Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2016)
Page 8A BUSINESS East Oregonian Saturday, August 6, 2016 PENDLETON Women inding success, still in minority, as business owners By WILL DENNER East Oregonian Aside from her husband and kids, Lesley Crosby’s idea to open a “doggy bistro” in Pendleton wasn’t well received by her family. “There aren’t enough dogs here to make this worthwhile,” she recalls people telling her. But Crosby saw something in the town others didn’t. “I just had this feeling. I’d see people walk by with their dogs and (downtown) seemed to be a popular spot.” Instincts proved her right. Soon after opening Pendleton Pupcakes at 15 S.E. Court Ave. in August 2013, several customers asked her to consider offering grooming services as well, citing a shortage of them in town. She eventually expanded her business a few doors down to 148 S. Main St., and now offers dog grooming and boarding services. Pendleton Pupcakes is one of 47 businesses in town owned by women outright, according to Pendleton Chamber of Commerce estimates. Of the 358 for-proit businesses in Pendleton that are members of the chamber, 70 businesses have some sort of female ownership. Although these numbers don’t account for Pendleton businesses that aren’t chamber members, more than 75 percent of businesses are members, according to chamber executive director Gail Nelson. Many women, among other owners, have chosen Pendleton as a location to open a business — many for their irst time. Different reasons led them here, but many agree that Pendleton is a welcome place to set up shop. For Suzie Barhyte, Pendleton proved to be a cheaper place to have property and ship products than other Oregon locations. Barhyte has owned the food products supply company Barhyte Specialty Foods with her husband, Jan, since the late 1970s. In 1984 they relocated to Lincoln City and later Salem, before realizing they missed Pendleton. They returned for good 10 years later. “We found Eastern Oregon is more conducive to doing business,” she said. As a product developer, Suzie creates new recipes for company products that include mustards, wing sauces and marinades. Their store and factory, located at 912 Airport Staff photo by Will Denner Pendleton Pupcakes owner Lesley Crosby prepares to groom Razzle Dazzle – a six-year-old schnauzer. Staff photo by Will Denner Suzie Barhyte, co-owner of Barhyte Specialty Foods, gathers ingredients in her company test kitchen. Road, employ 30 people, including their two sons and grandkids. In the four decades since Barhyte Specialty Foods was established, Suzie has noticed a particular trait about women in business. “Women seem to be willing to take more risks,” she said. Pendleton Pupcakes owner Crosby came to Pendleton around the time she married her husband, Jonathan, in 2012. She had moved on from an abusive ex-husband and was looking for a fresh start. With Jonathan’s help, she under- took a huge project in moving to the 148 S. Main St. location. She currently employs three people and has two independent contractors at the store, and recently opened a La Grande location in June. Earlier this year, Crosby was named a inalist for the Pet Industry Woman of the Year award, with the winner to be announced Sept. 20 in Portland. Whether or not she wins, being recognized has made her feel more validated personally and as a business owner. “It’s a big healing thing for me ... realizing that I am a success story,” she said. Around the corner at 37 S.W. Dorion Ave., Linda Bevington is nearing one year of her L.L. Bevington store being open. Bevington previously worked in the interior design industry near Vail, Colorado, but said business went “belly-up” when the 2008 recession hit. She moved to Pendleton shortly after, irst working in Monte Beckman’s saddle shop to learn leather-making before opening her own store in September 2015. She sells custom leather goods including handbags, pillows, bracelets and jewelry, while also featuring work from local artists. Her specialty busi- ness has seen its share of stagnant times, but local support has made a difference. “I’ve found I have more local business than tourist business, except during Round-Up,” Bevington said. “I think it’s more important to rely on locals than tourists.” Bevington’s biggest challenge has been marketing her business through social media and a website. These days, it’s crucial to sell products online in addition to storefront sales, Bevington said. With the number of women busi- ness owners in town, Bevington said there ought to be an organized group for them. “There’s some who come and go quickly, but others persevere,” she said. “There’s a lot of women business owners in Pendleton.” Gia Jensen plans to open her children’s toys and games store, Imaginarium, Sept. 6. While working on her 245 S. Main St. shop over the summer, she’s noticed several women business owners nearby. Just down the block from Jensen, fellow owners include Paula Dirks of Pendleton Coffee Bean and Bistro, Stephanie Myers of Echo Bike & Board and Cheryl Stewart of Calico Country Designs. They are just a few of many women who own stores in downtown Pendleton and beyond. While putting the inishing touches on her store, Jensen has opened her doors for customers to get a sneak peek of her products. In just a few weeks, she said she’s received lots of positive feedback from people in the community. She has lived in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and New York, but believes the Pend- leton community will support her business. “(They’ve) let me know I’m in the right place,” she said. ——— Contact Will Denner at wdenner@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0809 BRIEFLY Petsense breaks ground on Highway 395 HERMISTON — Local pet lovers will soon have a new place to buy supplies for their furry friends. Petsense LLC has begun construction on a 5,000-square-foot building located along Highway 395, sandwiched between Big 5 and Cycletown. Mark Morgan, assistant city manager for the city of Hermiston, said he has been involved with the planning and building process of the project for about six months. The land developer, Dickerhoof Properties, was also behind the Big 5 nearby building. Dickerhoof will lease the property to Petsense. Petsense is a chain store that bills itself as “America’s Hometown Pet Store,” with an emphasis in rural markets. The company specializes in pet supplies and pet services, but does not sell animals. The company was founded in 2005 by Jim Dougherty, who also founded PetSmart in 1986. It operates more than 120 stores in 24 states, and Hermiston will be their second store in Oregon. Ontario also has a Petsense location, which Staff Photo by Alexa Lougee Construction has begun in Hermiston on a building that will house a pet supply store. includes a grooming salon. An opening date has not been announced. Bank of Eastern Oregon elects board oficers HEPPNER — George Kofler was elected chairman and Joel Peterson as vice chairman of the Bank of Eastern Oregon board of directors. The bank made an announcement after the recent shareholders meeting in Heppner. Bank of Eastern Oregon is a subsidiary of BEO Bancorp. Kofler joined the board in 1993. He retired from employment with Bank of Eastern Oregon in 2012 after a distinguished career that spanned 32 years. Kofler and his wife, Debbie, live in Hermiston. Peterson joined the board in 1993. He is president of Daily Bread Farms, a family-owned farm near Ione. Peterson and his wife, Lea, a high school teacher, have three children. “We are excited to have George and Joel lead the board of directors for the next year,” said Jeff Bailey, president and CEO. “Both of these gentlemen are active and engaged board members.” Bailey said Kofler continues his service on the funds management and loan committees and Peterson chairs the funds management committee and sits on the compensation and loan committees. Their vast experience and leadership qualities, Bailey said, will serve the bank’s shareholders well. The Bank of Eastern Oregon operates 13 branches and ive loan production ofices in 12 Eastern Oregon communities and in Pasco, Washington. For more information, visit www. beobank.com. PENDLETON Local Pepsi franchise a inalist for bottler of the year award By WILL DENNER East Oregonian Pepsi-Cola distributor Pendleton Bottling Company was recognized as a inalist for a national company award. The distribution center, a franchise within Pepsi’s Idaho Beverages company, is one of three inalists for the Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award. It is the highest honor for independent franchise bottlers in Pepsi’s bottling system, according to Mario Mercurio, Senior Vice President of Pepsi’s franchise business unit. Pemdleton Bottling Company, located at 4480 Westgate Drive, is the oficial Pepsi distributor of Morrow, Umatilla and Grant counties. In addition to Pepsi products, they also offer full-line vending, ive-gallon water and coffee services. Pendleton Bottling Company has never won, let alone been nominated, for an accolade of this level since the franchise’s establishment in 1982, said Dan Winters, general manager at the facility. In a letter to Idaho Bever- ages President Gary Prasil, Mercurio noted that Pend- leton Bottling Company met most criteria for the award. “By nearly any measure — volume and share growth, per capita consumption, product quality, customer service and community involvement — your Pendleton franchise deliv- ered outstanding results,” Mercurio wrote. As a inalist, Pendleton Bottling Company received money to give to a non-proit of their choosing. They donated $5,000 to Nixyaawii Community School to put towards a computer lab. Winters said the franchise also donates products and banners to local businesses, and volunteers at youth sporting events. They also sponsor several fun runs in the area. The other two inalists are Pepsi Bottling Ventures from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Buffalo Rock Company out of Newnan, Georgia. Winters said the Pendleton franchise has 42 employees, which is a much smaller team than the approximately 2,000 people employed by each of the other two inalists. “It means a lot that we even showed up on somebody’s radar because we’re so small in comparison to the other two inalists ... employing over 2,000 employees,” he said. “It’s really neat that our efforts here locally have been noticed on a nationwide scale.” Pepsi will announce the winner of the award Sept. 13 at its national bottler meeting in Nashville. ——— Contact Will Denner at wdenner@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0809