Lynn and Liana Designs wins provincial business award
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Local business Lynn and Liana Designs is one of seven businesses to win the Future Champions Award from the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce.
Nominated by their peers, the award recognizes businesses and individuals that use their influence to drive social and economic innovation with impact, innovation, and heart.
“We’ve done a good job of telling stories of companies that have been here for a number of years and are real pillars of the community, but (what) we wanted to focus on with the Future Champions is who are some of those up-and-coming businesses. Who are companies that are just under the radar right now and that we’re seeing a real strong path of them becoming real pillars of our business community in Manitoba,” said Manitoba Chamber president and CEO Chuck Davidson.
More than 50 businesses across the province were nominated for the award, which will be handed out on May 12 in Winnipeg.
Lynn and Liana Designs is a Steinbach success story spanning six years when in 2019 the owners decided to quit their day jobs and open a resin cheeseboard business.
“It feels pretty incredible. We still don’t know who nominated us. I guess a peer had seen that we and our company had been making local benefits to the local community and I think that was a really special moment for us. It showed us that what we’re doing is really making a difference,” said CEO Melissa Funk.
Lynn and Liana products are in more than 1,500 retailers around the world. The way the company gives back locally is by holding warehouse sales where a part of the proceeds go towards organizations and charities, such as ROC Eastman and the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.
Funk said one of the reasons the company is successful is that they were willing to take a calculated risk in trying something they have never done before. One of the ways they have done that is by having their products featured on Good Morning America during the pandemic.
It was a pivotal moment for the start-up as sales were low and if they failed to sell anything during the broadcast then they would shutter the business. But success was theres as they sold out 4,000 cheeseboards in a 12 hour period.
“We weren’t afraid. We just had such a deep sense that it was going to work and that we were going to be provided with the orders, and sure enough that turned out being the best two years of our business that we’ve ever seen. It was a big blessing.”
The shop local drive that has hit the province since the introduction of tariffs by the United States has also had an impact on Lynn and Liana. Retailers in the States are struggling with tariffs and they have to make a choice between buying from China and paying their tariffs or buying from Lynn and Liana, which is tariff free for now.
“We’ve been really looking at continuing to diversify ourselves in Canada and build our business in Canada as well in Europe and other places internationally. We are not affected by all the tariff threats,” said Funk.
Funk attributes the continued sustainability of her business to hiring people who can help her business grow. She and her partners hired a CFO who has been in the business for 45 years.
“He’s the one to guide us, to keep us in line with our finances, and keep our cash flow strong as we knew that’s something we didn’t have experience in. I think that is key to surround yourself with people that know more than you do that are experts in their specific fields. That could be able to give advice as we make such dramatic risks and jumps and leaps through all the different things that our current economy throws our way.”