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O ctober 30, 1996 • T he P o rii and O bsi rvi r
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JÌiirt lanh
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Finance
1
Turning fallen leaves Into gold
BUSINESS
They don’t go to waste. Instead,
they go to Stormwater Management 's
field operations site on N.E. 33rd
Drive. By mid-October, piles of the
browning leaves will fill the site.
There they begin the eight-month
process of composting before being
processed into a humic filter media,
which looks like small round pellets
of dark earth
The humic filter media is, in turn,
used to treat stormwater runoff—
which has long been recognized as a
source o f contamination to our
streams and rivers. The ft Iter removes
oils and greases, sediments, heavy
metals, debris, and litter form the
runoff. When the media is no longer
efficient as a filter, it is recomposted
and used for landscaping, erosion
control, or as daily cover in landfills.
Until recently, all the processing
was done by equipment using only
portable electric generators. “But
now that we’re growing rapidly, we
need electrical power on-site,” said
Field Operations Manager Dave
Campbell. To solve the problem,
Stormwater Management called on
Friberg Electric Company, a Nation-
BRIEFS
Business after hours
G uest Speaker: Donald
McClave, President Portland Met
ropolitan Chamber o f Commerce
Topic "Portland Center Eor Per
forming Arts and Civic Stadium
shift form MERC back to the City
of Portland.” Admission only $3
for Members, and $5 for non-mem-
bers&guests. Bringyourbusiness
cards and at least one business
lead. (Small door prizes welcomed
but not required). Youropportuni-
ty to network, make contacts &
future sales. Place: Shilo Inn -
9900 SW Canyon Rd. Time: 6:46
pm. Date: T uesday - November 5
996.
Career Awareness Day
High school students can learn
more about career choices by at­
tending Career Awareness Day on
Saturday, November 9 form 9 am
to 3 pm at Portland State Universi­
ty. The free annual event is pre
sented by the Urban League of
Port land. Parents are also welcome
to attend. Career Awareness Day
provides young people with infor­
mation about dozens o f career
Helds, school to work opportuni­
ties, internships with local employ­
ers and scholarships. “ It’s never
too early to begin thinking about
what you want to do after high
school,” said Urban League Edu­
cation & Career Development Di­
rector Brian A. Black.
Students can register to attend
Career Awareness Day by calling
hristy Hauflfat the Urban League
at 280-2635 or by registering at
their school counseling office be­
fore November 1. To request trans­
portation assistance please call
80-2635.
al Electrical Contractors Association
(NECA) and International Brother­
hood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Local 48 contractor.
Friberg Installed electrical sy stems
for the site—and then began the more
challenging part of the project.
Not only are Stormwater Manage­
ment products recycled, almost all of
the equipment needed to process the
humic filter media is recycled, to o -
rescued form the junk pile or other
resources. NEC A IBI W I ocal 48
Dave Campbell, Field Operations
Manager o f Stormwater
Management stands before the
recycled equipment NECA/IBEW
Local 48 contractor Friberg Electric
helped the company get
successfully onOline. The humic
media made from the leaves from
Portland streets can be seen
drying on the ground.
contractor Friberg Electric helped
get the recycled equipment on line.
“Friberg is a quality company,” said
Campbell. “They’ve been able to help
us take equipment that wasn’t top
quality and turn it into equipment
that is.”
Friberg is currently at work wir­
ing Stormwater Management’s bag­
ging system. Ernie Pine, electrician
on the NECA/IBEW Local 48 job
said, “ It’s great to see a company
like Stormwater Management be so
successful and at the same time do
something that’s good for our envi­
ronment. We’re proud to be a part
of it.”
1997 “Small Business Person of the Year” sought
Do you or someone you know
have what it takes to become Amer­
ica’s “Small Business Person of the
Year” for 1997 .’
If so, the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) wants to hear
from you. But you’d better act quick­
ly since the deadline for nominations
is Nov. 15, 1996.
Each year since 1963, the presi­
dent has designated one week as
National Small Business Week in
recognition of the small business
community's contributions to the
American economy. Small business­
es today, some 23 million strong,
generate more than 57 percent of all
sales in this country, 50 percent of
our domestic private sector output
and about 55 percent of all innova­
tions. Small businesses also lead the
nation in job creation, providing ap­
proximately two-thirds of all new
jobs.
Business owners from every state,
the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam,
who have been named as their state’s
“Small Business Person of the Year,”
travel to Washington for three days
of small business-related activities
and meetings that typically include
high-level government officials.
This same pool of winners also vies
for the national honor of “Small
Business Person of the Year.”
Trad it ional ly, the national winner
is announced by the president of the
Ford Program
for minority suppliers
In keeping with its commitment to
become a greater force in the success
of the minority supply community.
Ford Motor Company today unveiled
a program that offers financial assis­
tance to selected U.S.-based minori­
ty suppliers.
The program is designed to im­
prove the viability of Ford’s pre­
ferred minority suppliers during pe­
riods of robust growth. It provides
suppliers with funding to help pay
the interest on new loans that support
growth as a result of Ford business.
Ford is also exploring options to
expand the program tooffer minority
suppliers technical assistance on a
case-by-case basis.
Ford will establish the program in
conjunction with lending institutions.
“This program will help strength­
en the minority supply base by offer­
ing good manufacturers financial
support during periods o f rapid
growth." said Carlos Mazzorin, vice
president. Purchasing. "We realize
that too steep a growth curve can lead
to cash (low problems, and we are
committed to helping our minority
suppliers not only to overcome this
challenge but to grow and prosper.
"While we are proud of the contri­
butions we are making to minority
suppliers, we are also keenly aware
that supporting these preferred sup­
pliers with financial and even techni­
cal assistance is a sound business
investment in their future and in our
own future."
Minority suppliers who have beer,
identified as long-term, preferred com­
ponent or service providers to Ford are
eligibletoreceiveassistance.Thecom-
pany will pay a portion of the suppli­
er’s interest charges on new commer-
cial loans. Ford will not be involved in
the day-to-day administration of the
loans, five lending institutions will
participate in the program, including
Comerica Bank and NBD Bank, both
in Detroit, Key Bank N.A., working
through its subsidiary Key Communi­
ty Development Corporation and Na-
tional City Bank, both in Cleveland,
Ohio, and Old Kent Bank in Grand
i &
Rapids, Mich.
"This program will be good for
the minority business community and
for the communities in which those
businesses operate,” Mazzorin de­
clared. “Strong communities, like
strong businesses, are essential to the
long-term prosperity and economic
growth of this nation.”
Ford also contributed approximate­
ly $400,000 to support development
of the Hispanic Manufacturing Center
within the Empowerment Zone.
United States during a White House
ceremony. In addition to receiving
nationwide recognition, the media
often identifies the winner as a
spokesperson on local and national
small business issues.
Each state’s Small Business Per­
son of the Year must meet criteria
which include staying power, growth
in employment, increase in sales/
unit volume, innovation, response to
adversity, and evidence of contribu­
tions to his/her community.
Advocate awards are also pre­
sented to persons who have used
their professional skills or personal
talents to further public understand­
ing and awareness ofsmall business.
Candidates must have taken an ac­
tive role in creating opportunities to
promote the interests of small busi­
ness. Advocate categories include:
Women in Business, Minority,
Veteran, Accountant, Financial Ser­
vices and Media. An advocate
winner may or may not be an entre­
preneur.
Special awards are also presented
to the Small Business Exporter and
Young Entrepreneurofthe Year, and
the Federal Government Prime Con­
tractor and Subcontractor of the Y ear.
Large compan ies that started as small
businesses are also honored with the
Entrepreneurial Success Award.
Nominations in the Small Busi­
ness Person of the Year, Advocates
of the Year and special Small Busi-
ness Week award categories can be
made by any individual, or organiza­
tions such as professional and trade
assoc iat ions, bus i ness organ izat ions,
chambers of commerce, banks, or a
small business’ employees.
All nominations must be received
by an SBA district office no later
than Nov. 15, 1996. To obtain infor­
mation on completing a nomination
package, contact your nearest SBA
office. In region X, SBA offices are
located in Anchorage(222 West Eight
Avenue); Boise (1020 Main Street,
Suite 290); Portland ( 15 15 SW Fifth
Avenue, Suite 1050); Seattle ( 1200
Sixth Avenue, Suite 1700); and Spo­
kane (West 601 First Avenue, Tenth
Floor).
Entrepreneurs tap microsoft small business council
#1 challenge for small business
is mastering new media marketing
How are small business owners
in Portland meeting the competitive
challenge of expanding their cus­
tomer base and increasing their
sales? A number of local entrepre­
neurs had a unique opportunity to
air their toughest marketing dilem­
mas, and learn valuable new “tricks”
of the small business trade, during
the 90-minute Microsoft Small Busi­
ness Council videoconference re­
cently sponsored by Kinko’s and
Sprint.
Speaking to more than 70 entre­
preneurs from seven U.S. cities, the
Council members oft’ered suggestions
on how to leverage the Internet, cre­
ate a website, and complement new
media marketing with traditional
marketing tactics such as newsletters
and flyers.
Small business entrepreneurs from
Portland who won a seat at the
videoconference as well as a copy of
Microsoft Publisher 97 and $200 in
Kinko's goods and services includ­
ed: Joan Berninghausen, Scripture
Greetings; Kellye Crane, Kellye
Crane Communications; Alan Scally,
Ancient Voices; Bridget Benton,
Banshee Designs.
With over 2.4 million small busi­
nesses online today and 4 8 million
expected by 1998, according to Ac­
cess Media International, Inc., it is
no wonder that Council members
found that “integrating new media
marketing” is one ofsmall business’s
most interesting challenges.
Council members included: Jill
Ellsworth, author of Marketing on
the Internet: Dennis Eskow, techni­
cal advisor to Home Office Comput­
ing: Jay Conrad Levinson, author of
the successful Guerilla Marketing
book series; entrepreneurs Brad
Edwards, founder of My Fortune,
Inc., and Deborah Sawyer, founder
of Environmental Design Interna­
tional, Inc.; Chuck Green, desktop
publishing wizard and author ofThe
Desktop Publisher’s Idea Book;
Walter Maiao, a market analyst an
senior vice president with Access
Media, and Paul Tulenko, Scripps
Howard small business columnist
an president of Paul Tulenko, Inc.,
a consultant to small businesses.
We're more than a power company. We're pour neighbors, tot). That's why it's important [or us to actively support education,
the arts, community and business development and other events that enhance quality of life and enrich the entire community.
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SHEILA HOLDEN
GENERAL BUSINESS MANAGER
s
ome of the most
important energy provided by Pacific Power
doesn't travel along utility poles,
flow through power lines or pass through
any meter. It’s our power to make
j
a difference— something we do year-round
by actively supporting programs and
special events unique to our community.
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!
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True, this kind of energy can't illuminate a
single light bulb. But over time,
it could help our entire community shine.
Sheila Holden or
Carl Talton, (503) 282-4319
PACIFIC POWER
i
A D ivision o f PacifiCorp