Amy Hughes of Lord's Landscaping was recently recognized as Delaware's Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
On Monday afternoon, Rose Landscape in Millville was busy with the usual pre-spring activities, with customers perusing birding supplies and picking up bags of leaf mulch.
But there was more than springtime excitement inside the building, as customers stopped by to learn that owner Amy Hughes had been named Delaware's Small Business Operator of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). I blessed him.
Hughes received news of the award via email last week, she said. SBA District Director Michelle Harris congratulated her in her email, noting that the SBA's Small Business Week Awards are “the highest honor recognizing the many accomplishments of America's small business owners and supporters.” “It's a certain award.”
This week, Millville Mayor Ronald Belinko said he was “not surprised” when he learned of Hughes' award. “It's always great news when someone like Mr. Rose's name comes up within your town limits.” [Small] Business Person of the Year,” he said.
“This is just one example of how our Route 26 has grown and will continue to grow. Our residents can take advantage of it,” Belinko said.
He called Hughes “an example of a positive leader in our community.” “He’s not just a business leader, he’s a very positive leader for the entire town of Millville,” he said.
During Small Business Week, which begins April 28, Hughes will represent Delaware at events in Washington, D.C., where he will participate in workshops and recognition luncheons with other award recipients.
Although the award came as a surprise, Hughes said that in addition to the SBA, representatives from the office of U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (Delaware) and the business mentorship program SCORE Delaware came to “tour the property.” Stated. “Last fall.
Hughes said she was encouraged to join SCORE Delaware by other local business owners and is grateful for the advice and guidance she has experienced. SCORE consultant Leonard Kidwell has become an invaluable mentor to her, she said.
Governor John Carney is scheduled to visit Rhodes later this year, and the Delaware SBA is also scheduled to visit to promote the organization. Since she found out about the award late last week, “a lot of people have been calling. It's been really great,” she said.
Prior to the announcement, Mr. Hughes had submitted preliminary documents to the SBA, including the company's background.
“They were very interested in COVID-19 and how we pivoted during the pandemic,” she said.
While this period has been challenging, Hughes said he is proud of the company's response.
“We kept all of our employees and actually added employees,” she said. “That year, we hired 12 teens from schools that were closed. We built boxes in schools,” she said, adding that teachers at John M. Clayton Elementary School helped her He explained that he had asked for help.
During the first months of the 2020 pandemic, the shop was closed to the public, so Lord's staff used the space to box up “educational units” provided by schools for students to work on at home. I was packing.
She also submitted information about Lord's commitment to “giving back to the community,” including hosting the annual Whimical Woods fundraiser on Halloween and supporting numerous local organizations, including Santa's Letters and Ball 4 All. .
Ms. Hughes, 37, recently joined the Fund for Women, a program affiliated with the Community Foundation of Delaware, which supports programs benefiting women and girls living in poverty in Delaware through grants. There is. She said the partnership was especially meaningful to Hughes because her aunts, Polly Marvin and Lynn Kok-john, were among the founders of the Women's Fund.
She said she was especially proud of the award given the fact that the property has been in her family for several generations, including more than 100 years ago when it housed a general store owned by Amos McCabe. .
Hughes, a graduate of Indian River High School and the University of Delaware, said both her mother and grandmother attended the school there, and that her grandmother's classes focused on “how to deal with food.” He said it seemed like it. To Your Husband,” the only majors female students can choose from are home economics and nursing.
Hughes herself majored in elementary education at UD and later earned a master's degree from Wilmington University. She taught at Indian River High School for her two years and at Southern Delaware School of the Arts for her two years.
She recalls that her daughter, now 9, was a newborn when she took over her parents' business.
“My mom brought her here every three hours” so Hughes could feed her, she said.
Hughes' parents, Donna and Bill Lord, had run the store since 1978, but Hughes said he was too involved in sports as a child to spend time there. Ta. So when she took over on January 1, 2019, her learning curve was steep.
She said she felt the community supported her during that transition.
“Everyone jumped in to help,” she said. She said, “There were essential people who showed up and helped along the way.”
She recalled going to a trade show in Atlantic City when she first took over the business.
“Everyone there was… old… Amish… and here I was, about 29 years old, and obviously I stood out.” However, she met another young woman and eventually worked together. , “She taught me how to order all the pottery, and then she came here and taught me how to display all the pottery.”
“It was really amazing,” she said.
Hughes cited Lauren Weaver, president of the Bethany Fenwick Regional Chamber of Commerce, as one of her biggest advocates.
Ms. Weaver said she has benefited from Hughes' educational background, which she shares, in much of her work at Rhodes.
“What a power!” said Weaver. “Teachers are often not valued for what they manage. The relationships and diversity that we have to have with every student, every class, every subject is exactly what is reflected in the business world. ” she said.
“She said she came in the cold…all of her past experiences helped her succeed more than she knew,” Weaver said. “And she’s very community-minded, so I think when you give back and involve everyone, people want to support you even more.
“What her parents built and what she's embracing and taking to the next level is a testament to every small business' dream,” Weaver said.
She also praised Mr. Hughes for recruiting and embracing all generations, from students to seniors, in his business and community support.
“She deserves all the praise,” Weaver said.
She said the support Hughes received from the community when she took office was a driving force in her own community service efforts.
Hughes said “working together for a good cause” is especially gratifying because of the deep connections in the community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these connections as everyone learns how to survive in uncharted waters for most, she said. For example, when she develops a curbside pickup service, “you're going to sell products to other businesses through curbside pickup,” she said.
“It was great because there were so many people involved,” she said, and Rose was able to use its facilities and employees to help other businesses.
In the nine years she has run Rose, the business has grown from 12 employees to about 50 and from four departments to six. It was divided into five departments: a garden center, and Mercantile, a gift and home decor shop that has been open for nearly two years. Across the street from the commercial building is an acre cultivation facility, a landscape design department, a maintenance department, and a “small installations” department that handles small-scale plant installations that don't require a designer.
“We don’t just sell plants,” she said.
But overall, Hughes said the goal he has set for himself and his staff is “to use this land to serve the community.”
She recalled a conversation she had earlier in the day with an SBA representative regarding the April awards luncheon.
“I asked her, 'What should I wear?'” Hughes said, and her answer was “business attire.”
“I wear leggings and a T-shirt to work,” she said. “Looks like I have to go shopping.”
