Big accolades can come to stores in small towns.

Tucked into the downtown Sequim Village Shopping Center, Sequim’s own JCPenney has racked up impressive inner-company awards for performance in the past, earning the Chairman’s Award — the company’s highest honor for individual excellent store performance — in 2003 and in 2010.

This year, the Sequim store at 651 W. Washington St. has earned JCPenney’s Founder’s Award, the “highest distinction for excellence,” according to JCPenney corporate representatives.

At a special event in Dallas on March 16, JCPenney chief executive officer Marvin R. Ellison and Joe McFarland, executive vice president of stores, presented Sequim general manager Paul Quinn with a commemorative plaque in recognition of the store meeting or exceeding all performance goals.

The Founder’s Award is presented to teams across the organization that excel in the areas of financial performance, customer and client service, and business expertise.

Only 102 of about 1,000 stores, six out of 52 districts and three out of 13 supply chain facilities received the award.

“I’m proud of our team of dedicated associates who are committed to delivering excellent service and an engaging store environment that compels customers to return time and time again,” Quinn said.

“We are truly honored to receive this company recognition on behalf of our Sequim shoppers, who have trusted us with their loyalty and continued patronage,” he said. “We look forward to another successful year in 2016.”

J.C. Penney Company, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest apparel and home furnishings retailers.

The Sequim store has about 40 employees. It opened in 1995 after moving from Port Angeles into the former Safeway building. Sequim has one of the smaller JCPenney stores in Washington at about 29,000 gross square feet.

The store is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily except Sundays, when it is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Call 681-2833. Visit jcpenney.com for more information.