportive individuals came together to form a grassroots movement, We Are Puyallup. More of a movement than an organization, Colt and team quickly created a branding campaign that helped small businesses to promote themselves and to feel supported. He raised money to fund A-Frame signs for restaurants to advertise their curbside pick-up, and retained a videographer to tell the stories of these businesses and promote their services through social media channels. He also organized a 5k fun run to raise money that went directly to the participating businesses. A heart of gold with an entrepreneurial spirit, Colt utilized his passion for helping people and his business and marketing skills to help—boots on the ground….he is a true gem in our community!

Celebrate Resilience captioned video

Award presentation with introduction by Chamber CEO Tara Doyle-Enneking.

Sunrise Village / Cynthia Boyd

Cynthia Boyd of Sunrise Village is the eternal “glass is half full” person. She oversees marketing and events and typically runs dozens of promotions between Sunrise Village and her other center, Kent Station. Events are an integral component of bringing customers to their retailers and restaurants, but 2020 had other plans. With the annual Easter Bunny, Summer Concert Series and Free Festive Fun at Christmas off the table, Cynthia’s can-do spirit helped her create new promotions and pandemic-friendly events with safety protocols. No Holiday Event? Come to their Gingerbread House tour. No Summer Concerts? She worked to make the Village Farmers Market the best it could be, turning lemons into lemonade. The tenants of Sunrise Village may or may not realize how much heart and soul she puts into everything she does, but we certainly do and would like to recognize Cynthia Boyd and the Sunrise Village as Champions of Commerce and Resilience.

Celebrate resilience captioned video

Award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Simple Tidings & Kitchen / Suzanne Kipfer

One of the great charms of Downtown Sumner’s Main Street are the mom & pop businesses full of character and homestyle hospitality. Simple Tidings & Kitchen is a prime example; yet what Suzanne Kipfer was able to do at the onset of the pandemic was the quintessential pivot to e-commerce, putting her shop on a larger map while also making it easier for her loyal and local customer base to continue to shop with her via curbside pick-up. A brilliant marketer, Suzanne and her husband Stephen used the down time to reconfigure the layout of the store and creatively marketed her business by adding food offerings to stay relevant as an “essential” business. With not only her shop’s interest at heart, she stepped in to help with the operations of the Sumner Downtown Promotion Association which was then absent an Executive Director. She regularly participated in City of Sumner’s Open in Sumner Zoom meetings and other advocacy calls to help small retailers. It’s no coincidence that Simple Tidings & Kitchen is in the HEART of Main Street and represents so much of what we love about Sumner.

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Corliss Resources, Inc.

Corliss Resources has been a staple in the Sumner community through five generations and they truly made a difference during the pandemic. Company Vice President Steve Corliss explained that the company was able to make a generous cash donation to the Sumner Food Bank, much-needed funds that were used to purchase basic food items during the pandemic to specifically address the demands that the COVID-19 crisis created. Their amazing employees stepped up and served as relief drivers for the Sumner Food Bank to help with distribution of their goods throughout the community. Corliss Resources also donated labor and materials needed for the Sumner Food Bank expansion construction project. The Corliss family appreciates being a part of the Sumner community and it shows!

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Impressive Sign & Display

Craig Sorenson, owner of Impressive Sign & Display, is such a Chamber supporter that staff members have on occasion referred to him as our “Chamber husband.” Craig can be counted on when we’re in a pinch to lift, hang, install, transport, and fix anything we need help with. At the beginning of the pandemic, Craig donated his time and services to help small businesses advertise their to-go options by designing A-Frame signs to market curb-side pick-up. He also provided those signs to the Puyallup Food Bank, as they needed way-finding signs for the growing number of community members that now needed to take advantage of their resources. Craig and his team of creators have never turned down last minute help to respond to the marketing needs of our community. They go above and beyond including assembling a Chamber Snowman head and spray-painting our Christmas Tree white for the Holiday Magic Festival of Trees. Craig’s door (and wine cellar!) are open to his beloved community that he fully embraces and supports. In 2021, look for Chamber dine-ins hosted by Chef Craigario—these are dinner theme nights he hosts to bring the Chamber community closer together. Practically raised at Disneyland, he has certainly brought some of that magic to our wonderland.

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Puyallup Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday from April to October, the Puyallup Farmers’ Market brings crowds to Pioneer Park & Pavilion. Visitors enjoy live music while browsing goods from dozens of vendors selling handmade jewelry & beauty products, artwork, plants, fresh cut flowers, locally-grown fruits and vegetables and more. Fast forward to 2020, and Puyallup Main Street Association grappled to open the Farmers’ Market as others had across the country, with scaled-back offerings and safety measures in place. Restrictions made it difficult for them to provide distancing between vendors and to control the number of patrons at their current location in the park. Puyallup Main Street Association Executive Director Kerry Yanasak and Market Manager Patty Villa formed a partnership with South Hill Mall to set up the market on mall property, so they could continue to provide their vendors with the opportunity to earn revenue at a time when those options were limited. Kerry, Patty and the rest of the team worked tirelessly and efficiently to pull off this major undertaking, with a well-organized market and a satisfying experience for vendors and customers alike. Eventually they were able to return downtown at another site, which helped benefit the downtown core and Farmers’ Market regulars.

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Washington State Fair

When the greatest party in Washington State is canceled, along with all the other events that typically occur at the fairgrounds 52 weeks a year, what’s the Washington State Fair to do? Well, like many in our resilient and innovative community, they became Master Pivoters. They created a Virtual Marketplace to give their Fair vendors a place to sell their product. They created Fair Food-To-Go, which ran several weekends in both summer and fall, bringing business to their food vendors and allowing fair food fans to get their fix—and they did, to the tune of 27,000 cars & 100,000+ guests! If that wasn’t enough, they produced Holiday Magic, a drive-through event that welcomed 13,000 cars and 50,000 guests who drove through the fairgrounds enjoying lights, music, food, giveaways and more. To our friends at The Fair, we applaud your resilience and adaptability!

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Visiting Angels / Rep. Kelly Chambers

When she isn’t busy representing the 25th Leg. Dist. in Olympia, Rep. Kelly Chambers is a business owner, running Visiting Angels, an in-home care provider. As a business owner, she is an excellent role model to her staff and caregivers, showing what is possible to achieve when you work hard, care big and have vision. She cares about developing staff members’ skills and makes it a priority to ensure that staff and caregivers know they are appreciated by giving them small tokens of appreciation, such as giving lip balm that reads “you’re the balm” and life savers that are marked “you’re a life saver. As a State House Representative, she works tirelessly for her constituents. She listens to business owners, struggling parents who need childcare, healthcare workers, hospitals, and anyone who needs help. Kelly has done everything in her power to connect people in the community with resources to help them and solve problems as they arise. Whether it is a C-Pap machine needed from a loss in the Sumner fires or lobbying for restaurants to ease compliance and fees with the Liquor Control Board, Kelly will flex her rolodex to bring the right people together to solve problems. Rep. Chambers is an incredible ally to the Chamber of Commerce and the business community. She volunteers her time, donates money and is willing to stick her neck on the line to fight for small businesses. Thank you to our own Visiting Angel, Rep. Chambers!

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

One Sleep Company

In 2019 when then-new Chamber member One Sleep Company offered to host Chamber Wake Ups, it was a bit of a head-scratcher trying to envision coffee and networking in their mattress showroom. But owner Chad Wittig assured us it would be great, and he was right. He opened up his warehouse doors, we jumped on mattresses, he hosted coffee and donuts and even had a mattress giveaway. He taught us all about mattresses and it’s clear that he is an innovative entrepreneur. Fast forward to 2020, with a pandemic upon us, Chad sold mattresses at cost to local short-term rentals dedicated to health care staff to stay near hospitals. They mobilized One Sleep’s manufacturing facility to produce medical face masks, and10,000 bottles of sanitizer. While those items may be available in abundance now, back then, they were one of the first in our area to respond to the need as quickly as they did. With a bed-sheet as his cape, our Mattress Guy, Chad Wittig is a real HERO!

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

Elements / Robert & Jackie Kaelin

At the onset of the pandemic, Elements owner Robert Kaelin took action to unite business owners and form a community support one another. No surprise there, because Robert’s passion is to serve. In fact, he had just left his comfortable job in high tech to devote himself full time to the business he runs along with his wife, Jackie, to follow this passion and serve the community. In a heartbeat, the pandemic changed everything; but the situation only fueled Robert’s passion to serve. He organized the “Lean In, Lean On” group as a way for business owners to support one another. He created the group “Generous Influencers” to help showcase people doing good in the greater Puyallup area and to start up a Night Market. All of these efforts would be commendable on their own, yet even more remarkable when you consider the time and effort it takes to run a business and make it a fun and safe place to work. As one nomination put it, Robert & Jackie “… continue to try new and innovative changes to manage their business during this challenging time, and at the same time devote time and resources to helping others manage and survive as well.” Throughout the year they have worked hard to creatively find ways to raise funds for employees that had to be laid off. They have both worked endlessly without pay. Roberts strong leadership skills have been driving him to not only come up with ingenious ways to help their own business, but also other business owners to get through these tough times. Thank you, Robert and Jackie Kaelin, for all that you selflessly do to tie the binds in our community.

celebrate resilience captioned video

award presentation with introduction by chamber ceo tara doyle-enneking

 

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