Sylmar : Chocolate Makers Win Washington, D.C., Trip

Two years after the Northridge earthquake rocked their chocolate-making business, Rena and Rick Pocrass traveled to Washington to enjoy the sweet taste of success.

The couple’s Sylmar-based company, Chocolates a la Carte, Inc., was one of four small businesses awarded the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative by the U.S Chamber of Commerce on Monday. The award recognizes businesses that “overcome challenges and emerge stronger,” sending winners on a expense-paid trip to Washington.

In this case the challenge was not the recession, but an act of God that smashed walls, cracked ceilings and crushed their chocolate-making equipment.

“We’d felt earthquakes before, but this was the first one of substance,” said Rena Pocrass, who founded the business 10 years ago in her kitchen.

The Pocrasses remember Jan. 17, 1994, as the day they were supposed to have their annual board of directors meeting. Instead they were awakened at 4:31 a.m., as the quake shook their home.

When they arrived at their plant three hours later, the place was in a shambles.

But the couple and their 45 employees managed to get out all their orders--even though they were smack in the middle of the Valentine’s Day rush.

They also donated 5% of their Valentine’s Day profits to disaster-relief efforts.

The quake also set off a lengthy battle to get an insurance company to pay for the cost of damaged equipment. The settlement came just days before the couple was notified of their U.S. Chamber of Commerce award.

“We’re calling it the ‘poetic justice’ award,” said Rick Pocrass, who left his job in computer marketing to help his wife in her fledgling business.

A tour of the White House kitchen, arranged by a pastry chef friend, rounded out their weekend trip to the capital.

“I bet we’re the only ones going home with photos of the White House kitchen staff,” Rick Pocrass said.