Mt. Pleasant — Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated National Small Business Week last week by visiting the establishments of five nominees for Small Business of the year. As the week came to an end, the Chamber concluded their celebrations by announcing the winner at their annual Small Business Breakfast on Friday, May 3.
Gathered in the Union Block, the room erupted in applause as Chamber Executive Vice President Rachel Lindeen announced Triple Seven Trucking as the Mt. Pleasant Area 2024 Small Business of the year after its second year in a row as a nominee.
“With a can-do attitude and lots of growth, Triple Seven Trucking is ready to serve their customers and the community,” Lindeen said. “Blessed with an amazing team of employees that go above and beyond every day this business is ready to serve their customers and community. Congratulations to Blaire and team.”
According to Triple Seven Trucking owner Blaire Barton, they have been in business for 16 years. They currently employee 14 individuals as they focus on transportation over an approximate 350-mile radius and offer warehousing services.
“My favorite part of working in Mt. Pleasant and Henry County is the fact that we get to work directly with customers from this area,” Barton said. “And over the years we’ve built great relationships. We ship stuff all over with them.”
Barton stated that he feels these relationships are mutually beneficial as they’ve helped their customers succeed and they’ve helped them succeed as well.
“Being a lifelong resident of Mt. Pleasant and coming from a family business before I started this, you see many businesses and successful businesses,” Barton said. “So, to be put in that category, it really means a lot. You put the hard work in and you live it and breathe it 24/7. So, it feels pretty good.”
According to Lindeen, the winner of the Small Business of the Year is selected by a panel of local judges. Each nominee answered the following questions which the panel then considered when making their decision:
Why did each business decide to open?
How was each business involved in their community in the past 18 months?
What sets each business apart from other businesses in the community?
After the panel of judges scored each of these responses, Triple Seven Trucking came out on top. Their business was among one of 20 applications selected as a top five finalist for this honor. Alongside Triple Seven Trucking, the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce also honored From the Heart Flowers & Gifts, Orthodontic Associates of Iowa, Sa3m Sao Market, and Southeast Iowa Realty Inc.
The focus of the Small Business Breakfast included not only announcing the winner for this year’s Small Business of the year, but also celebrating all of the local small businesses in the area.
“Small businesses are a strong part of our community,” Lindeen said. “Over 200 Chamber businesses represent small business here in Mt. Pleasant. They are our friends, our neighbors, and our community. Their work is important to all of us. So, today we pause to say thank you for the hard work, long hours and friendly smiles.”
Each of these businesses received a certificate for their accomplishments of making to the top five for consideration along with accolades from Chamber.
“From the Heart Flowers & Gifts, their business is blooming with excitement,” Lindeen described the flower shop. “Their attention to detail for every customer is what sets them apart. A great asset to our community and downtown district, we are excited to have From the Heart Flowers & Gifts is there for life’s memorials and for all of the celebrations.”
Lindeen described Orthodontic Associates of Iowa as a business that filled the need for Orthodontic options in the Mt. Pleasant Community.
“They bring in patients from all over Southeast Iowa, providing quality care right here in Mt. Pleasant,” Lindeen said. “In addition to their practice, they have helped develop the land on the east side of town, along Washington St.”
Sa3m Sao Market was recognized as a one-of-a-kind store in Southeast Iowa that provides cultural connection, access to great ingredients and diverse food options.
“So, we’re an Asian grocery store so we sell a lot of Southeast Asia cooking ingredients,” Sa3m Sao Market Owner Savinh Sylavong said.
“Being in a small community some of the closest places you can get ingredients like this is Iowa City or Ottumwa,” Co-Owner Som Sylavong said. “People still want to be able to come into a place and ask questions about how do you make this? I’ve seen this on TikTok or I’ve seen this on Facebook and I want to learn how to make it. I’ve seen a lot of people that are shy when they come in because they don’t want to be looked at as just asking weird questions, but nothing is weird to us.”
Finally, Lindeen congratulated Southeast Iowa Realty for their nomination.
“Southeast Iowa Realty is a growing business,” Lindeen said. “Selling our community everyday provides a strong sense of connection and personal relationships. Being a key business in the community, they have a direct impact helping people find their perfect home or sell their property as they transition to new stages of life. As Kevin [Dameron] stated ‘the charm of Mt. Pleasant — with its beautiful parks, historic sites, and vibrant community events — makes it a truly delightful place to work and live.’”
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