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Mayor's Small Business Awards
These awards honor the diversity and excellence of Seattle’s small businesses, and their contribution to the city’s economic vitality and quality of life. Ten winners are selected each year on the basis of excellence in management, entrepreneurial spirit, customer service, and community involvement.
“Small businesses provide innovative products, services and jobs in our communities – they’re the local gathering places that add such character to our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Nickels. “I hope you’ll nominate your favorite local business, and help highlight the importance of all these small businesses to our community.”
2007 marks the 23rd year of the Mayor’s Small Business Awards program. Over the last two decades, the awards program has recognized more than 220 small businesses, many of which have gone on to experience significant growth. Past recipients include such companies as: Starbucks Coffee Company (1984), Uwajimaya (1984), Ezell’s Fried Chicken (1989), the Dilettante (1990) and City People’s Mercantile (1993). Learn more about the Award program from the Office of Economic Development.
Watch video clips of each Mayor's Small Business Awards recipient below.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Baas Art Gallery & Framing
Baas Art Gallery & Framing opened in the Madison Valley in 1995, and has grown along with the business district. A neighborhood art and frame shop that provides “expert picture framing from Diplomas to Degas,” Baas is active in supporting local schools, the Madison Valley Merchants Association, the Greater Seattle Business Association, and Cornish College of the Arts. Karrie’s passionate dedication to nurture her employees, mentor emerging artists and give back to her community, shine through her small business that is a gem of the Madison Valley. Karrie thrives on supporting the diversity of her neighborhood – “I love to bring community and people together and give back with my time.”
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Canlis Restaurant
Canlis is a Seattle institution that spans 57 years of history and three generations of the Canlis family, who pride themselves on creating a “second home for Seattleites – a meeting ground where milestones can be celebrated and honored.” Superior service, cuisine, wine, and ambiance are Canlis standards. Hospitality is its strategic advantage. Canlis is built on three values: trust, generosity and other-centeredness, which shows through in how Canlis treats its employees like family, its patrons like honored guests, and the community organizations it supports like strategic partners.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Isotron Corporation
Isotron is an energy, environmental and defense services company co-founded in 2001 by the father and daughter team of Hank and Christina. This entrepreneurial enterprise has a large percentage of women scientists and engineers, and continues to innovate in the area of high-performance coatings and decontamination systems. Isotron’s research and product portfolio ranges from electrokinetic technologies for removing heavy metal contaminants from water, to coatings technologies that are protecting soldiers from chemical and biological warfare agents.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - JTS Manage Services
JTS is a Seattle urban success story. From bootstrapping her business in the early days by selling her house, Tanya’s business has grown into a thriving 14-person firm that is the only African-American owned business offering construction management services in the Greater Puget Sound area. Described as a natural teacher and mentor, and someone who shows respect and care to all, from clients to interns, Tanya has nurtured her business, her employees, and her community at the same time. JTS operates by its core values of accountability and strong business ethics, and recently won the Seattle Jobs Initiative’s Champion of the Year – Opening Doors to Living Wage Careers award.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Maneki Restaurant
The oldest Japanese restaurant in the region, Maneki was established in 1904 in the Nihonmachi section of the International District, and has been at its current location since 1946. This neighborhood icon of the “lucky cat” has beckoned customers to eat Japanese “comfort food like Grandma made at home” for generations. This is a place where “Mom” still serves as hostess as she has since the 1960s, and loyal customers line up around the block and request items that are no longer on the menu. Jean says she is most proud when she serves four generations of family together in the tatami room. Maneki strives to be a place where families take time to sit together at dinner, something important in all cultures.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - PRR, Inc.
PRR is a public relations / public affairs firm that is a true Seattle business – driven by a mission to promote the environment, community, and human health. As it has grown since 1981 to a firm with 46 people, PRR has preserved the ethic of customer service and one-on-one attention that comes with a smaller firm. PRR harnesses all the tools of public policy and community relations, of advertising and media relations, and of research and social science into an integrated machine that serves the Seattle community. They are a pioneer in implementing environmentally and socially-conscious business strategies.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Ramsey & Associates, Inc.
Ramsey & Associates is an independent financial planning firm that has a vision for providing great investment management services, and partnering with clients to help them build their dreams and reach their goals. At Ramsey, the motto is to “treat our clients like we would want to be treated: with honesty, respect and the best financial advice we have to offer.” Karen has taken her natural gift of dealing with money and finances, developed her employees with the same values and customer service practices, and continues to reach more clients with her growing business. She says, “to me, my business is not just a business, it is a calling.”
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Veraci Pizza, Inc.
Veraci Pizza is a blend of art, food, motion and community. The husband and wife team of Marshall and Errin built their first mobile pizza oven in 2003 and started making pizzas at the Ballard Farmer’s Market. The ovens are works of art, and around each oven, they create a gourmet pizza restaurant without walls. Whether at a farmer’s market or a catering client’s home, they involve their customers with the making of these fresh pizzas. Veraci Pizza is very committed to sustainable business practices, whether recycling and food-composting, or using a renewable energy source – 100% Washington Apple Wood. They believe in supporting their local farmers’ markets and Seattle Public Schools, and love being part of the Seattle community.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - Video Isle
Video Isle is an independent video rental store on Queen Anne that continues to have the loyalty and trust of neighborhood residents that enables it to compete against chain stores and online video delivery systems. Craig is a devoted community volunteer with local business groups and Queen Anne Little League Teams. He clearly gives much of his time to the community, and they in turn, “go out of their way to walk, find parking or take the bus to patronize his small video store.” Video Isle caters to families (they have free popcorn!), and their store is described as a “community hub”, where parents can send their kids to rent a video and trust that Video Isle staff helps monitor rentals for age appropriate viewing.z
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards - With a Little Help, Inc.
With a Little Help is a homecare service that provides assistance with the tasks of daily living and has the purpose of encouraging seniors and anyone with special needs to stay engaged in life and lessen their isolation. Marcia’s business has grown to a staff of 60 people, serving over 100 clients. They are proud to be a leader in their industry and deliver detailed loving care to the local senior population. Their business fills an important need in our community, and allows seniors to remain living in their own homes for a longer period of time. Marcia says, “I had a desire to make a difference, be of service, and to do a job really well.” As her business logo with a heart illustrates, this is a heart-felt business.
2007 Mayor's Small Business Awards Ceremony
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels celebrates the ten small business winners of the 2007 Mayor’s Small Business Awards presented by Wells Fargo.
Check out past Small Business Award Winners
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