Gesinee Van Atta and her staff have helped thousands of brides find the perfect dress in the more than 30 years she's owned Gesinee's Bridal in downtown Concord, California. But when Van Atta reflects on why she loves running a small business, she remembers one customer in particular.

A young woman who was in a wheelchair had come into her store after visiting dozens of other retail chains, frustrated that no one was taking her seriously. Gesinee's staff helped her find a dress that fit perfectly, and when she tried it on, the bride-to-be and her family burst into tears of happiness because she looked so beautiful.

'Our customer service is very personal,' Van Atta said. 'When you see you the bride and the family cry with happiness - my goodness, you know you've really helped to make their day truly special.'

Small businesses are the backbone of our local communities, employing almost half of the total U.S. workforce, and will be the cornerstone of our recovery as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. Throughout the month of May, U.S. Bank has celebrated small businesses with a #SupportLocal social media campaign that highlighted the creativity and resilience of entrepreneurs who own small businesses.

'Whether they're in small towns or a large city, small businesses have an incomparable emotional connection with customers. While the past year has hit small businesses particularly hard, they persevered and demonstrated immense ingenuity,' said Lynn Heitman, executive vice president, business banking segment leader at U.S. Bank. 'U.S. Bank is committed to supporting small businesses with all of our products and services coupled with the expertise of our bankers.'

The seven small businesses featured along with Gesinee's Bridal during the monthlong campaign are: Celebrity Cake Studio in Tacoma, Washington; Liberty Puzzles in Boulder, Colorado; Salon Lavish in Milwaukee; Rancho Roble Vineyards in Lincoln, California; and Al's Breakfast and TRI-Construction, both in Minneapolis.

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U.S. Bancorp published this content on 28 May 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 31 May 2021 08:07:05 UTC.