Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 18, 2022
Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recognized Seasonal Shoppe of Salyersville, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.
Dr. Paul entered the following into the Congressional Record:
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Seasonal Shoppe of Salyersville, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.
Bekah Frazier Rudd, owner of Seasonal Shoppe will tell you herself that retail runs in her blood. Bekah inherited her knack for running a business from her mother and father, who owned Frazier’s Prater Drug Store, the longest continuously operating business in Salyersville. Bekah’s mother, Patricia Frazier, started off with a little corner in her husband’s store selling arts and crafts items. Throughout the years in the drug store, the popularity of Patricia’s corner eventually led her to start a business of her own, just a few doors down from her husband’s pharmacy. Thus, Seasonal Shoppe was born, and has been operating since 1997. Eight years later, when Patricia left to take over Frazier’s Prater Drug Store, Bekah stepped in to fill her mother’s shoes as owner and operator of Seasonal Shoppe.
Though Seasonal Shoppe has since shifted towards selling more clothes and general home goods than arts and crafts, little else about the store or its quality of service has changed. Bekah continues the same friendly atmosphere created by her mother, by bringing her family around to lend a hand in the store. Bekah works alongside her sister-in-law, as well two full time staff and two local high school students who work part-time for Seasonal Shoppe. And just how Bekah used to work inside her father’s drug store, her two children are common faces at Seasonal Shoppe, helping out with merchandise sales and with seasonal events.
Bekah not only perpetuates the same family-friendly atmosphere created by her mother; she pays mind to the traditions passed down to her by her father. Mr. Frazier always said that it was their duty as main street mainstays to support the community. Bekah continues this tradition by sponsoring the local high school sports teams, community churches, and most recently helping out the local fire department with their annual fundraiser. This charitable spirit instilled in her by her parents comes in addition to the good business sense she inherited from them, and it is this special combination of devotion to the community and to the livelihood of the store that has kept Seasonal Shoppe running these past 25 years.
Small businesses like Seasonal Shoppe are the lifeblood of small towns across Kentucky, and they serve as an inspiring example of how the entrepreneurial spirit transcends multiple generations. Moreover, the story of Seasonal Shoppe illustrates that sometimes it takes an existing business to start a new business, in that Patricia reached her customer base through her husband’s drug store. Seasonal Shoppe and their role in the Salyersville community demonstrates how small businesses are an integral part of the daily life of small towns across the country, and I am thankful for the chance to honor these entrepreneurs and what they represent. Congratulations to Bekah and the entire Seasonal Shoppe team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Paul continues the tradition of honoring America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to the Small Business Administration and investigates all problems relating to America’s small businesses.
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