Portland observer., October 04, 2017, Page Page 15, Image 15

October 4, 2017
Minority & Small Business Week
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Page 15
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
photo by Z aChary s enn /t he p ortlanD o bserver
Kay Newell, owner of Sunlan Lighting at 3901 N. Mississippi Ave., has been a mainstay of the neighborhood since she first opened her iconic light bulb shop in 1989.
Light Bulb Lady Builds a Community
Kay Newell says
‘knowledge and
service’ has no
glass ceiling
by Z aChary s enn
t he p ortlanD o bserver
Kay Newell has been making North
Mississippi Avenue a brighter place for
people and business for the better part of
three decades. The owner of Sunlan Light-
ing, Inc. has been a mainstay of the neigh-
borhood since she first opened her iconic
light bulb shop in 1989. She has been us-
ing her passions for puns and light bulbs
ever since to make the neighborhood a saf-
er and more welcoming place.
Newell describes Mississippi Avenue of
the early 1990s, where she first established
her shop, as the most dangerous place in
Portland.
“You could buy every vice you wanted
in this community,” she told the Portland
Observer. The elevated levels of drug traf-
ficking and violence at the time made it im-
possible for her to uncover the windows of
her shop. This led her to paint the avenue’s
first murals.
Two of her original murals are still vis-
ible on the Sunlan building today. After it
became safe enough to do so, Newell be-
gan decorating the insides of other win-
dows with her now-infamous displays of
toys and quirky light bulbs.
“We opened up this window and created
another display I filled the windows with
toys that I changed out every month to give
the little kids something to look at,” she
said.
Recently, community members who
grew up in the neighborhood during the
height of its disrepair have begun thanking
Newell for providing the community with
a bright spot amidst all the blight.
“I did it because it made me feel good,
to see the kid’s happy little faces,” said
Newell. “But it made an impact. It made
me realize that we do things without realiz-
ing how the ripples are going to affect our
entire society.”
Newell’s clients include some of Port-
land’s most iconic firms, including the
Portland Spirit. She first sold specialty
light bulbs strictly to other businesses,
until she decided to open her shop up the
public.
As a woman in the world of business,
Newell says that she continues to hone
in on her knowledge of her products and
has an innate ability to provide customers
with a high-quality customer service ex-
perience.
“There’s one area where there is no glass
ceiling – knowledge and service,” Newell
explained. “When I started my business,
I didn’t know a whole lot,” Newell said.
“But I studied until I did.”
Newell adds that the success of her busi-
ness is rooted in her ability to treat her cus-
tomers with respect, and offer them com-
petitive rates.
“People want good service and knowl-
edge, and they want to be treated fairly,”
Newell said. “That means good prices for
good service. That’s all it is.”
Today, Sunlan Lighting, Inc. continues
to delight Portland’s business community,
residential customers and tourists alike.
Newell greets every customer who walks
through her doors with a simple question:
“How I can I light up your life?”