Mat White photo

NORWICH – Commerce Chenango hosted its fourth annual soiree Wednesday to honor and thank its member businesses, including 2018 Business of the Year, Mayhood's Sporting Goods, and Entrepreneurs of the Year, Michael La Croce and Stoyana Petkova of Wild Owl Café.

Mike and Barbara Mayhood were awarded Commerce Chenango's Business of the Year and a merit from Assemblyman Clifford Crouch at the soiree in recognition of Mayhood's Sporting Goods' longstanding success.

From its origins operating from a house on Division Street selling homegrown bait, to its 7,000 square foot facility on Route 12 today offering archery equipment, camping supplies, guns, paintball supplies, clothing and more, Mayhood's Sporting Goods has thrived in the era of big box stores by focusing on the customers' experience.

"Our biggest competitors are now the internet, they can order most of the stuff right at home and not come in," said Mike Mayhood. "They've got to have a reason to come in: you've got to make it a pleasant experience they can look forward to rather than dread."

Today, Mayhood's Sporting Goods also has a fully functional website where it sells products daily.

"As long as we can stay on top of the game and we can come up with new ideas and new things to bring people in here––you know, a lot of people want hands-on––I think it's going to grow," said Mayhood. He went on to thank his family for their support, the staff at Mayhood's, it's customer base and the community as a whole.

Commerce Chenango President and CEO Steve Craig said to the Mayhoods, "The thing that made your story so great is you literally went from a house on Division Street – at a time when Dick's and Walmart and all these big boxes are doing the same thing – and you wanted to outcompete them in this market, and have achieved a tremendous amount of success."

Owners of Wild Owl Café Michael La Croce and Stoyana Petkova were awarded Commerce Chenango's Entrepreneurs of the Year and also a merit from Assemblyman Crouch for their direction of the thriving Norwich restaurant on South Broad Street.

A Norwich native, La Croce had undertaken the ownership of other local restaurants North End Deli, Uncorked, and Hoppie's, before opening Wild Owl Café. Petkova, hailing from Bulgaria, had a warm personality and customer service experience dating back to when she was 12 when she worked at her family's tailor shop in Bulgaria.

When the two met at Pizza Hut in Old Forge, it would be the beginning of a business relationship that Wild Owl Café customers have been reaping for nearly two years.

La Croce said at the soiree, "I've been here my whole life and today I would like to thank the community because really I've learned everything from all you guys. I was born here, went to school here, played sports here––it's been tough, but really this award is for all of you guys because you guys helped raise me in the community."

Petkova said, "You just keep working hard and, good or bad, you don't know until you get there. I know now it was a great idea, it was a great choice, but at the beginning I didn't know. There's nothing to lose. The only thing you can lose is money, that's it. And money doesn't buy happiness."

She added, "I just want to thank the community for being so welcoming and for accepting me to be part of you guys. Without you, we would not be existing. Thank you."

Assemblyman Crouch thanked the duo for believing in Chenango County enough to start a business there.

"To start a business takes a lot of guts and willpower and a lot of hard work and long hours," said Crouch. "You've put it all together to be very successful and I think that's great."

Pictured: Barbara Mayhood, Mike Mayhood, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, Michael La Croce, and Stoyana Petkova.