Do Right’s Plants, Heritage Hardware & Garden honored by Chamber of Commerce

February 04, 2009
Santa Paula News

Two area businesses with a strong devotion to community are being honored by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce: 2008 Business of the Year Heritage Valley Hardware & Garden Center and Do Right’s Plants, the recipient of the Beautification Award, will be lauded at the February 22 awards luncheon.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesTwo area businesses with a strong devotion to community are being honored by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce: 2008 Business of the Year Heritage Valley Hardware & Garden Center and Do Right’s Plants, the recipient of the Beautification Award, will be lauded at the February 22 awards luncheon.“Hooray, we have a real nursery again in Santa Paula” with the expansion of Heritage Hardware, said Connie Tushla, former Chamber Board chair who oversaw the 2008 awards’ selections. “A successful, family-run business” owned by Brenda and Ray Padgett has brought “’green’ back to Santa Paula.”Although, Tushla noted, the couple faced “a number of challenges to start a nursery business, they endured and we couldn’t be happier with the result.” The Padgetts are always at the forefront of donating to outdoor projects, just one example of their overall community support and volunteerism.Of their own accord, Dianne and Dudley Davis of Do Right’s Plants “made the city and the Chamber an offer to hang flower baskets on Main Street and also plant containers with their quality flowers all over town.” Tushla said although “several Santa Paula citizens tried to do this in the past, it was Dianne and Dudley who made it happen” by not only donating the flowers from their own spacious nursery operation west of the city, but also by taking “full responsibility for the upkeep. They are truly selfless people who never expect a thank you, however, the Chamber believes they deserve a big thank you!”With the Pagetts’ generous monthly Heritage Hardware gift certificate donated for the Chamber Yard of the Month and the Davis’ strong support of beautification, “We hope that someday,” said Tushla, “Santa Paula will be known as the City of Flowers. If that does happen, we know it will be because of the actions of these gracious and generous people.”
Do Right’s Plants moved to Santa Paula in 1999, what Chamber President/CEO John Blanchard said was “a wonderful thing. They’ve immersed themselves in Santa Paula since they arrived, and the city is so lucky they are doing so.”Heritage Hardware first opened on East Main Street in 2000, and moved and expanded to the Vons Shopping Center three years later. Blanchard said the couple has always exhibited a “deep belief in the future of Santa Paula with their wonderful, popular business” specializing in hard to find items, prized by shoppers for its friendly and efficient customer service.They later opened their Garden Center, approximately 15,000 square feet of plants, decorative rock and mulches, brick and masonry block, as well as a section devoted to a larger selection of lumber. The new center also allowed for an expansion within the store, carrying more home décor. Do It Best has a large selection of home décor items; Heritage Hardware is affiliated with Do It Best Corporation’s independently owned and operated stores.Both the Padgetts and the Davises have been active with the Chamber of Commerce, serving as Board directors as well as being among the top boosters of Santa Paula and its community.The February 22 Chamber of Commerce Awards Luncheon - which will also honor 2008 Citizen of the Year Maria Bombara - will be held at the Ironhorse Restaurant at Glen Tavern Inn. Call the Chamber at 525-5561 for ticket information.



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