Skagit Valley Food Co-op in Mount Vernon, Wash., was recently named Business of the Year by the town’s chamber of commerce. The co-op was recognized for its resiliency during the pandemic and for being an inspiration for downtown businesses and the community.
Skagit Valley General Manager Tony White accepted the award on behalf of the co-op. Chamber President and CEO Andy Mayer praised the co-op, saying it “continued to be the vital anchor for business in our downtown with values and principles that go beyond the bottom line.”
“I was pleased and surprised to receive this award,” White said. “I was unaware that many of the local downtown businesses were looking to us for guidance on how we dealt with issues arising from the pandemic.”
From the start of the pandemic, Skagit Valley took a proactive approach toward minimizing the risks of COVID-19 transmission in the store. This included increased sanitation of surfaces throughout the day, social distancing, limiting the number of customers in the store during certain times, and a mask requirement. “I would say that the mask policy was likely the policy local businesses most appreciated us for,” White said. “We stuck to our guns and local businesses followed suit and often said to their own customers that they were following the co-op’s lead.”
Skagit was also one of the first businesses in the area to provide staff with bonuses for being front-line workers. The co-op also rolled out a new livable wage model and paid bonuses and profit sharing during 2021.
“I believe that the work to keep our staff satisfied paid huge benefits with how they interacted with members and shoppers during such a turbulent time,” White said. “[Last year] required resiliency, fortitude and compassion, and I believe our staff delivered this consistently day in and day out.”
