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Embroidery Etc. was named the 2022 Small Business of the Year for Suffolk by the Hampton Roads Chamber.

Every year, Hampton Roads residents nominate their favorite small businesses to the Chamber of Commerce, which selects a winner in each city. This year, Embroidery Etc. located off South Main Street, won for Suffolk.

“It’s super exciting, but I was caught off guard,” said Jennifer Groves, owner of Embroidery Etc. “I’m very grateful for the recognition and the publicity it has brought.”

The screen printing and embroidery shop has been in Downtown Suffolk since 2007. It does various personalizations to fit customers’ needs. Folks can get personalized embroidery or screen printing on various clothing items or place orders for personalized business cards and envelopes.

The mission of the Hampton Roads Chamber is to help local businesses succeed. Each year it recognizes one business in each Hampton Roads city, then chooses a regional winner, which will be announced this year at a celebration on May 5.

According to the Hampton Roads Chamber, small businesses represent over 95% of all employers, creating three-fourths of all new jobs and accounting for more than half of the nation’s gross domestic product.

“It’s important to shop local because supporting small businesses keeps everything from going big business,” said Groves. “Small businesses provide better customer satisfaction and make loyal customers who refer their friends and other businesses. Everyone is loyal to each other, especially in a small town like Suffolk.”

According to Groves, the downtown area is a tight-knit community whose merchants help each other out.  Embroidery Etc. has done personalizations for other businesses, including screen printing shirts for Amici’s Pizza Cafe and embroidering polos for Suffolk Insurance. The shop highlights these personalizations on social media and in return, the businesses give Embroidery Etc. a shout-out and a thank you.

“We do a lot of cross-promoting,” said Groves. “We will do a job for another business in town and post it on our social media, then they’ll post our work as a thank you. It really helps us help each other get new business. We’ve gotten a lot of new orders this way.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Embroidery Etc. has created more of an online presence for those interested in its services. Customers can go in person to the shop at 136 S Main St. or visit its Facebook page to make an inquiry.