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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2015)
10A • April 10, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Womack puts Copies & Fax on the market Health issues prompt owner’s decision to sell By Erick Bengel Cannon Beach Gazette Jeff Womack, who has co-owned Copies & Fax lo- cated at 171 Sunset Boule- vard, with his wife Gladys Womack for 19 years, has put the business up for sale and is looking to hand it off WR ³WKH ¿UVW JX\ WKDW¶V JRW money,” he said. He has listed the busi- ness — which mainly deals in printing, shipping and other business services — with Jeff Etchison, a realtor with Duane Johnson Real Estate. Jeff Womack is aim- ing to get $100,000, which includes about $70,000 for the equipment (printers, copiers, computers, a paper ERICK BENGEL PHOTO cutter, etc.). It would be nice, he said, Jeff Womack, owner of Copies & Fax, conducts a transaction with customer Kristi Mathena, of East Wenatchee, Wash. Womack and his wife, Gladys, if the buyer is “somebody have owned the business for 19 years. WKDW¶V UHDOO\ HVWDEOLVKHG LQ ³,¶P VWLOO UHFRYHULQJ merce, said he is always dis- Some days you miss it,” he Though Jeff Womack Chamber of Commerce town...” from that,” he said, adding appointed when a business DGGHG³,W¶VNLQGRIDTXDQ- VDLG KH LVQ¶W VXUH ZKDW¶V board member. ‘Life’s too short’ that he still feels weak, “but is put up for sale because of dary, I guess, for me, but next for him, he said he and “We wish Jeff well, and, The decision came about ,¶PEDFNWRZRUN´ WKH RZQHUV¶ KHDOWK LVVXHV ,¶OO¿JXUHLWRXW,W¶OOEHQLFH his wife may travel togeth- \RXNQRZLW¶VDYHU\JRRG because of a recent medical That near-death expe- ³,¶P UHDOO\ VDG WR VHH WKDW not to work.” er. Gladys Womack, who service for Cannon Beach,” emergency. rience, he said, “kind of happening,” he said. is retired, is certainly on said Chris James, a law- On Jan. 29, Jeff Wom- opened my eyes that maybe board with his decision; she yer based in Portland who $VNHG LI KH¶V ORRNLQJ ‘A necessary business’ Copies & Fax opened in is “already making a list of owns shares in the corpora- ack almost died of a heart LW¶V WLPH IRU VRPHRQH HOVH forward to leaving the busi- blockage, he said. He had to to have fun here,” and made ness, Jeff Womack replied, 1989, and, when he bought VWXII ,¶YH JRW WR GR DURXQG tion that owns the building be revived 12 times through KLP UHDOL]H WKDW ³OLIH¶V WRR “Some days yes, some days the business, Jeff Womack the house.” DQG SURSHUW\ ³:H¶YH EHHQ 12 rounds of CPR and spent short to work the rest of my no.” became the fourth owner. He In addition, Jeff Wom- happy to have Copies & time at Providence Seaside life like this.” ³:KHQ \RX¶YH EHHQ GR- has people on call who occa- ack said he will remain Fax in the building.” Hospital, and then at Prov- ³,W¶VDQHFHVVDU\EXVLQHVV Courtland Carrier, exec- ing something this long, sionally help him out with the the board president of the idence St. Vincent Medical utive director of the Cannon VRPH GD\V \RX¶UH WLUHG RI business “if he gets in a jam,” Tolovana Arts Colony. He I think, for our little town Center in Portland. Beach Chamber of Com- it and want no part of it. but he has no employees. is still a Cannon Beach here,” Jeff Womack said. Longtime Cannon Beach candy company offering ‘Schwiet’ franchises PLQGHG <RX¶YH JRW WR ORYH kids and family.” Franchisees will spend six to eight weeks training at Cannon Beach before open- ing their own stores. By Mike Williams EO Media Group A longtime city sweet spot took its business mod- el nationwide in 2014 by offering franchises. 6FKZLHWHUW¶V &RQHV &DQG\ KDV ¿YH VROLG OHDGV to open stores, owner Jeff Schwietert said. ³,W¶V D ELJ ¿QDQFLDO commitment,” he said. “It takes people awhile to get all that in order.” Being the new franchise kid on the block can be tough, he said. There are so many companies for pro- spective owners to choose from. “Once we get a few franchises off the ground ZH¶OO EH UHDG\ WR UXQ´ KH VDLG ³7KRVH ¿UVW IHZ ZLOO be the hardest for us.” ,W¶V EDVLFDOO\ OLNH VWDUW- ing a whole new business, he said. It has to have its own legal framework. Schwietert chose to get some help with taking the business, known as The Picnic Basket for 28 years, beyond the Oregon coast. He worked with Fran- corp of Chicago to get the franchising business VWUXFWXUHG7KHUH¶VDORWWR know. 6FKZLHWHUW¶V DELGHV E\ federal franchising guide- lines. Some states, includ- ing Washington, Oregon and California, require separate registration and approval before franchises Quality control Once a franchise is up and running, the company will NHHS WUDFN RI WKH ÀHGJOLQJ business. “We live in a great age in a ZD\´6FKZLHWHUWVDLG³:H¶OO have cameras installed in the stores that I can look at.” Once a franchise is oper- ational, the business will get quarterly visit from a corpo- MIKE WILLIAMS PHOTO rate representative, plus they MIKE WILLIAMS PHOTO Manager Ryan Eckstrom submit regular reports on Jeff Schwietert hopes to transplant the cones and candy business model beyond the North dips a foam cake in milk machine maintenance and chocolate. Coast by selling franchises. cleaning. ³:H¶OOKDYHDORWRIDELOL- Re-imagining The can be sold there. It takes a tually, but the size is part the business to work, said ty to make sure standards are maintained,” he said. “You OLWWOHPRUH¿QHVVHWRJHWOH- Picnic Basket of the attraction, Schwiet- Schwietert. Schwietert brought in a ert said. “You have to make sure want to make sure the cus- gal in those states, Schwi- designer to give the fran- etert said. 7KLQN 0U 0DJRULXP¶V they have the money to do it,” tomer gets the same experi- 7KH\¶UH UHDG\ WR JR LQ chises a uniform, high-end Wonder Emporium except KHVDLG³,W¶VVXSHULPSRUWDQW HQFHZKHUHYHUWKH\JR:H¶UH look. The interiors will with candy. WRNQRZZKDW\RX¶UHJHWWLQJ not going into this half-heart- all but 20 states. into for both sides, especially edly.” ³(YHQWXDOO\ZH¶OOEHOH- have cotton candy clouds and gumball pillars. There The right fit For franchise information: ZLWK FDQG\ <RX¶UH ORRNLQJ gal in all states,” he said. The company needs for people who are fun, fam- Call Trevor Weber, director of The company is regis- will be icicles around the the right franchisee for ily oriented but still business franchising, 503-436-1470. tered in Northwest states ice cream cases. “It will be very bright and California. “In franchising, you and exciting,” he said. “[It want to focus on concentric will be] a place people will circles of growth,” Schwi- want to return to. More HWHUWVDLG³$OWKRXJKZH¶UH corporate than the current getting lots of interest from store, but still our own.” The Cannon Beach California. We think it will store will eventually get do really well there.” +H¶V H[FLWHG DERXW JR- the same makeover. The stores will be ing into more urban areas that are less susceptible 3,000- to 5,000-square- to the seasonal swings the feet. The company may offer smaller stores even- North Coast experiences. D on’t m iss a n issue! Accepting New Patients James Rushing, MD is a board certified pulmonologist. He brings years of experience and a wealth of expertise to the north Oregon coast. His patients say: “Dr. Rushing is kind, patient and knowledgeable… an extremely good listener…I trust him completely with my health.” Dr. Rushing is accepting new pulmonology patients. Medical Group TillamookRegionalMC.org Manzanita Primary, Specialty & Urgent Care 10445 Neahkahnie Creek Road Manzanita (503) 368-6244 Su bscribe to the Toda y. N o w G P S B T M P X B T o n l y $1./ issue $/year 5 03 -3 25 -3 211 circu latio n @ can n o n b e ach g aze tte .co m