BUSINESS
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
New tattoo shop to open in Hermiston
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
Hermiston is getting a new
tattoo shop downtown — one
with social media recognition
and a dedicated clientele.
Israel Badder, the owner
of the new Badder Ink shop
coming to 182 E. Main St. in
Hermiston at the former site
of Tech Tech Goose Gaming
LLC, said he was inspired to
bring his shop to the town
after talking to his clients in
Kennewick.
“About 50% of my clientele
was coming from Oregon to
the Tri-Cities,” Badder said.
“And then I discovered there
was no tattoo shop in Herm-
iston.”
It will be the second per-
manent location for Badder
in the Pacific Northwest. The
41-year-old tattoo artist grew
up in New York and trav-
eled the country when he was
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
Hermiston’s new tattoo shop, Badder Ink, is in the final stages of con-
struction Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, at 182 E. Main St. This will be Badder
Ink’s second tattoo shop, with the first being in Kennewick. Badder Ink’s
grand opening will be Sept. 1, and the first 100 customers will receive
a free tattoo or piercing.
older. After spending four
years in Miami, Badder found
his way up to Kennewick,
where he has owned a tattoo
business for five years.
And now he said it’s time
for Hermiston to get a pre-
mier tattoo shop — one that
provides individual artists
with a chance to shine.
The Hermiston Plaza is
getting another facelift —
and adding two new retail
chains to the city.
Corvallis-based real estate
broker Darren Dickerhoof ’s
company Dickerhoof Prop-
erties has owned the plaza
since November 2014. Af-
ter making some initial up-
grades when it purchased
the site, Dickerhoof said the
company is preparing to
make its biggest change yet.
Marshalls and Famous
Footwear are slated to open
in Hermiston by mid-No-
vember, Dickerhoof said.
The two companies will re-
place Bealls; the retail chain
shut its doors due to the last-
ing effects of the pandemic.
“We had looked at expand-
ing the Big Lots, but then got
approached by Marshalls,”
Dickerhoof said. “It’s really
the best combo for the shop-
ping center.”
Marshalls and Famous
Footwear often travel hand-
in-hand as the two compa-
nies complement each other
well, Dickerhoof said. So
when Marshalls voiced their
interest in the location, Fa-
mous Footwear was not far
behind.
As part of the expansion
process. Dickerhoof Prop-
erties will be expanding the
plaza to accommodate the
two chains. Originally only
13,500 square feet, the for-
mer Bealls spot will be in-
creased to 23,000 square
feet. Dickerhoof said the
construction started two
months ago and is targeting a
mid-November opening.
“In a perfect world, they’re
trying to get open for the
Holidays,” he said.
Whether or not the two
will open up by Thanksgiv-
ing remains to be seen. If
shipping delays, something
that has been haunting prop-
erties since the pandemic,
“Oregon needed this shop,”
Badder said.
Badder has developed quite
a following on Instagram. The
account @badderink has accu-
mulated nearly 65,000 follow-
ers, with many drawn to his
He said the Hermiston Main
Street location’s space is prime
for showcases.
“It’s a good spot to display
local artists,” Badder said. “The
space is perfect for it.”
About 50% of the clients he
receives are Latino, Badder
said. Coming from Mexico to
New York by himself at 7, he
said he tries to hire bilingual
artists. With a large part of
Hermiston’s population being
Hispanic, Badder said his shop
fills an important gap.
The shop won’t just be for
tattoos, either. Badder said he
has plans for a boba selection
available near the front desk.
While construction is under-
way, Badder plans on opening
Sept. 1 due to licensing com-
plications. At the grand open-
ing ceremonies, Badder said
he plans to give away 100 small
tattoos and 100 piercings to
those that come.
Farm Credit West, NW Farm Credit
Services pursue potential merger
Hermiston Plaza expanding,
adding two new retail stores
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
Israel Badder, 41, from Brooklyn,
New York, gives a tour Tuesday,
Aug. 9, 2022, at his new tattoo
shop Badder Ink, 182 E. Main St.,
Hermiston. Badder’s first tattoo
shop is in Kennewick.
linework, as well as small give-
aways available for followers.
Badder’s personal account also
is successful with more than
26,000 followers. He said one
of the main reasons he’s gained
a following is because of his
connection to art.
“People are excited —
they’re more excited about the
art connection,” Badder said.
That art connection is one
thing the owner said sets Bad-
der Ink apart. At the Kenne-
wick location, all six tattoo art-
ists hail from South America
— two from Chile, two from
Colombia and two from Ar-
gentina. All those who work
for Badder are traveling artists,
much like he was in his earlier
years.
Along with his tattoo artists,
Badder said he plans to open
an art gallery. It’s something
that he’s done at his Kennewick
location with positive results.
continue to affect timing, the
opening may be much later.
Dickerhoof said most
companies like to open a few
weeks before the busy holi-
day season hits to give new
staff time to get used to their
roles. If the start time is in
the middle of the shopping
spree season, he said the
companies may wait until
January or February to open
the doors.
Even with the companies’
uncertain starting times, the
Hermiston Plaza expansion
is a project Dickerhoof is ex-
cited to see come to fruition.
With the additions, the plaza
once again will be back to
100% capacity after sitting
below that number for nearly
a year.
“I think it’s a great ad
for Hermiston,” Dicker-
hoof said. “There’s really no
big clothing stores in the
area that I’m aware of, but
I think it would be a great
addition for people.”
BY SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
Farm Credit West and North-
west Farm Credit Services, ag-
ricultural lending associations
within the Farm Credit System,
are pursuing a potential merger.
Experts say a merger — part
of a broader consolidation trend
within agricultural lending —
comes with pros and cons for
borrowers.
Combined, the associations
would have a mammoth foot-
print.
Farm Credit West, with 14
offices, works with farmers in
Arizona and California’s Central
Coast, Imperial Valley, Southern
San Joaquin Valley and Sacra-
mento Valley.
Northwest Farm Credit Ser-
vices, with 44 offices, provides
financing and related services in
Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Wash-
ington and Alaska.
“By joining our associations,
we can be better positioned to
strategically address market-
place changes and provide even
greater value for our custom-
er-members,” Sureena Bains
Thiara, chair of Farm Credit
West’s board of directors, said in
a statement earlier this year.
Nate Riggers, chair of North-
west Farm Credit Services’
board, said the merger is a “stra-
tegic move for both coopera-
tives.”
Since February, the orga-
nizations have been assessing
merger benefits for stockholders
and finalizing agreement terms.
Linda Hendricksen, chief
marketing and learning officer
at Northwest Farm Credit Ser-
vices, said the proposal is pend-
ing regulatory review. Approval
is expected in October, at which
time the association will share
more details.
The merged association plans
to begin operations Jan. 1 under
the leadership of Farm Credit
West’s president and CEO, Mark
Littlefield. The management
team will include leaders from
both associations.
Headquarters will be in Spo-
kane, with regional operating
centers in each state. The agri-
cultural lenders do not antici-
pate office closures or branch
staffing changes.
The possible merger is part
of a decades-long trend toward
consolidation within the Farm
Credit System, or FCS.
The FCS traces its origins to
1916, when President Woodrow
Wilson established the Federal
Land Bank System.
The system’s purpose is to
provide a permanent, reliable
source of credit to U.S. agricul-
ture.
FCS lenders are regulated by
the Farm Credit Administra-
tion, an independent federal
agency. The FCS is organized
as a borrower-cooperative,
meaning borrowers own the
associations and vote on board
members.
The FCS has four regional
banks that provide funds and
support to smaller lending as-
sociations, which in turn give
loans to eligible borrowers.
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Hermiston Office
Boardman Office
750 W. Elm Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541) 567-6414
400 N.E. Eldrige Drive
Boardman, OR 97818
(541) 481-2220