Business Spotlight

BUSINESS

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BY ANNA SWARTZ

Donna Flaherty, owner of Gifts A loat, has a passion for the Great Lakes that is evident in her store’s variety of nautical décor, gifts, collectibles and more. Each item is carefully handpicked for uniqueness and quality, and her focus on customer service has not wavered since she and her late husband Paul Flaherty opened the store in 1976. “It’s always been my mission to provide a nautical gift for every occasion: birthday, anniversary, retirement, Christmas and more,” Flaherty says. Her inventory includes items such as custom apparel, Great Lakes-themed plush blankets and throw pillows, model sailboats, hand-painted ornaments, and unbreakable polycarbonate glasses (popular as housewarming gifts for new vessels). To see the full scope of Gifts A loat offerings, she invites customers to come in for an up-close look. With no online store (although there is a website and Facebook page), Gifts A loat relies on foot traf ic. “We have a tremendous amount of repeat customers,” she says, noting that word-ofmouth is also key to her success. Flaherty’s love for the water was instilled in her as a young child who was raised on Lake Superior, and that theme has continued throughout her entire life. “My father worked on the Great Lakes freighters,” she said. “And when I met my late husband, he loved the water. He was a harbor master at Jefferson Beach Marina, and I was a journalism teacher at South Lake High School. We married, and Paul wanted to have his own business, which was marine surveying/boat appraising.” Flaherty left teaching to help her husband with his successful business, and that is when she had the concept of Gifts A loat. During this time, the

couple raised their three sons, Bill, Kevin and Patrick. All three were active in local sports, Flaherty says. A resident of St. Clair Shores since 1966, Flaherty is passionate not just about Gifts A loat, but about the “MY HEART AND SOUL success of all local businesses. She is HAS BEEN involved in several nonpro its that focus on creating economic development in

IN THIS AREA. the area – the Nautical Mile Merchants Association (NMMA) and Tax Increment I LOVE Finance Authority (TIFA). The NMMA was organized in 1993. Donna has

THE COMMUNITY; served as president since 2006. In her I LOVE THE PEOPLE.” work with TIFA, Flaherty has been on the board since the ’90s. TIFA’s current project is the extension of the ishing pier at Blossom Heath. Flaherty is also on the board the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, which promotes the history of the Great Lakes. “My heart and soul has been in this area,” says Flaherty of St. Clair Shores. “I love the community; I love the people.” Gifts A loat is located on the Nautical Mile at 25020 Jefferson Ave in St. Clair Shores, just south of 10 Mile Road. For more information, go to www.giftsa loat.com or www.facebook.com/GiftsA loat.