Grocery Outlet- King City named 2012 Tigard Shining Stars Chamber Business of the Year

Photo Courtesy of Community Newspapers

Grocery Outlet of King City, owned by Tony and Tina Slyter since 2008 has been selected as the 2012 Tigard Shining Stars Chamber Business of the Year.  Tony and Tina also own the recently opened Newberg Grocery Outlet.  The Chamber Business of the Year Award is made to a Tigard Chamber business who has made in-depth contributions to the Tigard community through their business. The winner is active, involved, interested, and enthusiastic about continuing to make Tigard a destination of choice for local business. Nominee must be a chamber member in good standing. Tony and Tina with their Grocery Outlet stores are active in supporting numerous organizations/causes within the Tigard Community including King City Lions Club, Tigard High Boosters, Tigard High athletics, arts, drama and the band, Youth Transition Group, Operation Christmas Glory, The Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools, the Save the Pools Drive, Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent De Paul and Tigard Covenant Church Food Pantries.  Stretching a little farther afield they have supported both the Oregon Food Bank and Vernonia Flood victims. Tony and Tina are committed to supporting their local community and neighbors in need.  This is evidenced by their month long July 2011, Independence from Hunger campaign.  Through this company wide event, Grocery Outlet King City and its customers donated food to both St. Vincent De Paul and Tigard Covenant Church Food Pantries.  The store also was set up to collect cash donations directly for these food pantries and to distribute information on hunger, food insecurity and resources available for help.   In keeping with this theme they also provided discounted shopping rates for the local King City Lions club who raised $400 in support of West Coast Bank’s Food Drive and purchased food from the King City Grocery Outlet.  That food was then donated directly to Tigard Covenant Church Food Pantry.  Again focused on hunger, King City Grocery Outlet donated 2 fresh apples to the Oregon Food bank for every 5 pounds of apples purchased by customer during a 4 month campaign.  Over 17,500 pounds of apples were donated by Grocery Outlet King City to the Oregon Food bank.  The Oregon Food bank supports food pantries across all Oregon counties. Big supporters of Tigard High School, Tony and Tina have been actively involved in supporting  the Tigard High Boosters through either food or monetary donations and have also supported Tigard High athletics, arts, drama, and the band.  As part of the Save Our Pools drive, Tony and Tina dedicated 10% of their revenue over a two day period and wrote a check for $5,000 to the drive.  Additionally, their store served as a hub for a bottle drive that supported the Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools.  Continuing their youth focus, Tony and Tina also donate to a local group called Youth Transition Group which deals with troubled and homeless teens. As a King City Lion, Tony was the impetus and got the ball rolling on a project at the District level within the Lions to organize food and other supplies for families impacted by the Vernonia floods, including donations from their store, King City Grocery Outlet.  In support of our troops overseas, the Slyter’s donated all the non-perishable food to go in 230 care packages put together by Operation Christmas Glory, a local Tigard Non-Profit, to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan in December 2011. In keeping with their continued focus on community, King City Grocery Outlet fills the kitchens of local Habitat for Humanity homes in a program supported by a partnership between Grocery Outlet and Habitat for Humanity.  As part of their participation in the program, operators stock the home with food and supplies to fill the kitchen cupboards, pantry, laundry room and bathrooms.  They also donate a gift certificate to the family to shop for fresh produce and other perishables.  Local operators also provide lunches, snacks and bottled water for the volunteers on the HFH construction, and also support their employees working on the project. When asked why they do what they do in terms of giving back to the community the Slyter’s said “We do it because we are blessed, God has really fed our business.  It is His, not ours.  We are in this to make a living, but not to get rich. We feel it is our calling to share what we reap with the surrounding community.  We love this community, are enamored with our customer base and have a special bond with seniors who shop at our store”. Please join us in congratulating Tony and Tina Slyter on this well-deserved award. The Chamber Business of the Year award will be formally presented with other Tigard volunteer and business awards at Tigard’s 2012 Shining Stars Community Awards Celebration, sponsored by Platinum Title Sponsor West Coast Bank and held on Friday, April 27th from 6-9 p.m. at Embassy Suites – Washington Square, event location host. With a theme of “Escape to a Night in the Caribbean”, this Caribbean themed dinner event includes dinner, silent auction, steel drum music, limbo, awards, and more. Tickets are only $35/person, dress is casual, tropical. Come join us to celebrate Tigard. For further details about Shining Stars, please contact the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce at 503-639-1656 or at info@tigardchamber.org  or go to our webpage at www.tigardchamber.org About Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) The TACC, established in 1955, is a forward thinking membership organization which provides opportunities for consistent and sustainable long-term business growth!  The TACC is creating a strong, interconnected business community where strength through collaboration and power through partnerships makes Business Soar.  We do this by building a strong local economy, providing business networking, being involved in our community and representing the interests of business with government. About Grocery Outlet Grocery Outlet has been a tradition for bargain-seeking customers since 1946. Today, Grocery Outlet is a third-generation family run business, recognized as the nation’s largest grocery extreme-value retailer. Headquartered in Berkeley, California, Grocery Outlet currently encompasses 150+ independently operated stores in 6 Western States. Most stores are independently operated by locally-based families. We are truly a family business. The premise is simple: We offer brand name products at 40% to 60% below traditional retailers. Our offering is wide: groceries, frozen, deli & refrigerated, produce, fresh meat (selected stores), general merchandise — seasonal products, housewares, toys, and gifts — health & beauty, and a most impressive inventory of beer & wine. Our buyers shop the nation and the world by traveling thousands of miles each year just so we can offer the best brand-named products for less than you would pay conventionally. We love to save you money.  Learn more at http://www.groceryoutlet.com/KingCity-OR/