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Baskets-n-Beyond started as a hobby for owner Michele Petrillo. Traveling, long hours and stressed ou t, Michele was the V.P. in charge of meeting & corporate planning for Thomas Cook and also owned her own cruise business. Michele looked for something to ease her stress and started making gift baskets for friends and relatives out of her parents basement in 1992. She decided to leave the corporate world and invest in herself and opened a store called Baskets-n-Beyond in September of 1993. After only 1 year the business grew so much Michele needed a bigger store front so she moved to her present location at 39 W. Madison Ave. Dumont NJ. Business continued to grow and Michele needed help so she got her Mother, Genny and father, John involved in the business. Genny is the manager and the friendly voice on the other end of the phone and John helps out with shipping and stocking and sometimes creates baskets. Baskets-n-Beyond is indeed a family business and the Petrillo family loves what they do.
Each basket at Baskets-n-Beyond is custom made just for you. We enjoy shopping for special items you request in the basket if we don't carry them in our store. We really want your gift to stand out above the rest. We take pride in each and every basket we create. We don't mass produce the baskets. During the holidays we do create holiday corporate baskets that are the same for larger orders. We love to create unique gift baskets and gift ideas that are truly unique. Baskets-n-Beyond does about 70% of there annual business via the phone from referrals; we do not have a sales team out there looking for business. Every customer either received a basket or was referred by a satisfied customer. Corporate accounts include:
Bloomingdales,
Panasonic,
Swatch
Group, Hackensack Hospital, Englewood Hospital, AAIA,
Barnes & Noble.com, Congregation Bnai Israel, Constar,
Dress
Barn,
Ferrari/Maserati
NA, Honda of Nanuet,
Paramus Hummer, Main Events, Jackson Hewitt, Commerce Bank, Star Ledger, ZS Associates,
New Jersey Nets and many more.
Michele was brought up to give back to the community and to help her neighbors. IN doing so, she was a v olunteer for Deborah Hospital for 10 years, a V.I.P in Hackensack helping abused children, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in Central Jersey to help build homes for the needy. Her business often supplies gift baskets or gift certificates to many charities in Dumont and surrounding area.
Michele has been recognized by her peers for her many accomplishments including winning the First Annual American Express Woman Enterperner of the year Award. She serves as a Board of Director for Linwood Park and on the Board of Director for Asbury Park Marketing Fund.
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American
Express
Small Business
Entrepreneurial Award |
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New
York
Madison
Square Garden
September
3, 1999 |
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Michelle
Petrillo
(pictured
center) owner of
"Baskets-N-Beyond", a gift
basket business in Dumont, New Jersey,
is honored with the first American
Express Small Business Services - WNBA Entrepreneurial
Award during halftime at Game One of the
WNBA Championship.
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For
more information on this award given to Ms.
Petrillo,
click
here. |
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