Grand Opening Success!
Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the grand opening of our new workshop last weekend. The official ribbon cutting ceremony happened on Thursday morning, February 23, 2017, followed by three days of festivities in the shop.
We had no idea what kind of turnout to expect in our small town of Philomath, Oregon, and we decided that if 200–300 people showed up then we would consider the event a success. While we don't have exact numbers, the actual crowed ended up being closer to 1500!
No worries, we were able to quickly order more popcorn and doughnuts, and our fast-acting shoemakers cranked out bundles of extra handcrafted Softstar keychains as gifts for all the visitors.
While it was a busy three days for our staff (to put it mildly), we were thrilled and flattered to have such a wonderful welcome to our new neighborhood. Complete with shop tours, raffles, slide rides, a kids' craft table and lots of tasty snacks, we definitely had a fun time. Being able to share our celebration with our new community made it even more special.
Please enjoy a few of the highlights, and remember that if you're ever in the Philomath area then you're welcome to stop by, ask for a tour of the shop and pick up a free bag of leather scraps for crafts.
It's official! Softstar owners Tricia Salcido and Larkin Holavarri cut the ribbon.
We're still putting the final touches on our building, including siding and the official sign, but this works for now 🙂
The crowds begin flooding in!
Thanks to the local Nutcakes bakery for our bottomless doughnut supply.
Tours flowed through the shop all day long.
Softstar founder Tim shows a tour group how we make moccasins.
Mmm... fresh popcorn!
Martin is a lifelong runner who began wearing minimalist shoes over 10 years ago when he found they alleviated his chronic foot pain, which eventually disappeared completely. He further studied proper running form through a series of workshops taught by Correct Toes inventor, Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM. Martin has collaborated with several health care professionals to collect and share peer-reviewed studies that show the benefits of minimalist footwear. In his personal life, Martin loves living in the Pacific Northwest because it allows him to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding.
I have been amazed at the great energy and fun you put into your company. As I looked through the Grand Opening pictures I started looking for a young man I know and miss. His name is Kenneth and his mom and I are very proud of him. He has been very excited about the opportunity to be apart of the work community you have built at Softstar and so are we, although I wish it was closer to us. He's a great young man and from what I have seen and heard, Softstar is an exciting and people oriented company. I think this a great match and I know you will find him a excellent addition to the Softstar team. We are looking forward to visiting your shop and meeting the elf's this summer.
Tom