Cashmere startup bridges gap for rural services

CASHMERE—Operating out of Cashmere, family-run business Carriage House Office (CHO) aims to connect local rural communities to all the conveniences of a city-based home and office delivery service without any of the hassles. 

As their name suggests, CHO provides three main areas of service: goods delivery, home maintenance, and office supply. The major goal in providing such a wide range of services is to help alleviate the already busy schedules of local farmers, artists, and professionals by delivering a one-stop shop straight to their doorstep.

Co-founder and operator of CHO, Bonnie Phipps, explained their services and the positive impact they seek to have on local rural communities.

“There’s community benefit and service from a public health [standpoint] to be able to deliver to these food deserts, fresh local goods,” Phipps revealed, “and to deliver to seniors so they can age in place and to support local farmers and bakers by marketing and getting their products out.” 

Phipps and her husband, Pete, formed the company together based on their individual strengths. Bonnie’s in-depth experience in administration and business leadership, combined with Pete’s professional maintenance knowledge, made it only a matter of time before their passion for providing locals with crucial services came to fruition in CHO.

“I was the market manager for the Leavenworth farmers market, and so I got to know the farmers, baker, and artisans there,” Bonnie explained, expanding on the benefits of her community networking. “But I also started to have friends and family asking for me to pick up fresh goods and bring it back to them in Cashmere if they couldn’t make it to the Leavenworth or Cashmere market on Sunday.” 

Alongside Bonnie’s expertise in connecting with communities and making things happen, Pete uses his years-long experience as a hotel maintenance worker to further assist older customers with tasks and repairs they wouldn't otherwise be able to perform themselves.

“When we’re delivering these fresh goods, a lot of times we’re standing in people’s living rooms or on their front porch,” Bonnie shared.” “As we get to know them and see a need, particularly if they’re a senior and not able to do general basic home maintenance on their own, we can offer a hand.” 

Though CHO began shifting its business model further toward deliveries, it still helps older customers with these important home tasks, even connecting them to local contractors if necessary. 

When it comes to deliveries, CHO supplies its customers with a wide range of locally sourced food and other products, connecting local communities across Washington State without the need for large-scale commercial oversight. Seeing the need for local produce delivery, especially as farmers market season comes to a close, CHO continues to adapt its business model to focus heavily on these local deliveries.

“Linda, the owner of Green Valley Dairy, she had been doing home deliveries, but she’s just gotten so busy that she needed to outsource the delivery services… and so we do that commercial delivery route weekly now for her,” Phipps explained.

In expanding this major focus on deliveries, CHO continues making impactful connections with local businesses, hoping to connect rural community members to and business owners to each other across the entirety of NCW.

“We also do deliveries for bakeries. Olive Tree in Leavenworth, she always did really well at the Leavenworth market and Cashmere market, but we want to enable a connection for her customers over the Winter. So that will likely be a residential delivery,” Phipps commented. “And then we also do more special event deliveries. So, for Sure to Rise Bakery in Cashmere, we delivered 200 cupcakes and four dozen maple bars to a wedding for them.”

As well as dedicated regional delivery services, CHO also provides Cashmere locals and rural community members with important office services. At their Cashmere location, they hold a meeting space for people who work from home while also offering access to printing, office tools, and supplies. Eventually, they plan to provide remote office services like printing, cutting, and laminating documents, which can then be shipped to remote residents without access to such important resources.

Officially launching in June 2024, CHO embodies a dedication to community interconnection and service. As such, it hopes to transition into a nonprofit organization, allowing it to provide its customers with constant, steady rates. Thankfully, Bonnie Phipps is already well-versed in the world of nonprofits. 

“I spent my entire first career doing fundraising for nonprofit work, primarily doing grant writing and working with companies and foundations for grant support for the Pacific Northwest nonprofits,” Phipps shared. “And so working in that space is comfortable for me, probably more so than the for-profit.”

With such a heavy focus on fresh local deliveries, CHO plans to rebrand in the near future from Carriage House Office to Carriage House Goods. They strive to continue their mission of connecting rural communities and businesses across the region without the added stress and exploitation of commercial businesses.

“It’s a combination of marketing for the farmers and bakers,” Phipps further explained their mission, “but also ensuring that these rural communities are having access to fresh food and not just going to Walmart and purchasing lots of processed foods.” 

To learn more about Carriage House Office’s rapidly expanding local operations, visit their website at carriagehouseoffice.com.  

Will Nilles: (509) 731-3211 or will@ward.media