Coast River Business Journal
FEATURE STORY
TLC, a Division of Fibre Federal Credit Union, won the innovation award for a large business.
Raymond Graves, owner of the fishing vessel Ken & Al, said he and his crew plan on putting the
U.S. shrimp market on the top in the world, one shrimp at a time.
Spruce Up Warrenton won a community sup-
porter award.
Center and their teams,” Johnson said.
Weber said she wanted to recognize the business
community in Clatsop County, as well as Kevin Leahy,
executive director of the economic development group,
for doing a yeoman’s job to accomplish everything he
has through the pandemic.
“The economic toll this pandemic has wrought
on us has been especially felt by women in the work-
force who found themselves on pause or even ending
their careers to stay at home to educate their children,
and small businesses with a shortage of employees,”
Weber said. “We’re going to have to brace ourselves for
the summer when everyone arrives here on the coast
expecting service and supplies and appreciating all the
beauty we have to offer.”
In a pre-recorded video montage, Leahy and oth-
ers involved in the organization presented 16 awards to
business leaders across Clatsop County.
• Destiny Dudley, of Culinary Concierge, won as
the business leader of the year for a new business while
Chris Laman, director of Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal-Oregon Health & Science University Knight Can-
cer Collaborative, won individual business leader of
the year.
Laman thanked all the health care workers and hos-
pital staff members at both Columbia Memorial Hos-
pital and Providence Seaside Hospital, as well as the
all volunteers who have been administering vaccines.
“And we are so lucky to have a wonderful, dedi-
cated bunch of individuals at the health department, and
Clatsop County should give a lot of thanks to all those
workers,” Laman said.
• Terry and Todd Robinett, of Merry Time Bar &
Grill, won business leader of the year for a small busi-
ness in North County while Mrs. Tami’s Daycare &
Preschool won the equivalent for South County.
The exceptional customer service awards went
to Insomnia Coffee Company for a small business in
South County, to Purple Cow Toys for a small business
in North County and to Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa for
the large business division.
• Good to Go in Astoria received the innovation
award for a small business while TLC, a division of
Fibre Federal Credit Union, won the innovation award
for a large business.
Heidi Dlubac, of Good to Go, said this past year has
been difficult, but innovation comes out of necessity for
trying to survive.
“There’s been a lot of innovative people around us
too and we’ve taken a lot of encouragement from them
and our customers, trying to pivot the business to meet
the needs of the moment,” Dlubac said.
June 2021 • 7
Nicole Williams, of Columbia Memorial Hospital Seaside Clinic, accepts a community impact
award from Kevin Leahy.
• Economic impact awards went to Slurpalicious
for a small business and to Hampton Lumber in War-
renton for a large business.
“We are truly humbled that someone thinks we
made an impact, let alone on a county level,” said
Akshay Dua, who owns Slurpalicious with his wife,
Candy Yiu.
• Meanwhile, community impact awards went to
Columbia Memorial Hospital’s Seaside clinic for a
large business, to Papa Murphy’s in Seaside for a small
business in South County and to Raymond Graves, the
owner of fishing vessel Ken & Al Inc., for a small busi-
ness in North County.
• Providence Seaside Hospital and Spruce Up War-
renton each received community supporter awards.
Following the awards video, Chris Breitmeyer,
president of Clatsop Community College, surprised
Jessica Newhall, associate director of the college’s
Small Business Development Center, with an award for
her transformative leadership. Breitmeyer said Newhall
has been instrumental in providing community support
to businesses in the county.
Newhall thanked the business community for the
resilience, passion, patience and perseverance it’s
shown over the past year-plus in keeping the economy
afloat.
“We as a community have led the state in what
we’ve been able to accomplish in Clatsop County and I
think we’re going into a recovery period that will allow
us to be stronger all together,” Newhall said.
Taking care of your business...
Just Got Easier!
Mike Wallis, CPA
Suzanne Corliss
• Income Tax Preparation
& Planning
• Accounting Services
& Financial Statements
• Elder Accounting
• Consulting Services for
New & Existing Businesses
• Payroll Services
WWC Business
Solutions, Inc.
1024 MARINE DRIVE • ASTORIA • 503.325.2200