Gila Valley Made Photo: The Graham County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 5, for Gila Valley Made, a collaborative marketplace with more than 40 different local vendors.
Gila Valley Made is a collaborative effort located in Thatcher
Contributed Article
SAFFORD – The Graham County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a ribbon-cutting celebration for Gila Valley Made, a new business located at 3888 W. Main St. in Thatcher. The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. No more than 50 people will be able to attend, and masks are highly recommended to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Gila Valley Made is a collaborative effort of small business owners who create, bake, make, craft, and fashion high quality, local home decorations, clothing, artwork, food, and crafts. “Our ribbon-cutting ceremony is really a celebration of the hard-working, entrepreneurial spirit of our Gila Valley,” said Tricia Garrett, owner of Prickly Pear Blossom and one of the Gila Valley Made organizers. “My husband and I have been selling our products at a market in Chandler for the past three and a half years. When businesses closed down to prevent the spread of COVD19, I knew I had to make something happen for Gila Valley makers to replace the income we lost. I called my friend, Torey Cranford, who owns Cakes With TLC, and we built a team with Tabitha Warn and Taylor Ludwig to get our idea off the ground.” The effort has been tremendously successful, with more than 40 small businesses signing up to be featured as vendors.
“Gila Valley Made is a great example of local business owners’ creative response to the pandemic,” said Chamber President, Kasie Titus. “Because of Tricia, Tabitha, Taylor, and Torey’s hard work and quick thinking, over 40 family-owned businesses are seeing income in a volatile business climate.”
The Celebration will begin at 4:30 p.m., with remarks from Chamber President and owner of Haralson Tire Company, Kasie Titus, followed by a welcome to the town of Thatcher from Mayor Bob Rivera, and remarks on small business ownership and mentorship by Thatcher Councilmember and owner of Ginaveve’s Marketplace and the Main Street Bean, Jenny Howard, EAC Small Business Development business analyst, Charmaine Chidester, and Gila Valley Made co-owner, Tricia Garrett.
Chamber staff, Vance Bryce and Bri Morris, along with Chamber Events Committee Chair and Gila Valley Made co-owner Torey Cranford, will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:50 p.m., followed by a demonstration from Extreme Martial Arts at 5:30 p.m. The Gila Valley Made boutique will be open for business at 5 p.m. sharp and will be open every Thursday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. until Dec. 19. After the Christmas season, Gila Valley Made will open for one weekend each month.
