Weber Celebrates 33 Years in Business

 

June 23, 2021

On Monday morning, June 14, the first few customers who visited Shores Floral & Gift were offered a cupcake. Baked and decorated by Ginger Hansen, the cupcakes were intended to commemorate Bonnie Weber's 33rd year in business.

A dozen of the desserts were white cake and a dozen were devils food. Both flavors were bedizened with swirls of frosting, sprinkles, and edible waxy flowers and the number 33.

With thirty-three years in business, Weber has a multitude of memories, but three aspects that emerge as especially memorable include her initial business step, a fire (maybe it's auspicious those cupcakes didn't have candles!), and good fortune with employees over the years.

Weber's first memory, which dates back to 1988, stands out vividly. A recent graduate from the University of Montana-Missoula with a degree in business and marketing and not yet married, Bonnie Tilleman was an employee at Shores Floral, which at the time was owned by Faye Amor. When she walked into the store one June morning, Amor took Tilleman completely off-guard and asked whether she wanted to buy the store.

"Faye was teaching me floral design in exchange for work hours, so I was a little shocked by her proposal."

After calling her parents at lunchtime and learning that her mom was totally on board, Tilleman took the plunge. Laughing, she said: "I remember thinking that I would probably only have the store for a little while since Faye owned it for ten years and that sounded like a long time! I also assumed I'd be moving away at some point because that was what most young people did."

Those first floral design lessons, along with her artistic talent and business acumen, have served Weber well over the years, and she's currently ready to pass the entrepreneurial torch to the store's next owner.

For Weber's second memorable moment, we rewind (or fast forward, depending on one's vantage point) to June 7, 1990, when a fire impacted several businesses on Chinook's main street.

Weber (still Tilleman at that time) was in the Cozy Corner having lunch with Deb Davies when someone reported there was a fire. Thinking that the situation couldn't be too serious, the pair continued eating until they were urgently ushered out of the café. They soon understood the magnitude of the situation and sprang into action.

"A bunch of random people with flatbed trailers helped me clear out the entire store. We hauled everything to where Triple T Sales is now. Once we got all the merchandise moved out, I realized that I had lost my deposit bag of money. But low and behold, it rode down there on a trailer and survived the trip," Weber said.

Both Tilleman Meats, where the fire started, and the Cozy Corner Café were total losses. Shores Floral sustained some smoke and water damage.

Weber's final memory reflects what she refers to as good fortune. "I have been gifted with good people as employees. They have all approached me at different stages with their interest, which matched my current needs. I am grateful for their help."

Amidst the multitude, these three recollections rose to the top. Although she didn't remember the date of the fire when recalling memorable aspects of her business journey, June has proven to be a significant month for Weber.

 
 

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