On The Bright Side: Cookie maker, shipper chosen as Otsego's best

The Otsego County Chamber will be presenting awards to two small businesses next month.

The Shipping Room of Oneonta has been selected to receive the KeyBank ninth annual Small Business Award, and the Cooperstown Cookie Co. was named winner of the James Jordan Associates, Architects third annual Breakthrough Award.

Chamber President and CEO Rob Robinson said the ``awards celebrate the true backbone of upstate New York and the nation's economy.

The awards will be presented at the Small Business Banquet on Oct. 9 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown.

Gary Laing, owner of The Shipping Room, and Pati Grady, owner of the Cooperstown Cookie Co., said they are excited about recognition for their business efforts.

``It is quite an honor to be named that since there are a lot of companies in Otsego County,'' Laing said. ``It's an honor because we were chosen by peers.''

Grady said her company has received other recognitions in the past, but none quite like the Breakthrough Award.

In December, she said, one of the cookie company's products, the Ballpark Bunt Box, was given distinction as the newest innovated product in baseball from Minor League Baseball.

However, Grady said, that was product-specific, whereas the Breakthrough Award recognizes the company as whole.

Laing, a 1975 graduate of Oneonta High School, said The Shipping Room also recently received an award from the U.S. Postal Service. Laing's firm, which is located at 291 Chestnut St., was the No. 1 revenue-producing shipper in the U.S. Postal Service's Approved Shipper Program last year.

Laing said it is ``neat'' to have his company honored twice in such a short time frame.

Robinson said awarding small businesses in the area has been a growing event, and there is never a shortage of nominations. When determining which will receive recognition each year, he said, the chamber staff looks for well-rounded businesses that give back to their communities.

Laing said his business has evolved through the years. He said he opened The Shipping Room in his home in 1991 as a drop-off location for UPS, Fed Ex and U.S. Mail. In 1993, it expanded to mail fulfillment and processing of first class, presorted standard, nonprofit and periodical mail.

In 1998, a building was constructed for the business on Chestnut Street. Fall 2006 brought the opening of a satellite office to provide services for students, faculty and staff members at the State University College of Oneonta campus.

According to Robinson, The Shipping Room has been an active partner in the area's community events, including their annual pig roast that raises money for the Opportunities For Otsego Heating Assistance Program and the Huntington Library Children's Reading Program.

The Cooperstown Cookie Company is approaching its fourth year in business. Its primary business is conducted online at its website, www.cooperstowncookiecompany.com. It also has national accounts, works with gift basket companies and sells things through about 15 local retailers.

Grady said she started the company on a ``fluke.'' She said she asked her husband why nobody sold cookies with a baseball theme in Cooperstown.

``It seemed so natural,'' she said. ``And the business has been evolving constantly ever since.''

Grady said the cookie company is very small _ she is the only full-time employee. Products are made in cooperation with Pathfinder Village.

She said she is also proud of her company's work with Human Technologies Corporation, a nonprofit company committed to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities and others who have barriers to employment.

For information about the banquet, contact Pam Ferguson at the Chamber at 432-4500, ext. 201 or e-mail pam

Photos

On Thursday, owner Gary Laing sits on an empty box of shipping tubes in the back room of The Shipping Room in Oneonta. (Star photo by Brit Worgan)