Allen Surgeon had a vision to run a mill efficiently and profitably. As owner of Rogue Valley Fuel, he has been in the wood products industry for 20 years and gotten used to rolling with the punches." When drastic changes hit the logging industry and Environmental concerns reshaped the industry, Allen had to diversify. He purchased used equipment from mills that closed, and began offering a wide range of products using small diameter logs. His products are wood blocks, chips, posts and poles, bark and sawdust. His success in business has been guided by extensive industry experience. He continually applies the lessons he learned about the most efficient ways to run a mill profitably.
This success story is a team effort, which includes the Grants Pass Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Oregon Department of Economic Development (OECDD), Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI) And Southern Oregon Womens Access to Credit (SOWAC). Roger Harding from... Read MoreYou are here
Success Stories
Chris Kodama had been a secretary for 25 years when the arrival of a new granddaughter led her to drive to Boise with her husband from their Ontario, OR, home to look for baby clothes. They found a nice resale clothing store in Idaho. “When my husband saw the store,” Chris recalls, “he asked, ‘why aren’t we doing that?’” Why not, indeed? In September of 2000, Chris quit her secretarial job and launched her new life as an entrepreneur.
Care-O-Sell, Kodama’s store, is a “first-class children’s and maternity resale store.” “I had been in stores like this before,” Chris says, “but I knew I could do it better.” And, Chris says, the move meant something important: “No more memos!” Care-O-Sell carries anything related to children including clothing, toys and equipment. Running a children’s clothing store is anything but child’s play. Chris devoured magazines and books about the retail clothing business and set about creating a business plan that would work for her... Read More
Paresh Patel, President, Courtesy Vending, LLC, has been named as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Oregon Small Business Person of the Year. Courtesy Vending, LLC a 13-yr old business founded by Patel at age 17 in 1992 with one pop machine, has grown to become the largest independent snack and drink machine vending operator in Portland.
From very humble beginnings in a very competitive industry, the company posted sales of $1.6 million in 2003 and projects sales of $2.5 million in 2004, operating over 1000 vending machines, employing 17 full time route drivers, warehouse personnel, operations and administrative staff. Patel’s passion for knowledge and his drive to succeed have been evident from an early age. Patel gained his business experience at age 12 with the remodeling of his family owned motel; he led the renovation and created systems that continue to provide efficiency for the business today. Through his teenage years, he managed the financial... Read More
It’s a pretty good bet that Kelso natives Cal Miller and Joe Lane would have been successful businessmen out on their own. But put them together, and you have a partnership that’s turned Pacific Tech Construction from a regional commercial contracting business into a national building services company.
Theirs is an example of a business partnership that works, says Don Jones, president and CEO of Twin City Bank. Miller and Lane share a similar work ethic that gets the job done, says Jones, who knows Pacific Tech Construction well. They share the same vision and goals, and they are innovative businessmen who take good care of their employees, Jones says. "I think it’s trust," Jones says of the duo’s secret to the success. "I think it’s a belief in the other’s ability and a desire to have a good company." Last month, Miller and Lane marked their 10th anniversary as owners of Pacific Tech Construction in Longview. A flourishing business built on... Read More