4B COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL September 6, 2017
CHAMBER NEWSLETTER
Our Mission: Th e Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce promotes economic vitality through
advocacy and collaboration with its members and the larger community.
Director’s Note
Meet the newest member of our staff !
We are excited to announce that Jessica Baker has joined
the Chamber Team as our Membership Development
Coordinator. Jessica still serves as the Foundation
Relations Specialist for the Cottage Grove Community
Hospital Foundation and will work for the Chamber
of Commerce as a part time contractor. Her goal is to
meet with businesses in the Cottage Grove area and
grow the Chamber’s overall membership. Jessica brings
a lot of experience in developing relationships with
the business community and we know she’ll be a great
Jessica Baker,
Membership Development Coordinator asset for the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce. If
you would like any information about the benefi ts of
Chamber Membership, please contact our offi ce and Jessica will be happy to meet with you.
541-942-2411
CHAMBER NEWS
Board Election Petition Letters
As a membership organization our members have the right to petition additional names
of candidates to serve on the board of directors. Once the nomination committee has
presented a slate of candidates to the board, petition letters will be sent giving our members
an opportunity to present additional candidates. Names of candidates for directors can be
nominated by petition, bearing the genuine signatures of at least three (3) qualifi ed members
of the Chamber. Look for your letter in the mail later in September!
Update Your Listing – Chamber Membership Directory
It’s time to prepare for the production of our 2018 Chamber Membership Directory. Letters
asking you to review the information we have on fi le and make any corrections will in the
mail soon. In addition, the directory is another one of the ways we promote our member
businesses. As a chamber member you receive a free listing in our directory and have the
opportunity to purchase advertising. Travis will be contacting you to discuss a variety of ways
you can promote your business through the directory.
For those of you who have thought about membership, and wish to be in next year’s directory,
the deadline for new members to be included in the directory is November 13. So now is the
time to move ahead with your plans to join the Chamber. Participate in chamber membership
and watch your marketing dollars stretch. To those of you who are already members, we thank
you and hope you enjoy this great chamber benefi t! Please contact Travis at the chamber
offi ce regarding your intent to join so that we do not miss including your business in the 2018
publication.
September Business Aft er Hours
South Lane County Fire & Rescue will host Business Aft er Hours on Th ursday, September
21 from 5:30 – 7:00pm. Please join us for a time to network with others, learn something
new, and have some fun at the Firehouse, 233 E. Harrison! And don’t forget your business
card to enter the door prize drawing. Your attendance reinforces the spirit in which the
Chamber provides these monthly activities. Cottage Grove and Creswell Chamber members
are encouraged to attend this classic, fun networking event!
Many thanks for supporting our best concert season yet!
Last week, we concluded our 2017 Season of Concerts in the Park and I think this was our
most successful season ever! Len Blackstone from Windermere Commercial Real Estate and
Jon Kloor from Northwest Natural Gas came in early as our Season Sponsors which set us off
to a fantastic start. We completely sold out of our Supporting Sponsorships which ensured a
successful season of music in the park and the Cottage Grove Safeway store even helped out
with ice and water bottles to keep the bands and volunteers cool and hydrated each week.
Cameron Reiten and K. Michael Roberts from KNND AM1400 did a great job with the sound
and every single band provided a unique entertainment experience for the hundreds of people
who were in the audience each week. We added new vendors and even had to expand electrical
capacity in the park to keep up with higher demands. Nine diff erent community organizations
were able to earn money for a great cause through the 50/50 drawings in exchange for helping
with set-up and take-down each week and none of them earned less than $100 for a few hours
of work.
Of all the things we did well this concert season, the thing we at the Chamber of Commerce
are most proud of is that we provided the community a fun, free, family-friendly event that
didn’t involve staring at the screen of a television or cell phone. Families of all demographics
could be seen playing, dancing, interacting with each other, making new friends and just
enjoying each other’s company in one of the best outdoor venues that Oregon has to off er. We
are extremely proud to serve Cottage Grove and we could not have done it without the help
of the following people and organizations: Th e Stewart Family, the City of Cottage Grove,
the Bohemia Foundation, Len Blackstone – Windermere Commercial Real Estate, Northwest
Natural Gas, Jack Sprats Restaurant, Walmart – Cottage Grove, Lane Electric, Pacifi c Yurts,
Cascade Home Center, Matt Bjorn – State Farm Insurance, South Lane County Fire &
Rescue, Territorial Seed Company, Pacifi c Power, Middlefi eld Oaks, Emerald People’s Utility
District, the Cottage Grove Sentinel, Banner Bank, RV Corral, Lane Community College,
McDonald’s – Cottage Grove, the Cottage Grove Safeway, Parent Partnership, Cottage Grove
Aqualions, Cottage Grove High School Cheerleaders, Cottage Grove Faith Center, Bohemia
Sunrisers Kiwanis, Family Relief Nursery, Cottage Grove High School Spanish Club, Cottage
Grove Brewers Guild, the Chamber Greeters, KNND AM1400 and the Cottage Grove Police
Department. All of you have contributed to the success of Cottage Grove.
Future Business Aft er Hours
October 19th - TBA
November 16th – Village Green Resort
December 21st – Cottage Grove Sentinel
Reservations are being taken for Business Aft er Hours in 2018. Give us a call at 942-2411 and
reserve your month today!
MEMBER NEWS
Business plan competition will award $10,000 in start-up cash
A chamber member entrepreneur in Cottage Grove is off ering $10,000 to help fund the
creation of new businesses and new jobs in the Cottage Grove Area. Harold Frazier, owner
of New Breed Seed Company wanted a way to give back to the community in a way that
would create new jobs and encourage entrepreneurship. “At fi rst, I was just going to put
an ad in the newspaper off ering $10,000 to the best business plan that was submitted,” said
Frazier. “I decided to talk to the Chamber of Commerce and see if maybe there was a better
way.”
Aft er meeting with Travis Palmer, Executive Director of the Cottage Grove Area Chamber
of Commerce, they decided to bring in a few more strategic partners. “I arranged a
quick meeting with our local economic development partners and we all felt like this was
something that RAIN Eugene could help us with and make sure we get it right the fi rst time,”
said Palmer. “A competition like this has been on our wish-list for years but without a source
for the prize money, the idea would have just sat on a shelf indefi nitely. With RAIN involved,
we are confi dent that we can host a successful business plan competition and set an example
for others to follow.”
RAIN stands for Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network and their website describes
them as an organization that, “connects entrepreneurs, mentors and investors together to
create a network of talented and dedicated individuals who support the startup community
in the Eugene-Springfi eld area.” Micah Elconin represents RAIN-Eugene on this project and
is the Mentor in Residence. “We are excited to support this contest and connect with Cottage
2017 Chamber Board of Directors, Advisors and Staff
Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
700 E. Gibbs • Cottage Grove, OR • P. (541) 942-2411
info@cgchamber.com • www.cgchamber.com
2017 Chamber Board of Directors:
Thank you for your hours upon hours of volunteer time, commitment, and service!
Offi cers
Candace Solesbee, President
Chloe Beckes, Vice President
Ruth Linoz, Secretary
Gary Manly, Treasurer
Joe Raade, Past President
Shampoo Dolls Salon
Jack Sprats
South Lane Wheels
Cottage Grove Sentinel
South Lane County Fire & Rescue
Directors
Cassie Barrong
Ryan Gifford
Dean Kruschke
Bret Munk
Layla Beth Munk
Shuana Neigh
Danny Solesbee
Don Williams
Lloyd Williams
Judd Van Gorder
Oregon Aviation Historical Society
Gifford & Gifford Attorneys at Law
Cascade Home Center
CG Body Studio
CG Body Studio
Busterʼs Main Street Café
Five Flying Monkeys
Retired, Past Board President
South Lane Television
Carousel House B&B and Catering
Advisors
Tim Herrmann
Celeste Krueger
Richard Meyers/Mike Fleck
Garrett Bridgens
PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center
Pacifi c Power
City of Cottage Grove
South Lane School District
Visitor Center Volunteers:
Heidi Abbott, Dotti Bittner, Tara Sue Hughart, Susan Jeppesen, Suzy Kanich,
Marie Longfellow, Judd Van Gorder, Sharon Van Gorder, Penny Westling, Nolene
Wheeler.
Staff:
Travis Palmer, Executive Director
Beth Martin, Offi ce Manager
Mavis Bradsby, Bookkeeper
Jessica Baker, Membership
Developement Coordinator
Five Year Vision Statement:
Th e Cottage Grove Area Chamber of
Commerce promotes Cottage Grove as
a prosperous destination community.
Economic vitality is at the heart of
everything we do. As a resource for
businesses, we are the conduit that provides
advocacy, marketing, education, and
networking opportunities to over 300
members.