Swell Gelato of The Dalles was named the winner of the 2023 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Nano Business of the Year
Original article can be found at CCC News Columbia Community Connection
Owner Debbie Hendrickx, who operates the business from her site in The Port of The Dalles, said she was “amazed and honored” by the award.
“I did not expect to win because we are so small, but it is a nano business of the year,” she said, noting she was up to five employees including herself that call themselves the “Swell Sisters.”
Founded in 2016, Swell Gelato makes premium and artisan gelato for dogs. The gelatos are crafted by hand per a traditional gelato-making process with only natural ingredients consisting of whole fruits, vegetables and creamy coconut milk.
Hendrickx displays the new Swell Gelato packaging system she recently installed.
“We’ve come a long way,” she said on Tuesday afternoon, noting they have rented an additional 1,000 square feet to streamline the process of making and packaging the gelato while also providing some office space.
“Moving here to The Dalles was the best business move I ever made,” she said. “The Small Business Development Center and Business Oregon has provided huge support, much more than where I came from (Seattle).”
She thanked Gregory Price Director at Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center located at Columbia Gorge Community College. He nominated the Swell Gelato for the award.
The Center offers the following services:
Business plan development
Loan application packaging
Marketing plan strategies
Hiring and managing your team
Navigating the business regulatory process
Managing cash flow challenges
The SBA Portland District Nano Business of the Year honors a business with five or less employees operating for at least one year that is growing rapidly and poised for even more significant growth in the future, wrote Spokesperson Sean Wilson with the Portland District U.S. Small Business Administration.
That’s a lot of milk - Hendrickx is now buying coconut milk by the shipping container with additional space at Swell Gelato. Volume purchases of commodities are key to keeping costs in line.
From U.S. Small Business Admin with additions by Tom Peterson
https://columbiacommunityconnection.com/the-dalles/swell-gelato-of-td-wins-nano-biz-of-the-year