All for the love of Milford

MILFORD — “When we first saw Milford, we loved it,” said Ellen Cabaniss Bawcom, owner of LaTiendaUSA. “It’s just like Aspen.” Ever since settling here with her late husband, Dave, Bawcom worked to make her new community friendly to the arts, and her fledgling business profitable so she could stay in Milford. Last week she was honored by the state of Pennsylvania for starting LaTiendaUSA, a Web-based company that sells wrought iron, copper and wood furniture and home accessories made by Dominican Republic artisans. Bawcom is one of 50 businesswomen honored by Gov. Ed Rendell, “based on their business growth, professional and personal accomplishments, community involvement and advocacy for women in business. “All of the winners have one thing in common — they’re all hard-working people who are making Pennsylvania a better place to live, work and play,” Rendell said last week, announcing the winners. Bawcom opened LaTiendaUSA on Aug. 29, 2003, as a traditional store, but soon switched to the Internet in order to attract business from around the world. La Tienda means “a shop or store” in Spanish. “I needed the Web to generate revenue so I can continue living in Milford,” Bawcom explained in a recent interview, “I soon learned that I could not just rely on Pike County’s population, or the visitors. I needed a wider audience to generate enough income so I can remain here in the community I love,” she said with her characteristic rapid fire delivery. Starting up did not come easily, though. Bawcom had two false starts with Web sites, but last year she finally got a beautiful site up, and she’s poised to go national. The Web address is www.latiendausa.com. Ellen and Dave Bawcom built their dream house here, and Dave continued to work for AT&T. He was also an artist, whose work is sold on the Web site. Ellen Bawcom was drawn to her first entrepreneurial endeavor because, after spending decades working for large companies in the telecommunication industry, she wanted to be her own boss. Why the Dominican Republic? “My mom got me to go down there for Christmas, and I saw these gorgeous wrought iron pieces,“ she said. After that Bawcom partnered with local DR entrepreneur Jose I. Morales, who has 120 artisans working for him making all sorts of decorative furniture pieces. Bawcom is very active in Pike County helping to organize the Holiday Shopping Fest and Sidewalk Festival in Milford. Even though she’s gone through the many trials of creating a business, Bawcom remains enthusiastic and focused. “It’s just me,” she said. “I must be out of my mind.”