BURLINGTON, Vt.–Katy Lesser, owner of Healthy Living Market in Burlington, VT, was named the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2010 Vermont Small Business Person of the Year. She was selected for outstanding leadership related to her company’s staying power, employee growth, increase in sales, innovative ingenuity and contributions to the community.
What once started as a small, one-employee shop tucked away in a strip mall 23 years ago, Healthy Living is now a full-service market with a staff of 150 employees. The store now offers a broad selection of natural and organic groceries, wine, cheese, meats, organic produce, a café, a bulk section and natural health and beauty products.
Healthy Living has a loyal group of farmers that regularly provides fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, dairy products and more. Healthy Living also acts as an incubator for small, local culinary producers and carries products from more than 1,000 Vermont food companies.
She said her employees are the foundation of the business “Over the years many of our staff started as cashiers and have risen to become buyers and managers. I am proud and inspired to be able to give people a chance and move them up the ladder.”
Some of Healthy Living’s most notable successes include: a 15-year affiliation with the Howard Center’s Project Hire, an organization that finds employment for developmentally disabled adults, one of whom has worked at Healthy Living for 12 years; an ongoing relationship with Spectrum Youth and Family
As Vermont’s Small Business Person of the Year, Lesser will compete for the national title at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 23 to 25, 2010.