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The 2001 WBO Nellie Cashman Women
Business Owners congratulates Distinguished
finalists:
Her product base of flooring ("which has been a need for centuries") expands as technologies, regulations and customer tastes evolve. Specialized flooring projects include solving the uneven flooring problem in the old Frederick & Nelson building, creating a quality, level surface for the flagship Nordstrom store. Other applications are seen in the non-skid surfaces of the USS Carl Vinson naval aircraft carrier and the seamless, laser-level floor in the corporate television studio at Microsoft. Susan has battled the common prejudices against women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Once told to stay home since she was taking jobs away from men, she enjoys knowing she has been creating jobs in a stable, successful environment for many years. Her obstacles have included care-taking of a spouse with MS as well as disabled parents, a divorce and single parenthood of her daughter. Susan is active in the various carpet/tile, construction and marine organizations and serves as a board member of Youth Eastside Services and as a Girl Scout leader. Susan also volunteers as a reading tutor and in computer training in the public schools.
In 1977 custom wood hot tubs were the "coming thing," and Alice's vision paid off to introduce hot-tubbing to Seattle. Business was slow as awareness built, and no banks would consider loans or financing on such a long shot. Over time, Alice became sophisticated in sales and marketing, using creative advertising and a savvy sales staff to build the business. An early hurdle called for the transition to portable plastic spas, discarding construction for sales and delivery. Production soared. This year's energy crisis, drought and stock market correction combined to present Alice's biggest obstacle yet. A renewed focus on energy efficiency is helping sales, which have averaged in the $6 million range in recent years. Committed to the quality of life benefits of spas, her firm stays customer-driven - "After all, not everyone owns a hot tub yet." Olympic has received numerous industry and civic awards. Alice is a long-time board member of Washington Women's Foundation and enjoys mentoring startups and nonprofits. Currently 5% of the company's pretax profits go to local charities.
In 1995 Maureen acquired a second marina in Anacortes that allowed boat owners to do their own work, and later expanded to a third marina on Lake Washington. The company provides all aspects of boat repair, dry storage and moorage, fuel docks, and fiberglass, woodworking and shipwright services. In 1999 Maureen formed a division to handle cruise ship maintenance, including designing and manufacturing the first wheelchair-access lift. She opened subsidiaries in Canada and Germany to service global repair needs as the cruise ship business expanded. The eldest of 12 children born to Irish immigrants, Maureen was taught early the values of responsibility, compassion and patience. Dismissive about obstacles, she maintains a philosophy of "Service Excellence," competence and integrity. Cap Sante is a thriving family business, employing 80 (including several of her children and their spouses), with steady sales growth now in the $8 million range. Maureen serves on many community boards in Skagit County, including three terms as president of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce. She is a major financial supporter of many local agencies, and has established a scholarship fund for employees' children's college tuition costs.
With 10 highly valued employees and revenues in excess of $2 million annually, WRE Construction has built a reputation for honesty, integrity and quality workmanship. Wendy believes their commitment to please customers sets her company apart and created a strong referral base of business. Her tenacity helped pull her through the early years of rejection and closed doors as she sought credibility in this male-dominated industry. Also tenacious financially, Wendy continues to personally handle the firm's bookkeeping and receivables, the backbone of a contractor's cash flow and success.
Now the owner of the commercial building on Queen Anne in which she began, Carol is expanding in spite of the weakness of her geography. The northwest is a backwater in the textile community, which is centered on the east coast. NWCurtain is her next project, a made-to-measure window covering division opening soon. Soft Coverings employs 6 and revenues are nearing $1 million. A bout with leukemia forced a scale back in 1994, but long-time employees maintained the business until her return 18 months later. Facing her mortality in the company of her two toddlers was humbling. A joy today is when one of them shows up at the shop unannounced to see how they can help out. Carol has been very involved in improving public education, most recently in John Hay Elementary's drive to become a banner school for the Seattle School District. Photo Credits: Kate Baldwin, Kate Baldwin Photography. Email: kate@katebphoto.com. |
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Nellie
2006 
