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