CONGRATULATIONS to our 2019 RAMAE winners.
Above co- owners Karen Hayes (left ) and Betsy MontgomeryWhether you are 9 or 90 -- Pretty Poppy is a women's jewelry and accessory store with something for everyone. You will find fashion forward apparel collections that are updated every few weeks. Their specialty is in-house monogramming, available on many of their items! The stores are a way to treat yourself, or a friend, to a beautiful item at incredible prices. Pretty Poppy is located in Newburyport, Lynnfield and Portsmouth, NH.
In 2013, brothers Peter and Cedric Daniel, bought their first brick and mortar business in Sturbridge to provide fans of their Rapscallion Honey a unique and fun location to enjoy their small batch beers by flight, pint or pitcher.
Their foray into the restaurant world began in 2015 when they opened Rapscallion Table & Tap in Acton. Here artisanal comfort food meets craft beer. Plates are made to order in their scratch kitchen, featuring locally sourced ingredients, and pair the flavors of each season with Rapscallion’s own craft beers or select wines and cocktails. Diners can settle inside the historic farmhouse and enjoy a meal at the cozy bar, by one of the hearths, or al fresco on the patio.
In 2018, they opened Rapscallion Kitchen & Bar in Concord to offer signature Rapscallion artisanal comfort fare with an emphasis on seafood, pairing fresh seafood selections with their own Belgian beers, brewed exclusively for Kitchen & Bar.
They partner with local farms for their hops and the honey in their flagship beer. Similarly, at their restaurants they strive to serve the freshest food made with local ingredients. From fresh locally caught seafood to farm fresh produce, they take pride in supporting local farms and small purveyors and let the results speak for themselves.
Klem's was founded in 1946 by John and Bernice Klem. It began in Hardwick Massachusetts as a tractor repair shop. In 1947 John Klem met Henry Ford and purchased a Ford Tractor dealership, moving to its current route 9 Spencer location. In 1979 the business passed down a generation to Mike Klem. He expanded the store to include Agway, and expanded again in 1989 to include a Greenhouse and Ace Hardware. Then in 1996 with the closure of The Fair department store, the business again expanded to include Housewares, Crafts, Educational Toys and Sporting Goods. In 2004, a 20,000 square foot expansion was completed. This latest expansion included updating the aquarium system, the air conditioning system for the entire building, and adding more space for merchandise and displays. In 2011, Mike Klem's daughter Jessica Bettencourt was appointed President of the business. The product mix covers everything from gourmet food to lawn mowers; with a Hallmark Gold Crown store inside. You could spend hours looking over the 100,000 items stocked. Klem’s supports many community services programs and local non-profits; from bee keeping to food pantries to our local dog competition, Dockdogs, a family event with over 250 dogs competing. Klem’s greets every customer with a smile, welcoming store managers and employees and a box of popcorn on your way out.
For almost four decades, Herrell’s® has supported local and sustainable farming practices. Buying local to keep their local community vital. Herrell’s has no food waste! All overstocks are sent to the local survival center or food bank, or used to feed local farm animals. Nothing is sent to the landfill. All ice cream is made right in the store so that customers have the freshest ice cream available.
In her decades working at Herrell’s, Judy Herrell has made strong connections with local businesses and organizations which she utilizes to help her employees gain a footing in their desired professional careers. “I honestly understand that not everyone is going to stay in the ice cream business,” she said. “I figure if I can get an employee for three years I am doing very well. “Do I lose great employees that way? All the time. Is it the right thing to do? Yeah, it’s the right thing to do.”
Judy has even found time to serve on a state Economic Development Planning Council which will write a report for the governor and the Statehouse on factors that are helping or hurting small and large businesses throughout the state. Transportation, state mandates, and housing are all key areas the group is investigating and the impacts they have on workers and business owners, she said. “I want to help our community as a whole,” she said. “There are issues that everyone can agree on.”
Melanie Casey - Creative Concepts in Retailing “Melanie Casey’s company started from humble beginnings and grew into one of the most successful and creative jewelry businesses in our Commonwealth. She transformed her passion for handcrafted jewelry into a thriving business that personalizes their customers’ experiences into something that is truly unique. Our community is incredibly lucky to have talented people like Melanie and her team representing Andover. I am very proud of their accomplishments and glad to see that their hard work is being recognized across Massachusetts.” ~Representative Tram T. Nguyen, Esq. – 18th Essex District
Located literally on Main Street in Gloucester, Pastaio Via Corta represents the type of store that not only built our Main Streets in New England, but which will also keep our downtowns viable for future generations.
Danielle Glantz has a cooking history dating to her childhood in Western Massachusetts, learning from her mother and grandmothers. She had the dream early of having a business of her own from her first job at the age of 16 in a restaurant busing tables at night and working as a prep cook during the day.
Danielle started Pastaio Via Corta on Center Street in Gloucester three years ago, and more recently moving to a beautifully designed store, literally located on Main Street, filled with her own high-quality pasta, as well as other high quality and delicious Italian meats, specialty foods and wines.
Visually her store is a principle consumer draw to Main Street in Gloucester. One look through the front window and you know you will miss out on something special if you don’t go in to see the delicious displays of freshly made pastas, and other hard to find, high quality products. Consumer friendly hours which includes evenings and Sundays help make not only Danielle’s store an important consumer draw, but also makes all of the other Main Street and downtown stores and restaurants more of a coordinated community, and more collectively successful. |
