Sisters-Based O'Keeffe's Company Founder, Tara O’Keeffe, Honored at SBA's National Small Business Week in Washington, DC

Tara O'Keeffe was honored amongst top entrepreneurs from around the country last week during the National Small Business Week celebration, May 17-23, 2009, in Washington, D.C. More than 100 small business owners were honored across a broad range of business products and services. O'Keeffe was selected as the 2009 Oregon State Small Business Person of the Year. End Quote

We made a decision to sell skin care products in a novel way, marketed in home improvement centers. It was a decision that has propelled us in ways I

(1888PressRelease) May 30, 2009 - Sisters Ore. – Tara O'Keeffe, Founder and President of O'Keeffe's Company, the Sisters, Oregon manufacturer of Working Hands, Healthy Feet and Life out There cremes, was honored amongst top entrepreneurs from around the country last week during the National Small Business Week celebration, May 17-23, 2009, in Washington, D.C. More than 100 small business owners were honored across a broad range of business products and services. O'Keeffe was selected as the 2009 Oregon State Small Business Person of the Year.

Following the awards ceremony, O'Keeffe attended the Town Hall Meeting: Successful Business Strategies in a Tough Economy at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The meeting, and subsequent forum, was designed to help entrepreneurs with current, real-world issues that impact their business.

"It was a delight to be honored in Washington along with other small business owners for what the SBA called 'grit, tough mindedness and success in the face of a storm' and to be representing the many thousands of small business entrepreneurs that make up the backbone of the American economy," said O'Keeffe.

O'Keeffe's claim to fame during the SBA events stemmed from her answer to the moderator's question at the Town Hall Forum "What are the best practices for success in this economy?" O'Keeffe's answer: "Adaptability is the key to life." O'Keeffe explained her response from a scientific perspective, "In the wild mutations occur randomly, and the organism with the best set of traits survives in a constantly changing environment. My role as leader of the O'Keeffe's Organization is to serve as a catalyst through our adaption to the market challenges we face today. I strive to promote innovations within the organization, and select, test, and implement those I believe to have the highest potential to help the organization thrive through these turbulent times."

In 2005, after struggling with a packaging innovation to meet unique market needs, O'Keeffe developed the company's "Grip Pak", which can be marketed exclusively from the lid allowing merchandising versatility in stand up trays, clip strips, floor displays, and gravity-fed wire dispensers with no additional packaging. "It was just macho enough", said O'Keeffe. "It worked for men. It was perfect. We made a decision to sell skin care products in a novel way, marketed in home improvement centers. It was a decision that has propelled us in ways I never imagined."

About O'Keeffe's Company
O'Keeffe's Company, located in Sisters, Oregon, was founded 15 years ago by pharmacist Tara O'Keeffe when Tara's father, a rancher and diabetic, asked Tara to "find a solution for the severe splits and cracks on his hands and feet". What started as a quest to find relief for a father resulted in the development of such an effective skincare formulation that it launched the company we know today. This woman-owned, family business develops, manufactures and sells three innovative skin care solutions: Working Hands, Healthy Feet and Life Out There.

For additional information: www.okeeffescompany.com.

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