October 4, 2017
Page 7
Minority & Small Business Week
Trusty Service for 19 Years
Showdogs is a full service salon. We do baths,
photo by M ark W ashington /t he p ortlanD o bserver
Thomas Martin, owner and operator of ‘Martin Cleaning Service -- Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning;
since 1999.
When Thomas Martin retired
from the federal government he
found a way to start his own busi-
ness. Today, the owner and opera-
tor of “Martin Cleaning Service –
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning”
can look back at the benefits of be-
ing his own boss and the success
he had in developing a business
without a lot of competition and
start up costs.
He said he was surprised that
there were not many brothers in
carpet cleaning at the time.
Martin is now on a path to re-
tire again after 19 years in the
business, serving the Portland and
Vancouver areas. He has been an
advertiser with the Portland Ob-
server for years.
Pay Dirt for Colas
C ontinueD froM f ront
providing jobs for those who were
displaced.
Now 30 years later, Colas
Construction will not only serve
as the chief contractor for the
project but has pledged to sub-
contract from a cross-section of
other businesses that are from
communities of color to work on
the project.
Hoffman Construction and
Walsh Community Builders were
runner-ups for the contracting
work from Metro, companies Co-
las says he’s “looked to and re-
spected” his whole life. The pro-
curement process added weight to
firms like his that partnered with
woman-owned or minority-owned
businesses, a move that Andrew
Colas praised.
“Metro created one of the most
fair procurement processes for a
public agency that I've ever been
a part of. And in that process, the
best company won. And we were
just proud to be selected as that
company,” he said.
On retiring and putting away
the trusty carpet cleaning tools
and equipment for good, he said,
“The time has finally come.”
His advice for those who want
to grow a business is to work hard
and apply yourself.
Martin thanks all of his custom-
ers past and present. For more in-
formation, call 503-281-3949.
all over hair cuts, tooth brushing, nail trims, soft
claws, flea treatments, mud baths, and ear clean-
ing. We also have health care and grooming prod-
ucts to keep your pet clean in between visits.
Show Dogs Grooming Salon & Boutique
926 N. Lombard
Portland, OR 97217
503-283-1177
Tuesday-Saturday 9am-7pm
Monday 10am-4pm
Yo dawg is gonna look like a show dawg
and your kitty will be pretty.
The Oregon Convention Center
remodel will begin next summer
and is scheduled to be complete
by May 2019. Plans call for ren-
ovating the interior and exterior
facade of the building.
“It's going to be a complete re-
fresher,” Colas said. “There'll be
work on the exterior, landscap-
ing, hardscape, and then interior,
upgrading finishes, upgrading
features. It's going to look brand
new,” Colas said.
Colas added that some of the
iconic visual mainstays of the fa-
cility, like “those two beautiful
glass towers,” would remain un-
altered.
5010 NE 9th Ave
Portland, Or 97211
Phone: 503 284-2989
We specialize in a variety of cuts for men and
women, hot towel razor shaves, braiding, hair
extension, Shampoo, blow dryer and Platinum fade.
Call Today or Walk in !!!