Retailers of the Year Honoredcontinued from page 1
The Retailer of the Year awards were established by MRA
in 1998 to honor the most outstanding examples of community giving and
involvement demonstrated by retailers throughout Michigan. “Considering that there are several thousand retailers
across the state who deserve recognition for their community contributions,
and the fact that we pay tribute to only three each year, it looks like
our awards program is going to be around a long time,” said MRA Chairman
and CEO Larry Meyer during the October 15 awards luncheon in Lansing Awards are given in three categories: small, medium and
large (based on annual sales volume). Recipients are selected by a panel
composed of leaders in government, business, higher education, charitable
organizations and the news media.
Competition for the awards is always tight, and this year’s
judging was so close that Cooper & Binkley Jewelers in Brighton received
the first-ever Finalist award, in the small category. Owners Mark and
Barbara Binkley were recognized for support of such programs as The Arc
of Livingston, an agency serving persons with developmental disabilities,
and for sponsoring a community jump-rope team and a jump-rope program
at a local elementary school. Cosponsors of the annual awards are Michigan Newspapers,
Inc., the marketing arm of the Michigan Press Association, and the Michigan
Talk Radio Network (MTRN), which provides programming to radio stations
in the state. A live MTRN broadcast from the site of the awards, Michigan
State University’s James B. Henry Center for Executive Development,
provided listeners across Michigan with interviews of the winners and
details about their community involvement. The following descriptions of the 2002 Michigan Retailer of the Year Award recipients illustrate their outstanding commitment to serving their communities Small (less than $2 million in annual sales)Naked Plates, Grand Rapids
Each year, more than 1,000 soup bowls supplied by Naked
Plates are painted by customers, employees, service organizations, businesses
and celebrities. Naked Plates absorbs the cost of the firing, glazing
and payroll associated with the bowls. Laura Porter McMurry has written articles about the fundraiser and spoken at industry meetings to encourage others to do similar programs in their communities. Her store is also active in the local Make-A-Wish Foundation. Medium ($2 million-$20 million)Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry
Customers receive a $25 Tapper’s gift certificate
in return for donating a minimum of $25 to charities selected by Tapper’s,
such as Midwest AIDS Prevention Program, Children’s Leukemia Foundation
of Michigan and the Sickle Cell Disease Association. From its inception
in April through mid-August, the program raised $11,000, with many more
dollars expected the rest of the year. Tapper’s also sponsors a successful winter coat drive and has been active with the Kids Kicking Cancer organization.
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Three
retail establishments—Alticore in Ada, Tapper’s Diamonds and
Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield and Naked Plates in Grand Rapids—were
honored as Michigan Retailers of the Year for their commitment to community
involvement and exceptional contributions to civic, charitable and volunteer
activities.
“Everyone
instinctively knows the economic benefit that retailers provide to their
communities, but the retailers being honored today have gone above and
beyond providing goods and services,” said Jayne Bower, of WWJ Newsradio
950 in Detroit, who emceed the event. “They are viable businesses
that also stand out as community benefactors—truly the best of the
best.”
Naked
Plates has helped raise more than a half-million dollars over the past
five years for God’s Kitchen, a local soup kitchen, by part-nering
with it on a fundraiser called “Soup’s On For All.” 
Tapper’s
is marking its 25th anniversary this year with a creative “Give $25…Get
$25” promotion to encourage customers to contribute to one of 26
local charities. 