TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Owning Your Own Business -
Is It Right For You?
S.T.A.N. Offers February and
March Workshops
The Siletz Tribal Action Network
(S.T.A.N.) is currently accepting reg
istrations for February and March
workshops.
This is the perfect opportunity for
you to learn new skills that will help
you either with your job or as a busi
ness owner. Workshops planned for
February and March include:
February
Feb. 12 Telephone Skills
Feb. 13 Excel II
Feb. 26 Basic Computers
Feb. 27 Excel III
Feb. 28 Computer I (for people with
basic computer skills)
March
12
13
26
27
28
March
March
March
March
March
Publisher
Organizing Computer files
PowerPoint
Marketing Your Business
Using the Internet and
Email
workshop
If you are like many people, at one
time or another you may have thought
about owning your own business.
The Small Business Program is here
to help Siletz Tribal members with their
ideas. The program provides:
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There is a $10 fee per workshop
for non-tribal CTS1 and Chinook Winds
Casino Resort employees.
There is a $20 fee per workshop
for all other participants.
All classes begin at 6 p.m. and are
held at the S.T.A.N. Training Center,
located in the Siletz Tribal Business
Corporation office at 2120 NW 44"' St.,
Suite D, in Lincoln City.
Workshop space is limited and pre-
registration is requested.
To register for workshops or for
more information, contact Rosie
Sufficool at 541-994-2142 or 1-877-
564-7298 (toll free).
S.T.A.N. workshops are free to
Siletz Tribal members, their spouses,
and children age 16 and older.
•
•
•
Free one-on-one counseling
Assistance with business plan
development
Assistance with business research
Computer and Internet access
A small business loan program
The business information counse
lor can provide you with information
about business resources and financial
information, and can help you begin
to plan for business ownership.
So if you have a business idea and
would like more information about how
you can make your idea a reality, please
contact Rosie Sufficool at 541-994-2142
or 1-877-564-7298 (toll free) for more
information.
CTSI Jobs
CTSI Employment Job Line
541-444-8296 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1296
Visit our Web site at www.ctsi.nsn.us
Job Opening
CTSI is constantly looking for
temporary employees to cover va
cancy, vacations, maternity leave,
and extend sick leave. If you are re
tired. a homemaker, or a student and
are looking for temporary work that
can last from two weeks to 12 weeks,
please submit a temporary applica
tion for the temp pool.
Note: “Open Until Filled” vacan
cies may close at any time. The tribe’s
Indian Preference policy will apply.
Tribal government will not discrimi
nate in selection because of race, creed,
age, sex, color, national origin, physi
cal handicap, marital status, politics,
membership or non-membership in an
employee organization.
River, con’t from page 1
same condition it was in on the day it
was cut.
Bennett was approached by STBC
more than a year ago in an effort to
develop a business venture suitable for
the tribally owned Toledo Mill Site and
the lumber drying kiln located there. He
had developed software that, in connec
tion with sonar technology, can “see
logs lying on a river bottom, no matter
how deep or how muddy the water is.”
Over the past several months,
STBC, under the interim direction of
Gregg Gubuan, has researched and
developed various alternatives to capi
talize on this technology in an effort to
create a viable business for the tribe. The
end result. River Reclamation Group, is
a compilation of this technology and
the experience of Bennett and some of
his associates from a previously owned
underwater logging business.
STBC determined that not only
could revenue be generated through
such a business, but more importantly,
jobs could be created for tribal mem
bers. According to Gubuan, “The finan
cial numbers worked out, but the po
tential for growth and jobs became a
significant factor in deciding to further
pursue this business.”
With a business strategy in hand,
the next step was the purchase of equip
ment for operations of RRG. Locating
underwater logs is done by sonar and
computer. The actual retrieval of the
logs from the river bottom is done us
ing a 60-foot cable crane sitting on a
floating barge.
6
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Siletz News
•
STBC purchased a portable barge,
tugboat, crane, and related equipment
from Carl (Corky) Burgin, owner of
Clear Water Marine, a firm that con
tracted for dredging, pile driving, and
environmental cleanup of waterways
throughout the Northwest.
Burgin retired and sold all of his
equipment to STBC in November
2006. STBC will lease the equipment
to River Reclamation Group, Inc.
“This is a very significant and im
portant purchase by STBC,” says
Gubaun. “It provides the necessary
startup equipment for the new under
water logging business, but since it is
portable, it also creates numerous other
possibilities for RRG.”
The barge, crane, and related
equipment can be broken down and
loaded onto trucks for overland trans
portation. Gubuan added that, “For
now the equipment will be based on
the Columbia River, but its portability
only adds to the potential for growth
in the future of our new business.”
The purchase of the equipment and
initial operation costs for River Recla
mation Group. Inc. were financed
through a $500.()()() loan from Key
Bank. Projections for the revenue from
the new business indicate that the loan
will be entirely paid off within three
years. At that time. RRG will be capable
of supporting growth and operations
from the income it generates.
RRG began operations in the Long
view, Wash., area on Nov. 27. After
logs on the river bottom were located
February 2007
Sonar and computer equipment are used to locate underwater logs
(crane monitor in center).
and mapped, the barge with the crane
was placed in the vicinity by tugboat.
A large computer monitor attached
to the sonar equipment is located in the
cab of the crane. The crane operator
watches as he controls the “grappling
hook,” which grabs and pulls the log
to the surface and then up onto the
barge deck.
Expectations are that approxi
mately 160 tons of logs (eight truck
loads) will be retrieved and set on shore
on a daily basis. Once onshore, the
logs will be graded to determine if they
will be sold for chipping or milling.
The entire process requires an op
erations manager, crane operator, and
two deckhands. For startup operations,
all positions of RRG have been filled
on an interim basis until the positions
can be advertised and filled permanently.
The STBC Board of Directors, in
the creation of the new corporation,
named Lillie Butler, Phil Rilatos, and
Frank Simmons to represent STBC on
the Board of Directors for River Rec
lamation Group, Inc. Also on the Board
are Bennett and John Workman.
The first meeting of the Board of
Directors for RRG was held Nov. 8.