SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2008

SPRING LAKE TOWNSHIP — Joy Gaasch says small businesses are the economic lifeblood of a community. "If you look at the definition of 'small business,' it is typically less than 500 employees," said the president of the Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven. "If you look at it in that perspective, about 97 percent of our members are small businesses."

On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at the Spring Lake Country Club, the five Northwest Ottawa County municipalities partnering with the local Chamber of Commerce celebrated their small businesses by honoring one from each community for the 22nd annual Business Recognition Awards.

Water Colors Early Childhood Center, 17683 174th Ave., was honored by the city of Ferrysburg.

Mayor Jeff Stille said the child care business opened in the Leppink's Shopping Plaza in April 2004 with one child and three caregivers. The center presently cares for 43 children — from 6 weeks old to 12 years — as its 12 staff members prepare their young charges for school, Stille said.

Linda McGeorge, a retired teacher and owner of the center, said the Chamber honor represents "all the local businesses in our community, the mom-and-pop ventures."

"I honor these businesses for sticking with the Tri-Cities community, for opening jobs in this hard economic time, keeping their doors open and keeping their employees working," she said.

(taken from Five small businesses honored with annual Chamber recognition awards
Thu, Jun 19, 2008

BY MARK BROOKY
mbrooky@grandhaventribune.com)

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