The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce sent two press releases: Metro Lighting’s 50th anniversary celebration; and announcements of the 2017 Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Most Improved Property, and more.
Metro Lighting, a locally-owned family business, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the award-winning Brentwood location. The ceremony will be performed by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 15 at 11:30 am with the attendance of Mayor Christopher Thornton and Me’Shel Riedel, president of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce.
“We are delighted to celebrate our 50th anniversary with the Brentwood community,” says Bill Frisella, president of Metro Lighting. “We are thankful for the continued support of all our customers.”
Starting as an electrical supply distributor in 1968, Metro has grown into eight electrical supply houses and six lighting showrooms – in Brentwood, Chesterfield, Ballwin, O’Fallon, Arnold and Cape Girardeau. The full-service lighting company employs more than 150 St. Louisans and is owned and managed by Bill Frisella.
As the family-friendly company that St. Louisans know today, Metro’s seasoned team continues to deliver caring and exceptional one-on-one service to every customer. Metro Lighting maintains a high level of community involvement supporting numerous charities and local schools.
“We vowed from the very beginning to carry on the tradition of ultimate customer service,” continues Frisella. “Our success is about caring for every customer from beginning to end.”
The 50th anniversary ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 929 Hanley Industrial Ct in Brentwood. The community is invited to enjoy light snacks and refreshments.
Brentwood Chamber Recognizes Award Recipients
At the January Brentwood Business Lunch Mayor Christopher Thornton gave the State of the City address and annual award recipients were recognized.
2017 Business of the Year was awarded to The Vault Luxury Resale and founder Sue McCarthy. Opening in Brentwood in 2014, The Vault may be considered a hidden gem in Brentwood but has a long 30-year history in the fashion industry, starting with the Women’s Closet Exchange. In 2013, their hit TV series, “Resale Royalty” on the Style Network channel became a national sensation, chronicling the story of a mother and two daughters’ day to day lives running one of the country’s best resale stores. Today, these women continue to travel the country from New York to L.A. and even globetrotting to Paris to shop in the most elegant closets to bring those designer finds right back here to Brentwood. Their store has over 6000 square feet of women’s and children’s designer resale clothing and accessories and they have over 15,000 suppliers throughout the world. A new book, “Good, Better, Best” has been published about Sue McCarthy and will be out in April 2018. The Vault Luxury Resale is located at 2325 S. Brentwood.
2017 Most Improved Property was awarded to Radiance Float + Wellness. The founders and owners are a father/daughter/psychiatrist duo. Opening at 1760 S. Brentwood Blvd. in August 2017, this business was the family’s vision for the last couple of years. The mom, another sister and a brother-in-law, lent their medical expertise, a life-long friend created the logo, and the husbands spent long days and nights assembling furniture, hanging fixtures and creating videos. This family put their blood, sweat and tears into making one of Brentwood’s newest businesses a healthy new addition to the community.
2017 Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Eric Dodel of the Gene-Del Printing Company. Dodel is known in the community for going above and beyond what he promises. In 2017 he volunteered on three major fundraising events for the Brentwood Chamber providing behind the scenes work such as hauling, setting up rooms, shopping for supplies, bar tending, and buying supplies out of his own pocket. Dodel served on the board of the directors for three years. He is known for assisting local organizations, mowing yards for his neighbors, coming to the aid of a family-member’s neighbors, even stopping his car to help strangers.
The Bank of Springfield Non-Profit Recognition Award went to St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. A $250 check was donated to the organization which will be used toward building a room within the facility providing year-round availability with equipment designed to encourage play but also crucial development for children with special needs.
For more than 180 years, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (SJI) has been joyfully serving the needs of children with hearing loss. As St. Joseph Institute continues to lead the deaf education community with innovative programs, their mission, established by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1837, endures – to humbly serve the growing unserved and underserved youth population with disabilities. SJI currently serves 150 families through our Brentwood campus.
Programs in Brentwood include early intervention/toddler program (ages 0-3), the iHear program (tele- therapy for ages 0-18), Pediatric Audiology Program (ages 0-18) and now, Preschool (ages 3-5). Enrollment numbers fluctuate during the year as services provided occur at the point the family presents for services, not on an academic calendar. All SJI programs provide Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) as a stand-alone delivery model. This defining focus of SJI occurs without the use of sign language, cued speech (a combination of sign language “cues” to help the child comprehend the content) or lip reading.
The Western & Southern Life Non-Profit Recognition Award was given to St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School. A $250 check was donated, which the school will use to purchase a year-long subscription to MYSTEMKITS.COM which provides software to their newly purchased 3-D printer. The school recently reinvented their computer lab into a space where the students, pre-K and 4th through 8th grade could focus on STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. The 3-D printer will allow students to tackle real-world problems, inspire STEAM creativity and prepare students for future innovation. St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School is a community that welcomes a diversity of students in a safe, nurturing environment. SMM has been educating students for over 50 years. They currently have 175 students enrolled in pre-K through 8th grade.