Indie winner brews local support

The 2014 Independent We Stand Small Business of the Year Award, an award promoted with the marketing muscle of one of the biggest names in outdoor power equipment, goes to a Seattle-area coffee shop this year.

Several hardware and building supply dealers were in the running, according to the organizers of the “Indie” award, but Mike’s Community Cup, of SeaTac, Washington, took the crown.

 

The Independent We Stand movement is sponsored by Stihl Inc. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

A $1,000 Stihl equipment certificate is part of the prize package for Mike’s Community Cup, which will also receive a $5,000 grand prize and additional marketing support.

Prairie View Farm Market, a garden center and farm market in Hampshire, Illinois, made it to the final 10. Finalists were selected by public voting, and the ultimate winner was selected by a panel of contest judges. 

Last year's winner was Trio Hardware & Paint out of Long Island, New York. “Their community came out in waves of support, helping them win the title,” said a spokeswoman for the event.

In this year’s semi-finals, independent hardware-related honorees included:

• Matt's Building Materials, a lumberyard and hardware store in Pharr, Texas;

• Superior Outdoor Power, an outdoor power equipment dealer in Superior, Nebraska;

• Vickery Hardware, a Do it Best hardware store in Smyrna, Georgia; and

• Wagoner Power Equipment, an outdoor power equipment dealer in Englewood, Ohio. 

Mike’s is not your typical coffee shop, according to the Indie contest organizers. Competing toe-to-toe with Starbucks in the coffee giant’s front yard, Mike's Community Cup took a large hit in sales due to construction on the main road outside of the shop. Instead of closing their doors, they used low-cost platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote their business, in part due to lack of funds for a website, according to Independent We Stand. Plus, they have a positive outlook for 2015. 

"I am thrilled to receive the title of Independent Small Business of the Year, as it will help us continue to make an impact on our SeaTac family," said Mike Condon, owner of the seven-year-old coffee shop. "The money and website prize will help get us back on our feet so we can give even more back to the community."