Going local is as easy as switching from Vlasic to Lynnae’s.
Lynnae’s Gourmet Pickles are made with the secret recipe created by Lynnae Schneller’s great-great-grandmother and are now available at five Pierce County stores. They also were out for tasting Monday evening at Tacoma Shift Happens 2012, an annual event celebrating local independent businesses.
“This is a huge event for us,” said Aly Cullinane, Schneller’s business partner. “We’ve been in business for just six months.”
The excitement and possibility of entrepreneurship infused the crowd of several hundred people at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.
Classes were held earlier in the day on growing a business. The evening showcase of 94 businesses – more than twice as many as last year – was kicked off by Mayor Marilyn Strickland’s second State of the City address.
Strickland highlighted the city’s accomplishments in 2011, including the renovation of Cheney Stadium, the opening of a downtown grocery and the seasonal ice rink in Tollefson Plaza.
She also listed things to look forward to this year, including the opening of the LeMay car museum this spring and work beginning on the McMenamins Elks Temple.
The budget woes of the city didn’t go unmentioned. “You can’t cut your way out of a recession,” she said, then added a statement she repeated twice: “You must make cuts, you must make investments and you must raise revenue.”
Tacoma Shift Happens is an initiative by business alliance GoLocal. It’s an attempt to get people to shift 10 percent of their spending from national chains to locally owned businesses. GoLocal founder and Shift organizer Patricia Lecy-Davis said Monday night that GoLocal grew from 76 members before last year’s event to more than 250 now.
Lynnae’s Gourmet Pickles is working to capitalize on the spirit of spending closer to home. Schneller said in the short time they’ve been in business, they’ve reached online orders of about 1,000 jars a month.
Schneller and Cullinane pickle 2-3 days a week at commercial kitchens across the county, depending on what’s available, and have started to look for a permanent spot. They’ve also been offering free home delivery as a way to kickstart their business.
They’re ready to take the next step. This week, they have a meeting with Metropolitan Market.
Kathleen Cooper: 253-597-8546
kathleen.cooper@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/business
Twitter: @KCooperTNT
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.