For Immediate Release
October 14, 2003

LANSING — Michigan’s retail industry presented its Retailer of the Year Awards to "the best of the best" in community service and charitable giving.

The awards, presented at a luncheon in Lansing, went to:
Small Category (annual sales under $2 million): Cooper & Binkley Jewelers, Brighton;
Medium (annual sales of $2-20 million): Pat Scott Jewelers, Grosse Pointe Woods;
Large (annual sales above $20 million): Saks Fifth Avenue, Troy.

"The Retailer of the Year Awards provide the opportunity to honor the best of the best," said Larry Meyer, chairman and CEO of the Michigan Retailers Association, which founded and sponsors the awards program. "The award recipients represent the thousands of retailers across the state who make a difference in their communities through their countless charitable and volunteer activities."

The awards program, now in its sixth year, is cosponsored by Michigan Newspapers, Inc., the Michigan Press Association affiliate that represents 300 daily and weekly newspapers in Michigan, and Michigan Talk Radio Network, which provides programming services to stations throughout the state.

Recipients are selected by an independent panel composed of leaders in business, government, higher education, non-profit organizations and the news media. They are: Nancy Barker, vice president of university relations and marketing, Northwood University; Rick Blanchard, assistant business editor, The Detroit News; Louis Hallacy II, owner of LMH LLC Consulting Services; Sandra Katt, senior development officer, Van Andel Institute;
Michael MacLaren, executive director, Michigan Press Association; Claude Martin,
Winkelman Professor Emeritus of Retail Marketing, University of Michigan; David Scott, CEO, Michigan Talk Radio Network; Brenda Sternquist, professor of merchandising management, Michigan State University; and Dennis Toffolo, director, Oakland County Community and Economic Development.

The 2003 Michigan Retailer of the Year recipients:

Cooper & Binkley Jewelers, Brighton
Mark K. Binkley, Sr., President, Barbara A. Binkley, Vice President
Cooper & Binkley Jewelers has put a lot of bounce into the Brighton community through its active sponsorship of youth team jump roping. Its involvement includes major sponsorship of the Brighton Bouncing Bulldogs, a United States Amateur Jump Rope Federation team for which Barbara coaches and serves as treasurer, fundraiser and marketing director. The youth team qualified for the national tournament in Orlando, Florida, and hosted the multi-state regional qualifying tournament for the 2003 Junior Olympic Games.

The team also performs free of charge for many organizations, including senior citizens groups and community festivals, and is helping other communities establish jump rope programs to provide children with healthy alternatives to watching television and playing video games. The jewelers sponsor a local elementary school’s jump rope club as well.

In addition, Cooper & Binkley raises money and community support for the Arc of Livingston, an agency serving persons with developmental disabilities. The store is the major sponsor of the Arc’s annual Celebrity Holiday Fashion Show Charity Benefit. It also supports numerous area youth programs, and the Binkleys are involved in a wide range of civic and community endeavors.

Pat Scott Jewelers, Grosse Pointe Woods
Roxann and Pat Scotella, Owners
Roxann Scotella says that when it comes to charitable support, she believes in chain reactions: "If I help one person who then helps another, then a chain has started and it’s hard to break the chain."

Pat Scott Jewelers has worked to build chains through its generous support, both direct contributions to organizations and donations of jewelry for fundraising events, for the Children’s Home of Detroit, National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology and many other local and national organizations, schools and hospitals. The company is a major supporter of Children’s Home of Detroit, which helps children from the Detroit area, many of whom have disabilities and come from broken families and parents who are abusive or addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Troy
Kim L. Nye, Vice President and General Manager
A longtime supporter of civic and charitable programs in the Detroit area, Saks Fifth Avenue has raised more than $100,000 for the Josephine Ford Cancer Center through its "Key to the Cure" event the past three years.

The event centers on a weekend of shopping events, in which 2 percent of sales are donated directly to the Center. Several other activities and special parties also provide opportunities for direct contributions.

The company’s work has helped the Center purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and create new patient outreach programs. For her efforts in promoting and strengthening this fundraising effort, Ms. Nye was awarded the Henry Ford Health System’s "Humanitarian of the Year" award at the October 2002 event launching the Nathanson-Rands Breast Cancer Research Endowment.

Saks also is a dedicated fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Arts, Oakland University and Meadow Brook Hall, Oakland Family Services, HAVEN, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Cranbrook Schools, Make-a-Wish Foundation and Karmanos Cancer Institute. It frequently brings in top fashion designers and collections to ensure successful community and fundraising events.

The Michigan Retailers Association is the unified voice of retailing in Michigan and the nation’s largest state trade association of general merchandise retailers. MRA’s nearly 6,000 business members operate more than 13,000 stores across the state.