Pandemic sparks gift of inspiration

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This article was published 03/08/2022 (303 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Royalwood resident Karla Ottenbreit is feeling boxed in these days. And that suits her just fine.

Owner of Avenue 29 Gifts, Ottenbreit has come through the pandemic on a wave of success with her home-based, curated gift-box business.

“My most memorable experience has been taking on my my first corporate client, who needed 112 gift boxes curated and hand-delivered to staff in Winnipeg and sent across Canada. The timeline was very tight, but I didn’t hesitate, and we quickly got the ball rolling. Fortunately, I had full design rein and a budget. She was grateful that I could take gifting out of her hands so that she could focus on her regular duties,” Ottenbreit said.

Avenue 29 began when gift-box services in Winnipeg were limited. Ottenbreit’s inspiration came from her own background in sales and customer service.

“Over the years I had noticed within my family circle, the stress that they would face when having to buy a gift. I had come to the rescue many times and thought ‘Why couldn’t I help others?’”

Ottenbreit’s main clientele is realtors providing closing/possession gifts, but she offers pre-made boxes and customized options to celebrate a wide range of occasions. She will work to any budget, using all Canadian-made products, to create a beautiful and useful experience.

“Putting items in a box and tying a ribbon on it is fairly simple but my goal is to offer a gift box that tells a story through its purpose and colours,” Ottenbreit said.

“With every box, I am putting in good wishes for the recipient, so when they open it, those feelings come through as if the giver was right there beside them. That is the degree of thought and care I aim to achieve.”

Ottenbreit is not alone in her enterprise. Her husband handles Winnipeg deliveries and other operational tasks and her 86-year-old father constructs wooden gift boxes by hand.

“The ‘29’ in the company name comes from the fact that all three of us have birthdays on the 29th of the month,” Ottenbreit noted.

“My husband and my father have supported me from the start. Without them I could not provide the level and quality of service I am proud to give each client. We are a team, so much so that we are thinking of getting matching ‘29’ tattoos.”

For more details, visit www.avenue29gifts.ca or call (204) 894-9233.

Caption: Karla Ottenbreit of Avenue 29 Gifts can help you make a special memory

Tanya Misseghers
Royalwood community correspondent

Tanya Misseghers is a community correspondent for Royalwood.

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