In December, the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the Longmont Best of Business Awards. This week, we were able to visit with each business and present them with their much-deserved trophy to acknowledge all they’ve accomplished. Learn more about them below!
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A Florae
Business of the Year
presented by Longmont Power and Communications + NextLight
“A lot of good that comes out of fear sometimes because if you are unwilling to let it fail, then you expand your way of thinking.” When it comes to adapting in a time of crisis, look to A florae for inspiration. As a business that earned most of its income from weddings and events, A florae suffered a huge loss in 2020. Rachel Hunter, owner of A florae, looked for opportunity in that loss and found a solution she thought was worth the risk: change the business model to retail and invest in a larger space to accommodate the pivot. The gamble paid off. A florae went from having two employees to nine and expanded three businesses under one roof – a flower shop, a women’s and children’s clothing and gift boutique and a thrift and vintage store downstairs. Event revenue from 2020 to 2021 increased by 261%, and retail revenue from increased by 151%.
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Biscuits @Mike’s
Emerging Business of the year
presented by Flatirons Bank
In the summer of 2020, Mike and Lyn took the courageous step to open a food truck in the midst of the pandemic. In just 18 months, Biscuits @Mike’s has grown at an astonishing rate: they’ve gone from serving 150 people a month to 600 and tripled their annual revenue! They may be a small operation, but from the start Biscuit’s @Mike’s has made improving our community a pillar of their business model. They have supported local nonprofits including the OUR Center and the Longmont Humane Society, and are helping build a more vibrant food scene here in town by sharing a “starter” packet with information essential to building a mobile food business.
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Blue Skies Massage
Resilient Business of the Year
presented by Centura Health Longmont United Hospital
The safety and well-being of her employees and clients has always been a top priority of Emily Bauer, owner of Blue Skies Massage & Wellness. Emily had invested in expanding the business just prior to the pandemic, and now additional investments had to be made to create a safe environment that upheld her values as a business owner. Since then, the Blue Skies Massage team has seen just how essential their services are, as their clientele has doubled since the business was able to re-open. “I believe our dramatic increase in clientele speaks to the care with which we addressed the concerns tied to COVID,” says Emily. “We will likely retain many of these protocols beyond the pandemic. They tell the community that their safety and well-being means more to us than profit. We truly care about the Longmont community.”
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Catherine McHale
Ambassador of the Year
presented by Pinnacol Assurance
With her consistency, care, and compassion, Catherine McHale is a delight to have at our events. As a volunteer, she is relied on heavily by Chamber staff; her kind and careful touch combined with a eagerness to take on unconventional volunteer roles makes Catherine an indispensible asset to the Longmont Chamber team.
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FASTSIGNS Longmont
Building Bridges Award
presented by Elevations Credit Union
For the past three years, the Education Committee of the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce has worked tirelessly to produce strong connections between businesses and education. In 2021, the Chamber started summer internship that matches local chamber businesses with high school students looking to build a portfolio of real work experiences.
FASTSIGNS Longmont was quick to volunteer and serve as the pilot host for the program’s first intern. Now that the groundwork has been laid, the Chamber’s Education Committee can expand its offerings to new business and reach even more high schooler students looking for real-world work experiences. Without FASTSIGNS Longmont’s strong commitment to the betterment of our education and community, the program may have not launched.
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Georgia Boys BBQ
Legacy Business of the Year
presented by Longmont Times-Call
Georgia Boys BBQ celebrated its 10th anniversary last summer, and in that decade, the business has made a massive impact on Longmont and surrounding communities. The southern hospitality they brought to Longmont extends far beyond their doors. The genuine care that the Georgia Boys BBQ team has for Longmont, while ever-present, shone most brightly in the last couple of years. Through the pandemic and the wildfires, Georgia Boys BBQ launched a “Pay it Forward” campaign that resulted in them delivering more than 5,000 meals to front line workers, firefighters, and those in assisted living facilities around the clock. Despite having to furlough half of their staff at the start of the pandemic, they were able to bring back every employee within a few weeks. Georgia Boys BBQ has stood strong for 10 years, and we expect they will be still be standing strong for many years to come.
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Kim Kittilson
Building Bridges Award
presented by Elevations Credit Union
Kim Kittilson is the recipient of the individual Building Bridges Award for her engagement in student literacy. Kim has created a non-profit organization, My Book Pal, Inc, that supplies students with engaging books and stuffed animal ‘Book Buddies’. The program provides first graders with these plushies to they have a special friend to read to every day. She truly believes in the power of children having access to literature.
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Nixcavating
Safety Champion Award
Nixcavating was chosen as the 2021 safety champion. Chamber members since 1988 and program members since 1999, they were recognized for an outstanding safety record, safety training attendance and reporting of claims within 48 hours.
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Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley
Nonprofit of the Year
presented by High Plains Bank
When stay-at-home orders were issued, domestic violence rose world-wide. In our community, the services provided by Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley were needed more than ever. Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley works to address the complex needs and enhance the safety and well-being of survivors of domestic abuse. The organization provides emergency shelter service, legal advocacy, education and trainings, and housing navigation for those trying to escape their abusers. Between 2020 and 2021, Safe Shelter served more than 3,500 victims of relationship abuse in-person and through their crisis lines, more than 300 hotel nights, and $80,000 in emergency funds to their clients.