COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 | 7A
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Family Owned in Cottage Grove
2019
Invest in The Grove — Invest in Progress
Progress, a new tradition for The Sentinel, is something of a yearbook for our community. This
new feature is an ongoing series of special sections designed to highlight important topics, people,
places and businesses in our community with focuses on local non-profits, family-owned businesses,
transportation, local favorites and more. Throughout the year, look for stories in this special section
explorinf the best of our local area as we celebrate the many examples of Progress in our community.
Welcome to our first installment: Family-Owned Businesses
OLD MILL FARM STORE
-Est 1870-
• Organic & Conventional Livestock Feed & Supplies
• Organic Garden Soil & Supplements
• Dog, Cat & Animal Supplies
• Largest Local Selection of Dog & Cat Foods
• Special Orders Welcome
• Great Selection of Wild Bird Supplies
• Seasonal Local Organic Produce
• Hay, Alfalfa, & Straw
• Chicks & Ducks Available Now
942-3042
327 S. River Rd. • Cottage Grove
Welt family keeps success simple
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Staff report
T
he Welts have left their mark on Cot-
tage Grove.
It started in 1968 when William J.
Welt moved from Roseburg to take over the
76 distributorship. Starting by himself and
temporarily away from his family, the eldest
Welt slept in his office to make ends meet as
his company got off the ground.
“When he started this, there was every
major oil bulk plant represented in this
town and now we’re the only one left,” said
a proud Brad Welt, the son of William. Brad
began his work with the company at the age
of 10 and has been working in various ca-
pacities ever since.
“I got started riding in the truck with him
and I was the bookkeeper. And this was be-
fore calculators, before anything else and I
was the guy that made out the paperwork
and he had small books, about the size of a
bible, and we would look up the amount of
fuel,” said Brad.
Now with various titles of president and
vice president across all of Welt and Welt
Inc. — a company that includes ventures in
fuel (Pacific Pride, Fuel ‘n’ Go), heating and
lube oil (W/W Bio Diesel) and restaurants
(Bonanza Fribe-Up and The Pink House)
— Brad isn’t worried about the particulars
of his title but just wants people to know
him simply as Brad. This simplicity goes
back to the heart of why this company has
been able to achieve success in the area for
over five decades.
“Our goal is not to be the biggest, we just
want to be the best,” said Brad.
This commitment to being the best shows
up in the details of the work between both
Welts. Their goal throughout the history of
the company has been to be available for
their customers, something that is apparent
as they look to help customers which any
number of details when they arrive.
While the customers and people are at
the heart of their work, the next ingredient
that has let the company thrive is being in
Cottage Grove, a place that the Welts are
glad to call home.
“Love living in Cottage Grove. I’ll take
Cottage Grove as the best place in the world
to live, I wouldn’t live anywhere else. We’re
fortunate to have a small, close-knit com-
munity that’s very caring and we like that,”
said Brad. “We love it. Just love it. People
come, they trust us. I just waited on a per-
son here and he said, ‘Hey, just put it on my
bill.’ I didn’t even have him sign a ticket,
we’re old-school that way. And they trust
us.”